10.1 Librarian directly employed on the project?
Most of the information tasks set out in this analysis do not need classical
library skills. There are, nonetheless, some areas where professional library
skills would be very valuable. The main technical library tasks required
include:
- Classification of AUDMP material
- The design of procedures for routine searches of the technical literature
for current awareness support
- Developing a strategy for regular Web searches and updates
- Classification and safe storage of incoming electronic documents, from
other projects, and off the WWW.
The AUDMP collection has now reached a size where it needs to be formally
catalogued. This is best done using a simple Macintosh based bibliographic
program, such as Reference Manager. Library databases produced with this
software can be exported to a range of over software, or disseminated using
a free viewer. They are also much easier to use than older programs. Input
requires library skills for the initial design of the classification (which
is nonetheless straightforward), and can be a shared task for a librarian
and research assistant or secretary. In practice it would be ideal if a
trained librarian could spend one or two days a week on AUDMP activity,
especially at the start to ensure that the records of the document collection
are well-categorised and kept up-to-date.
10.2 Computer specialist directly employed on the project?
A range of project tasks may at some stage require considerable specialised
computer knowledge and expertise, particularly in the areas of establishing
network linkages, conferencing arrangements and advanced WWW support
Overall, the main tasks where computing support may be needed in the
next few months include:
- Database development and maintenance, particularly for tracking project
activity
- WWW page development
- Advice on email and WWW set up on project countries
- Listserv maintenance
Computer applications are likely to emerge relatively slowly at first,
but with a rapidly broadening set of opportunities becoming apparent towards
the middle of 1997. Amongst the possibilities for AUDMP involvement at
that point may be support for various GIS applications and experiments,
conferencing software management, and advice on intranet applications in
project countries. It would seem that there would be a strong opportunity
for a specialist in networking, conferencing, and possibly simulation to
spend at least two days a week on the AUDMP project from spring 1997 onwards,
if possible on a relatively sustained basis.
10.3 The Role for a GIS Specialist?
The role of an AUDMP GIS specialist needs additional review. It will
depend considerably on the types of GIS capacity which become available
to project staff in each country, and on the extent to which those involved
in GIS activity can be encouraged to develop horizontal linkages. If a
GIS specialist is to be based at AIT, one important issue will be the extent
to which he or she can spend time visiting the various city activities
on a regular and relatively frequent basis (every two months or less),
and the quality of communications between AIT and those cities. GIS datasets
are often quite large, and need considerable bandwidth to move routinely
from site to site. One likely role that could evolve is the production
of training materials on the use of GIS in mitigation and emergency management
- a group of topics which is currently very underdeveloped.
10.4 Whether to develop an information function in the project clusters
in each country?
There could be real advantages to the project if an information specialist
in each country could be brought into a cluster of information services.
This would provide an extra route for feedback on user requirements, and
would give AUDMP an additional way of drawing people's attention to materials
and activities. An in-country information person could also act as a routing
agent for mailed material, cutting costs by emailing and printing and posting
papers locally. The right person could also provide computer support, and
act as an electronic post-office.
The value of in-country information support depends crucially on selecting
well-motivated people, who would probably have to be either volunteers,
or work on a limited part-time basis. It is definitely worth exploring
further.
10.5 How much effort to put into comprehensive scientific information
collection?
Experience suggests that most technical staff don't read as much as
they probably should, especially when material is in a relatively unfamiliar
language. The best that can usually be done is to find ways of keeping
the information load as low as possible, and discriminating strongly in
favour of specific, high quality, just-in-time information.
At the same time, there will generally be a group of participants who
will benefit considerably from the synergies generated by providing a rich
set of diverse material. We have already discussed the strategies which
might best be used to provide current awareness services. In general, staff
at AUDMP can make their own judgement. They may find it useful to consult
from time to time with a selected group of about ten national project staff
to provide extra guidance on the type of documents the AUDMP information
services should spend time and resources collecting. In general, parsimony
may be appropriate, especially with the more formal scientific papers.
AUDMP's real value added will probably come with strategy-related material,
especially that gleaned from projects elsewhere.
10.6 What Structure for a project reporting series?
Whilst a variety of informal information products will emerge as part
of project activity, it is important that a core of products is given a
clear AUDMP identity, first for external users during the lifetime of the
project, second to provide a basis for archiving of project results, and
third to make it easier for those starting to replicate aspects of the
project to assemble the information they need. It is suggested that the
following be explored initially as possible "formal labels" for
different classes of outputs:
- Technical reports
- Briefings
- Monographs
- Project lessons learned
- Project Case Studies
- AUDMP Computer tutorials
- AUDMP Video tutorials and slide sets
10.7 What level of Internet commitment overall, and how fast and
how far to expand the AUDMP WWW activity?
This depends considerably on how fast country and city-level teams manage
to connect themselves to the Internet, which depends in turn on connectivity
factors discussed above. Articles reviewing factors influencing Asian country
Internet connectivity have already been circulated. In general the strategy
should be to promote individual email access as hard as possible, but not
to rely on Internet connectivity of any sort for critical project activity
over the first year.
The main WWW requirement is for a basic, password protected set of WWW
pages for the project. Later, perhaps before the spring of 1997, the following
options should be built in, ready for a new wave of connections in the
middle of that year:
- Collaborative authoring
- Search of archives of project
- Project papers on WWW
- Project directories on WWW
- List archives on WWW
10.8 How much effort to devote to multimedia products?
Quite simply, this is crucial. There should be as much multimedia emphasis
as possible from the start if the project's lessons are to have the best
chance of dissemination over the next decade.
