Theme 4

Integrated information systems

Report

IAALD 13th CongressMontpellier, France, 26-29 April 2010

Theme 4 - Integrated information systems

Slide for plenary – 2 points• Different implementations of “integration”

- integrating content from different sources,- integrating tools and applications,- integrating different types of information,- integrating institutional processes, - merging vs. ownership (IPR issues, security…).Common objective: re-purposing contents for specific audiences and needs value addition

• Sustainability- investment (human and financial);- updating / maintenance; - estimating the costs.

Theme 4 : 10 points

Integrated information systems1. Meaning of “integrated system”

Systems that integrate information of different types and / or from diverse sources.Integrated: that fits into a whole, that fits with the rest Different types of “integrated systems”

– a) Systems that collect through data entry and then integrate and interlink information of different kinds ; b) systems that harvest or query different sources; c) systems that have merged different databases;

– a) Institutional / intra-organizational systems; b) inter-organizational / network systems.Different types have different requirements and present different issues

2. The value of being an “integrated system” What all the integrated systems presented have in common is that they add value to information and allow to re-package and re-purpose it according to the needs of their audience

Theme 4 : 10 points

Integrated information systems3. Common issue: sustainability

- Financial sustainability- Content update- Difficulty of measuring the cost of integration

4. The importance of classificationsIn order to integrate and present the collected information in a coherent and targeted manner, all systems presented use classifications of different kinds.Very important: geo indexing

5. The importance of protocols and standardsto export/import, harvest, query

6. Common issue: validation of the information

Theme 4 : 10 points

Integrated information systems

7. The importance of the purposePurpose as the main criterion for rationale and assessment.To support decision making; early-warning; monitoring; surveillance.

8. Common issue: identification and integration of sourcesThe importance of knowing which sources are available, where, and how they can be integrated (sources are difficult to find and “disconnected”)

9. Common issue: acknowledgment of sources, IPR

10. The importance of networksWhether partners directly input information or make it available for harvesting, all integrated systems presented are based on networks of cooperating partners

Summary of presented systems• Crop Genebank Knowledge Base of CGIAR: Geert Claessens,

Bioversity• CERISA, VeliSA of INRA: Marie-Colette Faure, INRA• SIDALC of IICA: Federico Sancho, IICA• SIIS of CIFOR: Sufiet Erlita, CGIAR• USDA/CABI global database on invasive species: Elizabeth

Dodsworth, CABI• Vigicultures Mehdi Sine• Linnaeus Link Project Gina Douglas, Linnean Society of London • EMPRES of FAO/CIRAD: Jean-Michel Vassal, CIRAD• CIARD RING; Valeria Pesce, GFAR• Global Plant Health Centre of CABI: Philip Abrahams, CABI• LIMS of SADC: Pascal Bonnet (SADC)