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This paper reports on a study of agricultural knowledge and information systems (AKIS) undertaken by the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute and the Ministry of Agriculture. Field research was conducted in four districts of Kenya, including high-potential and pastoral areas, to document and assess the significance of different actors and organisations as potential uptake/dissemination pathways for agricultural technologies, and to consider ways to improve the performance of the knowledge and information systems in the districts. Databases of the organisations, institutions and actors involved in agriculture in the four districts were compiled, and a series of participatory and rapid appraisal exercises were carried out with people concerned with agriculture in selected sub-locations and divisions within each district

International non-government organisations (INGOs) are increasingly regarded as important in their capacity to influence global policy on development issues. This has been possible through their simultaneous attachment to local places and cultures on the one hand, and their critical engagement with global institutions on the other. With recent advances in information and communication technologies, an increasingly connected INGO community is finding considerable scope for networking and information sharing at multiple levels. However, despite the strategic advantage of INGOs in terms of their multi-level reach, their contribution to date remains limited more to small-scale success stories than to affecting development directions more broadly. In this paper, we emphasise the need for INGOs to learn from the field in their quest to influence wider policy-making and to improve local accountability. It is argued that, as their role changes from operational work to international advocacy, INGOs will have to strengthen institutional structures and learning skills to achieve a greater developmental impact

This manual draws attention to different aspects of the accessibility of meetings, written documents, visual communications, presentations, environment and accommodation. It gives an overview of the major issues around accessibility for disabled people and presents practical adaptations to enable disabled people to be included in participatory activities

A guide written primarily for DFID staff, highlighting the benefits, challenges and options when considering funding media/communications interventions. Includes sections on when to support such initiatives; what types of assistance to provide media organisations; how to appraise and monitor media interventions. Also supplies intervention frameworks to assist in identifying relevant interventions; advice on supporting balanced, responsible reporting; case studies; lists of relevant organisations, contacts within DFID, and further reading

This book examines the role of information management in health care. It is not specifically about developing countries, but parts may be relevant to evolving health care systems and information services in development. Part 1 looks at the context within which health care is delivered and examines the different users who have access to the knowledge base; Part 2 outlines the principles underlying the way health information resources and services are organized and managed; and Part 3 discusses the skills required to use the knowledge base effectively. Within this structure, individual chapters cover issues of particular relevance, such as marketing the information service, training the users, sources of health knowledge and searching the knowledge base