PROJECT DOCUMENT FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE OCEAN DATA AND INFORMATION NETWORK FOR THE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES IN ECONOMICAL TRANSITION (ECET)
1. INTRODUCTION
· General information about IODE Program and its main objectives
The IOC’s International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange(IODE) is established to enhance marine research, exploitation and development by facilitating the exchange of oceanographic data and information between participating Member States and by meeting the needs of users for data and information products. The official endorsement to proceed with the establishing of a European ODIN for Eastern countries was given by IODE at its XVIII meeting, following the suggestion in the 2005 GEMIM report to IODE. During the IODE/EURASLIC workshop on the European Countries in Economic Transition (ECET) ODIN initiative (27-28 October 2005, IODE Project Office in Oostende, Belgium) it was decided that the Coordinating Group would prepare a concept document
(this document) that describes the way the European ODIN will be started and proposes a list of activities for 2006. In the first stages, this network will focus on aquatic information management mainly, building on the already existing preconditions and networks in the ECET-region, whom indicate a stronger support need for the information sector.
· Since 1989-1990, the information management sector in most ECET- countries has undergone substantial changes. This has led in many cases to a decline of information services and existing library networks. It is felt necessary that support from international organizations is needed to re-establish information management activities, and to bring the information management sector to current international standards. The already existing ODIN-networks in other areas are a good example of the kind of support sought.
· Preconditions (elements that are already in place): the EURASLIC ECET group supports networking of a number of aquatic libraries in the region, through joint projects (BLICOP - Black Sea Libraries Cooperation Project and ECET Union Catalogue of Serials). This group operates under the EURASLIC umbrella, an organization that addresses all issues of aquatic libraries and information centres in Europe.
· The state of aquatic libraries and regional needs: from a preliminary assessment (October 2005), it became evident that most ECET- libraries need:
1. capacity building (also in regional languages);
2. networking support for (mainly Russian) libraries;
3. an upgrade of the status of librarians.
It was also clear that a more detailed assessment of needs should be organized, to be able to map all information issues in the ECET- region in detail.
2. PROJECT AIM
The ODINECET network constitutes a capacity building strategy for Eastern and Central European participating member states linking training, equipment and operational support in a regional context, product- and service-oriented and using a multi-stakeholder approach.
3. PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND ACTIONS DESCRIPTION
The ODINECET objectives and actions could be summarized as follows:
· OBJECTIVE 1: To support the networking of aquatic libraries in
ECET countries
actions
1.1. Create a Mailing list with the co-operation of the IODE Project Office;
1.2. Create a Pilot Project website with the co-operation of the IODE Project Office;
1.3. Establish a Coordinating Centre in Russia to address the specific Russian issues (geographical span, high number of centres) in cooperation with the Russian IOC representative;
1.4. Prepare a detailed survey of libraries state and needs (2006), results of which will be addressed by ODINECET;
1.5. Prepare official ODINECET documentation to be sent to possible new partners and contacts.
· OBJECTIVE 2: To support the development of national aquatic information centres and national/regional projects
actions
2.1. To continue with the development of the ECET Union Catalogue of
Serials project (ILL-service, database updating, new partners);
2.2. Create institutional repositories linked with the ECET Union Catalogue of Serials. These e-repositories will include both published papers as well as grey literature produced by the Institute (unpublished reports, institutional annual reports, dissertations). The documents will be available in full-text electronic format;
2.3. Make the e-repositories OAI-compliant and fully harvestable over the internet;
2.4. Provide training in repository software for the participants of the project in cooperation with the IOC Project Office for IODE (2007);
2.5. Include the metadata part of BLICOP into the ECET Union Catalogue of Serials (adding the BLICOP serial records + holdings to the Union Catalogue);
2.6. Equipment provision will be included in work frames of existing projects, where necessary – sponsor identification in cooperation with the IODE Project Office.
· OBJECTIVE 3: Provide training opportunities in marine information management, applying standard formats and methodologies as defined by IODE
actions
3.1. Assess the regional training needs using an on-line questionnaire designed and distributed in cooperation with the IODE Project Office
(May 2006);
3.2. Training in Marine Information Management (Intermediate level) at the
IODE Project Office, Oostende Belgium (2007);
3.3. Training for trainers in Marine Information Management, and consultancy session in tailoring OceanTeacher to ODINECET trainees needs, in co-operation with the IODE Project Office and EURASLIC – October- December 2006 or January 2007;
3.4. Plan an additional Training in Marine Information Management (Basic
Level), by preference in the ODINECET region, in 2008;
3.5. Organization of a regional Marine Information Management training course (basic level) for ODINECET members, back-to-back with the EURASLIC XII Conference in Crimea, Ukraine – May 2007.
· OBJECTIVE 4: Assist with the development and dissemination of aquatic information, responding to the needs of the scientific community
actions
4.1. Oceanexpert – promote the input of the ECET-data to this directory of marine and freshwater professionals;
4.2. Continuous support to the e-repositories; motivate all ECET-libraries to contribute to the other established ILL-networks (EURASLIC, IAMSLIC, national library networks).
· OBJECTIVE 5: Provide assistance to IODE in the recruitment of National Information Management Coordinators
actions
5.1. Support the appointment of aquatic librarians as IODE National Representatives in Marine Information Management;
5.2. Advocacy by ODINECET members of the MIM-Coordinators network, its functions and importance, towards the IOC National action addresses.
4. PROJECT PARTICIPANTS
Aquatic libraries and information centres from European countries with economies in transition are eligible to participate in the project. Participants will be asked to contribute to the formulated and future ODINECET projects. Participants will also be asked to contribute to EURASLIC activities.
5. PROJECT COORDINATION (NATIONAL COORDINATORS, REGIONAL COORDINATOR)
· National Coordinators
The local coordination of the project will be provided through the network of ODINECET National coordinators. The National Coordinator is nominated by the country. EURASLIC National Representatives as well as IODE National Coordinators for Marine Information Management can act as ODINECET project Coordinators.
The responsibilities of ODINECET National Coordinators will include:
· Promotion of ODINECET at the national level;
· Provide communication on ODINECET in the native language(s);
· Cooperation with the ODINECET regional project coordinator;
· Implementation of the ODINECET project activities at the national level;
· Preparation of regular national implementation reports;
· Participation in ODINECET project management/review workshops;
· Assisting in the identification of national participants in ODINECET workshops and training courses;
· Assist with the organization and implementation of training courses and other related ODINECET events;
· Report on the MIM-issues at country level to the Regional Coordinator.
· Regional Coordinator
The responsibilities of the Regional Coordinator will include:
· General coordination of the ODINECET activities;
· Promotion of ODINECET at the regional and global level at various occasions (conferences, meetings, etc.);
· Communicate with the national coordinators, with the IOC/IODE Secretariat, GEMIM, EURASLIC, IAMSLIC and ASFA/FAO;
· Preparation of annual progress reports on implementation activities to IODE, GEMIM, and EURASLIC;
· Organization of the annual project management/review workshops in cooperation with the IOC/IODE Secretariat;
· Assist the National Coordinators with the organization and implementation of training courses and other related ODINECET events.
The Regional Coordinator will be nominated by the ODINECET member countries for a period of two years, renewable once (1x).
6. Project management, planning workshops and inter-sessional cooperation
· Project management workshops should be organized:
o Periodicity: once a year;
o Participants: regional coordinator, national coordinators, IOC/IODE representative, project coordinators, technical support responsible;
o Financial support will be requested from: IOC/IODE, IAMSLIC, EURASLIC, ASFA Board.
· Establishment of an inter-sessional working group (nomination through the ODINECET mailing list) that will:
o Provide an annual workplan;
o Elaborate the questionnaire on the state and needs of aquatic libraries in the region;
o Elaborate the requirements for training, based on the questionnaire results;
o Follow-up the current projects in the ECET-region, namely the ECET Union Catalogue of Serials project, and the BLICOP- project for the Black Sea;
o Follow-up any other activities, at the request of the Regional
Coordinator.
7. Project relationships with IODE and EURASLIC/IAMSLIC, other international organisations
The Regional Coordinator is the direct liaison person between ODINECET and IODE, EURASLIC, IAMSLIC and other international organizations. ODINECET will comply fully with the overall goals of IODE and EURASLIC.
Full attention will go to information management in the first stages of this project, making use of the available platform and network of EURASLIC. EURASLIC is a regional group of IAMSLIC, and IAMSLIC in its turn has a MoU with IOC, specifically to cover this kind of projects and activities, such as ODIN-networks.
Dependent on budgets and resources, it is the goal to involve oceanographic data management within ODINECET at a future stage.