Enhancing access and exchange of agricultural information in Kenya: the case of Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI).

摘要

Public science and technology information is not easily or widely accessible. This limits the impact of research on agricultural and rural development. Kenya is no exception. In the last five years, the government has taken appropriate steps by developing programmes and strategies and formulating policies that prioritize and guide its operations in Information and Communication Management/Technologies (ICM/T). One such initiative is the Kenya Agricultural Information Network (KAINet), which was established to ensure the development of institutional repositories to support availability and access to agricultural information at the national level. This paper seeks to highlight the role of a key KAINet partner, the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), in addressing information access and exchange challenges identified through a KAINet needs assessment. The paper also presents achievements and progress in the challenge areas, lessons learned and the evolving KARI national 'intranet' of 42 Centres and sub-centres being interconnected as a major component of KAINet.