Country Presentation on Establishment and
Operation of RAILS in the Sudan
RAILS Lessons Learning Workshop
15th – 16th August, 2013 Mombasa - Kenya
Presentation By
Prof. Abdalla Ibrahim Elhagwa
Director, HRD and Information ARC – Sudan
E-mail: abdallaelhagwa@gmail.com
and
Ahlam Ismail Musa
RAILS-Sudan FP – ARC – Sudan
E-mail: ahlamusa@yahoo.com
Introduction
• Agriculture is a vital development tool in achieving the
Millennium Development Goals in Sudan based on which the
National Agricultural Renaissance Programme was launched.
It is also recognized that knowledge is a critical factor in
improving agricultural production and food security. In 2010,
the Agricultural Research Corporation (ARC) was re-affiliated
to the Ministry of Agriculture to assure executive program for
national agricultural development.
Introduction – Cont.
• Within the framework of ARC as the NARIs of the
Sudan, a remarkable index is the research and
development performed in Sudan through
collaborative projects with regional, international,
sub-regional activities and initiatives. Most of them
aim to improve agricultural knowledge sharing and
management.
Establishment of National Focal Units in the Sudan:
Sudan National Agricultural Information Network (SNAIN)
Background
 Under the support of ASARECA/RAIN, the First
Workshop of the Sudan National Agricultural
Information Network (SNAIN) was held on Monday
and Tuesday 30th-31th of August 2004 at the
Conference Hall of the Training Centre, Agricultural
Bank of Sudan, Khartoum.
 About 66 individuals attended the workshop and
participated in its deliberations
SNAIN Workshop
 As a result of SNAIN Workshop 2004, the
Sudan National Agricultural Information
Strategy has been agreed upon and National
Steering Committee (NSC) has been
formulated.
RAILS National Workshop for the Sudan
RAILS National Workshop for the Sudan
• RAILS workshop for the Sudan was held during the period 2021 March, 2010
• The workshop was attended by 33 among them there were 8
women participants. The workshop attended by some guests
of honors from the Sudanese national agricultural research
institutions, ministries, national information centers,
universities and higher education, extension, national
agricultural information networks, media, private sector and
NGOs.
RAILS National Workshop for the Sudan
• Francios Stepman and Daniel Mwesige presented FARA and ASARECA
• RAILS National Learning Team has been selected and established under
SNAIN framework
• The SNAIN/RAILS learning team consisted of 13 members, 11 men and 2
women mainly directors of national agricultural research and information
centers, library and agricultural knowledge managers, ICT and GIS
professionals and extension specialists.
SNAIN-RAILS implemented Work Plan 2011-2012
eRAILS Sudan Workshops
• Under the approved work plan 2011-2012 Sudan eRAILS
workshops has been implemented in April, 2012:
1- Three Days training workshop at Wad Medani: 15
participants
2- One day training seminar at Khartoum: 20 participants
• The main outputs are to create awareness about RAILS and
improve eRAILS web portal at the URL: http://www.erails.net
• Peter Wamanga, ASARECA eRAILS webmaster and 2 members of
SNAIN/RAILS LT facilitated training
• Another follow-up training workshop for Wad Medani workshop
participants organized in 7th November 2012
ICT equipment Support
• 4 Desktop computers (ARC and General Adm. of Planning and
Agric. Economics – MofA and Irrigation)
• 2 server (ARC and NCR/DIC)
• 2 All in one: Printer, Scanner, Copier & Facsimile (ARC)
• 4 Voltage Regulator , Uninterrupted Power Supply - For
Desktop Computers (ARC and General Adm. of Planning and
Agric. Economics – MofA and Irrigation)
• 2 Voltage Regulator , Uninterrupted Power Supply - For
Servers (ARC and NCR/DIC)
• 10 notebook computers (LT members and researchers)
List of institutions and NGOs engaged in RAILS and
eRAILS Sudan 2010-2013
List of institutions and NGOs engaged in RAILS and
eRAILS Sudan 2010-2013
• RAILS/Sudan Has been supported by national and
NGOs in the Sudan mainly:
Sudanese Universities Information Network (SUIN):
SUIN is a project under the supervision of
Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific
Research and supported by Specialists of
Sudanese Universities.
The National Information Centre
• Policy Making
Establishing,
• Advisory
Operating
& Servicing
• Coordination
The
• Standardise
National Information Network
• Awareness
www. bsil.com
www.nicsudan.gov.sd
Practical Action Sudan - NGOs
Meeting the Needs of Small Farmers
for Technical Knowledge
List of institutions and NGOs engaged in RAILS and eRAILS
Sudan 2010-2013 (Cont)
• Nectar Forum, http://nectarforum.com/
• National The Sudanese Encyclopaedia of Agricultural Science, formerly
Nectar Forum, http://www.senassudan.com
• Ongoing communications to join RAILS-Sudan by the newly established
the Sudanese Knowledge Society (SKS), http://sks.kmca2012.net
• Other national Agricultural research institution namely:
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ARC research programs
SNAIN/RAILS Sudan page
Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation
Ministry of Science and technology
Documentation and Information Centre, National Council of Research (DIC-NCR)
University of Khartoum
University of Gezira
Research scientists individual pages
APHLIS Sudan (African Post harvest Losses Information System)
How can knowledge sharing and management be improved for
the ARC
• Understanding of knowledge sharing and management
• To develop channels for information and knowledge follow
between researchers, agricultural research programs,
research stations and centers, related institutions, extension,
education, NGOs and private sector
• Encourage researcher to facilitate capturing, access and
sharing of agricultural knowledge
• Development of Knowledge sharing portal, website
• To enhance capabilities of knowledge managers and support
ICT infrastructures
• To strengthening partnership with related initiatives and
projects
How can knowledge sharing and management be
improved for Sudan
• Knowledge sharing and management could be improved
through partnership and cooperation between national, regional
and international projects, networks and initiatives
• It is highly recommended to develop and implement national
agricultural information and knowledge strategy
• Development of national agricultural information and
knowledge website portal
• RAILS Sudan work endeavor to establish partnership with the
related, national, regional and international knowledge sharing
and management initiatives in the Sudan
• Examples of new agricultural information and knowledge
sharing initiatives in the Sudan: ICARDA and IFAD RAIN-WANA,
KariaNet, SENAS and Sudanese Knowledge Society
Regional Agricultural Information Network for West Asia and
North Africa RAIN-WANA
• The main goal of the ICARDA / IFAD RAIN-WANA
Project is to develop and deploy a fully integrated
and sustainable information and knowledge
management platform that is capable of supporting
agricultural research and development activities in
the WANA region.
• The platform has been well developed at the URL:
www.rainwana.net/NGLUC/Home and a number of
Sudanese library and information centers has
developed web pages at the network
KariaNet (IFAD and IDRC)
• Knowledge Access for Rural Inter-connected Areas Network
(KariaNet), http://www.karianet.org/ is a regional network for
the management and sharing of knowledge, information and
experience in agriculture and rural development in the Middle
East and North Africa (MENA) region.
• The Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation of the Sudan lead
the activities of KariaNet and a number of KariaNet
workshops and activities has been implemented in
collaboration with the Agricultural Research Corporation
(ARC) of the Sudan.
Sudanese Encyclopedia of Agricultural Science (SEANAS)
• SENAS is a multi, knowledge and encyclopedic project deals with scientific
views. It is concerned with agro science and its different branches and its
applications in the Sudanese land nature through editing and electronic
publishing for scientific studies and research, by collecting scientific views
on the used applications of agricultural knowledge and technology in
Sudan.
• SENAS aims to apply this project through establishing a web site with
unlimited storage capacity which was provided and the material which will
be published with its different properties.
• RAILS-Sudan FP and some SNAIN/RAILS Sudan members has actively
provide consultancy for the development, operation and activities of
SENAS.
Sudanese Encyclopedia of Agricultural Science (SEANAS)
• SENAS has been well registered by the Sudan Agricultural Council and the
website has been developed and officially launched in 17th April 2013 and
addressed by Director General ARC and attended by more than 300
agricultural research scientists and investment agencies.
• SENAS has its account at eRAILS Sudan country page and working to
strengthening partnership with RAILS-Sudan to enhance the national
capacities of agricultural knowledge sharing and management in the
Sudan
Sudanese Knowledge Society (SKS)
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The workshop on Knowledge Management Capacity in Africa was held from 4 – 7
January, 2012 at Khartoum and co-organized by the University of Khartoum,
Garden City College, the International Network on Appropriate Technology, and
the Epidemiological Laboratory,
The Sudanese Knowledge Society (SKS), http://sks.kmca2012.net , the body that
embraces the ideas of this community that organized the workshop on Knowledge
Management Capacity in Africa began in 2011 and after the workshop the SKS has
been continue its activities and registered at the Ministry of Culture
SKS vision is to realizing the knowledge society in Sudan and comprised of a
multidisciplinary and diverse group of individuals that includes academics,
professionals, craftspeople, students, development workers, who aim to work for
enabling institutions, organizations and the people of the Sudan to utilize the
concepts, methods and values of the knowledge society
Achievements of SNAIN/RAILS-Sudan
• In the country:
 Strengthening agricultural information and knowledge sharing
 ICT support to national institutions
 Support to national strategies
 Implement projects and initiatives
 Improved ICM/ICT, enhanced skills
 Develop a platform for national agricultural information and learning
systems
• In our institution:
 Support to the rule of the ARC as NARIs of the Sudan to support national
agricultural information and knowledge sharing strategies in the Sudan and at
regional and international levels
Achievements of SNAIN/RAILS-Sudan
• For us as individuals:
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Professional capabilities to implement projects and activities
Enhanced skills in ICM/ICT
Facilitate training workshops and meetings
Support national strategies and projects
Meetings with professionals and partners, exchange experience and
lessons learning
 Participation in national, regional and international activities of
agricultural information and knowledge networks and societies
 Stay updated with recent developments in the field of specialization
through e-mail, Dgroups and social networks
Some major hindrances of SNAIN/RAILS-Sudan
1. Limited access to handheld computers for the field workers
including farmers, extension services, agricultural producers
2. Limited access to high speed and broadband internet speed
3. Difficulties during the establishments due to number factors
4. Wide digital gab between urban and rural areas
5. Lack of inter-sector coordination and collaboration between
agricultural secters
6. Lack of trusted databases
7. Resistance to change
8. Financial limitation
Conclusion and Recommendations
• RAILS is one of the two ASARECA/FARA initiatives supported by the AfDB
(RAILS and DONATA), and highly supported agricultural information and
knowledge sharing in the Sudan as well as the African countries. eRAILS
has successfully improved access to information and the ability of African
stakeholders to contribute to global agricultural knowledge. It is highly
recommended to continue to support ICT and internet connectivity to
facilitate updating and development of more websites at eRAILS to share
agricultural information and knowledge
• It is recommended to implement DONATA project in the Sudan to support
food security projects and strengthening the rule of eRAILS platform by
generate more web page of research and reports and share it with other
researchers
Thank You