The Steering Committee for ODINAFRICA-IV at it's first session held at the UNESCO/IOC's Project Office for IODE from 20 - 22 January 2010 reviewed the work plans and came up with a detailed implementation schedule for 2010. The Committee noted noted that though they will be requesting for an extension of the project to 31 July 2013 (from the current scheduled end date of 31 December 2012), the institutions participating in ODINAFRICA-IV will have to make an extra effort to ensure that all the planned activities are implemented and the project activities achieved. This means that 2010 will be a particularly busy year for ODINAFRICA. The meeting was also attended by Ms Cornelia Hauke, who will be assisting with the administrative tasks for all IODE projects at the IOC Headquarters in Paris, France.
The Steering Committee noted that ODINAFRICA-IV will dedicate substantial energies to development of products for integrated marine and coastal management, especially at the local and national level. The planned activities under each of the following “products clusters” were reviewed and optimal mechanisms for successful development of the products in the available time prepared:
- Web-based data services (including catalogues and archives)
- Web-based Information Services (including literature catalogues and repositories, institution and experts directories, inventories of projects)
- Mapping, Forecasts (and predictions), and Scenario Development
- National and regional portals, as well as project websites and national NODC websites
- Communication tools: newsletters, policy and media briefs, African Oceans and Coasts books series
The revised implementation plan for ODINAFRICA-IV will be circulated to the ODINAFRICA National Coordinators, and also availed online.
