DOCUMENT RESUME ED 359 962 IR 054 467 AUTHOR Durrant, Fay TITLE A Regional Information System Strategy for the Caribbean for the Year 2000. INSTITUTION Caribbean Community, Georgetown (Guyana).; Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UN), Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago).; International Development Research Centre, Ottawa (Ontario). REPORT NO IDRC-MR214e PUB DATE 89 NOTE 142p. PUB TYPE Reports Evaluative/Feasibility (142) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC06 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Change Strategies; Developing Nations; Economic Development; Foreign Countries; Information Centers; Information Needs; *Information Networks; Information Services; *Information Systems; *International Programs; Planning; *Policy Formation; Regional Planning; Resources IDENTIFIERS *Caribbean; Information Policy; National Policy; Priorities ABSTRACT This document outlines the proposals fora regional information system strategy resulting froma project undertaken by the Caribbean Community Secretariat and the United NationsEconomic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean Sub-regional Headquarters for the Caribbean. The documentcovers: (1) the role of information in the development process;(2) policy issues as they exist in relation to geographical groupingsof Caribbean states; (3) priority information development sectors, suchas agriculture, industry, and tourism; (4) information servicesrequired by the development community and by innovators in the publicand private sector; (5) description of programs offered by existingsystems; (6) mandates of relevant organizations that havealready implemented systems in their areas of specialization;(7) description of activities of regional organizations in thedevelopment of regional information systems;(8) activities of extra-regional and international organizations in the developmentof information systems;(9) examination of human, technological,information and financial resources available for maintenanceof regional information systems;(10) national information policies; (11)mechanisms such as libraries and statistical services that facilitateregional and national information flow;(12) proposals that identify systemsto be linked, recommend the establishment of systems meetingspecific needs, and create a regional network to consul*and monitor regional information systems; and (13) policy monitoring.Reports of meetings with regional organizations anda list of participants are appended. (KRN) *****************i**::****1.********************************* Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the bestthat can be made from the original document. **********************4************************************************ U.S. DEPARTMENT OFEDUCATION Offce of Educattonal Resemch and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC; 11,5 document NIS Deer reproducedas feceved Dorn the demon or ofgaturabon ortgmattng Mnor changes have Deer made to 'fro,o.e fepfoauchon ouanty Po.ots of .,e or opnons statedm tn.s dots men( Co not necessanly reoreSent otttC,a' OE RI POS1.0r, or OOI.CY IDRCCRDICIID 'op+ a CANADA "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERICI January 1989 BEST COPY UNABLE _J The International De. elopment Research Centre is a ruche eurporation ere:lieu by the Parliament of Canada in 19-0 to m-iport re'earch Lit:signed :o ajant elence and technolog :o the needs of doeloping countries. The t_ entre', acavittts concentrated in ix sectors: agriculture, i'oeci anti nutrition sciences: health science': information sciences; social sciences: earth and engineering sciences: and com- munications. IDRC is financed solely b :he Parliament of Canada: its policies. hottetet., are set by an international Board of Goternors. The Centre's headauarter, are in Ottawa. Canada. Regional offices are iocar :d in Africa. Asia. Latin America. and the Nliddle East. Le Centre ,le reenercnes pour le developpement interna:ionai. ocie- creee en 19-0 par une lot du Parlernent canadien. a pour mission des recherchesicant a Plapter Ia science et la technologie aux hesoins des pays en Lieveloppement: it concentre son acti.ite dans six secteurs : agriculture. ahmenta- ;on et nutrition: int ormation: sante: -ciences -..ienee, Je is :erne ilenie eommunications. est !mance entierement par to Pariement eana- awn. inats t des gou.erneurs :mem:hot:at qui en utitern»ne i'orien- :anon et i;:s rootioues. a Ottat a (Canada). :1 a JeS pureaux region:tux en %Irique. en\' e. Arnerique latine c: au Nlo.en-orient. El Centro Internacional Je In.estigaciones para ei Desarroilo es una corporacion publica creada en 19'0 por ei Parlamento de Canada con el objeto de apoyar la destinada a adaptar la ciencia t is teenoiogia a las neceskiacies de raises en de,arrono Su actl.idad eoncentra en 'els sectore-: cieneitt colas. alimentos t nutricion: eiencias de Ia salmi: ciencias Lie is information: etencia ociales: eiencias Lie la tierra e ingenieria: comunicaciones. El Centro es ;Mali- cia& exclusiva.nente por el Parlamento de Canada.in embargo. sus politica, son trazadas por un Consejo de (Jobernadores de caracter internacional. La cede del Centro est a en Otta.t a. Canada.. 'us oilcinas regionales en America Latina. \ friea. Nla \ledio Oriente. This series include, meeting documents, internal reports. and preliminary technical document, that mat iait r term the basis of a tormal publication. Manuscript Report is t;i.en a small uistribution to a highl. specialised audience. La preserve serie est reser.ee aux documents issus de condones. aux rapports interne., ti aux document, techniques susceptible, d tre publics nius lard dans une 'erie de otuni- cations plus soignees. D'un nrage resireint. le rapport manuscrit est destine a un puffin: fres specialise. Esta syrie inclose ponencia, de reuniones. informes ;memosdocument°s tecnico, one pueden posteriormente con t ortnar is base de una publication t ormal. 11-I int (trine None distribucion limitada entre una andiencia altamente especializada. IDRC-MR214e A RDIECNAL INFCIRMATICN SYSTEM STRATEGY RR THE CARIBBEAN RR 1HE YEAR 2000 Material contained in this report is produced as submitted and has not been subjected to peer review or editing by IDRC Communications Division staff. Mention of proprietary names does not constitute endorsement of the product and is given only for information. Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Caribbean COmmunity (CARICOM) CONTENTS I Foreword II Introduction III A Regional Information Strategy for the Caribbean to the Year 2000: a study prepared for the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee and the Caribbean Community by Fay Durrant Paragraphs EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Summary of recommendations 1. The role of information in the development 1 34 process - information, scientific and technological information information policy 2. The geographical area 3E 42 3. Priority sectors for regional dcvelopment 43 47 4. Services required from the regional 48 63 information systems 5. Regional information systems and 63 109 programmes 6. The mandates of relevant organizations 110 135 7. Activities of regional organizations 126 185 in the development of information policies and systems 3. Activities of international organizations 186 -,229 in the development of regional information policies and systems 9. Information infrastructre 22C 296 (a) Information resources (b) Human resources (c) Technology resources (d) Financial resoJroes 10. National information policies 297 3'3 111 11. Mechanisms which facilitate national and 329 339 regional information flow (a) Libraries (b) Referral centres (c) Statistical services (d) Data communications (e) Telecommunications (f) Mass communications 12. Policy proposals 340 336 Regional policy issues Regional compatibility The scope of regional systems 13. Proposals for implementation of the 337 457 regional information systems strategy through a network of regional information systems Proposed changes in regional information systems Sectoral information systems Languages for dissemination of information Recommendations for implementation of the regional information strategy Po7ic1 monitoring mechanisms APPENDICES TO CONSULTANT'S REPORT 1. Consultant's mission tc UNECLAC. the CARICOM Secretariat and Member states Officials consulted 2. References IV Report of the Meeting on Regional Information Strategy for the Caribbean: ECLAC and CARICOM. United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and tne Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Caribbean Community (CARICCM). V Postscript: the Consultative Committee on Caribbean Regional Information Systems. iv FOREWORD Over the years, the Information Sciences Division of IDRC has supported a number of information systems in the Caribbean, ranging from multi-disciplinary national and sub-regional systems to those with specialized sectoral foci. We were, therefore, particularly pleased to be able to respond to this joint initiative from the Trinidad and Tobago office of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Secretariat of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in seeking support for the development ofa regional information policy. The request emphasized the importance the governments of the region accord to the role of effective information services in the development process, and the long term commitment to their support. The imperative of formulating information policies to ensure better coordination and cunperation between information systems and services, to make the most effective