The AQUILA II Project (through its Headquarters in Mexico City), FAO-HQ backstopping and a few selected countries within the Project area, will launch a program of work with the aim of establishing an Integrated Information System to assist national and regional operators in the field of aquaculture. This target will be accomplished by the development of a System Prototype to be finalized within the present Aquila II Project life though:
Developing the methodology and providing a tool to collect and process in a systematic way information useful for aquaculture development in the region. In addition to their own compiled data, the countries will have direct access (from the same National Workstation) to regional data and FAO data.
Designing and implementing a Regional Module to put regional information at the disposal of the countries in a readable and comparable format. The Regional Information System will be fed with non-confidential national data of regional interest which each country has put at the disposal of the Project.
Designing and implementing an FAO Information Module which will incorporate some of the available authorized FAO databases and other software of interest to this program of work.
Designing and implementing a network linking remote sources of data and networks with the Extended SIPAL Module through automatic data transmission.
Preliminary evaluation on the utility to design and develop an analytical tool for aquaculture planning.
Assisting the selected countries in the use and maintenance of the system.
Extending the network whenever possible to other countries and other selected endusers, and individuate the best networking approach taking into account all the various possibilities and constraints.
Discussion, review and approval of the above design.
Ordering of the computer equipment.
Identification of the few countries to be included in the pilot Regional Information System.
Definition of the SIPAL workstations configuration.
Identification of a retrieval approach (terminology, function, logic data selection flow, etc…) most commonly used in a Desk Information System in the selected countries.
Inventory of all pertinent national, regional and international data/information available for possible inclusion in SIPAL
Analysis of the immediate needs and the available national data in the selected countries.
Design and implementation of the pilot FAO Information Module.
Design of the Regional Information Module.
National coordinators of the selected countries reorganize output from national data/information systems into the SIPAL National Information Module structure (with advice from the Aquila II Project).
Development of interfacing protocols to integrate national systems into the Regional Information Module.
Revision and implementation of the Regional Information Module.
Preliminary testing, evaluation and validation of the two Modules.
Integration of all the work into a prefixed architecture, and preparation of the draft Prototype which will be presented at some International Fishery Shows in the region for information and comments.
Nomination of the Data Manager.
Recruitment of the Analyst-Programmer.
Setting up the pilot Extended Module through arrangements and contracts with governmental and non-governmental institutions for direct access to their on line databases and networks. The information captured from these systems will be treated according to the agreed contract and processed with the same logic as in the other two Modules.
Finalization of all pending work involving participating countries and project staff.
Delivery to and installation of the full configuration in the selected Workstations and countries (training, etc…, included).
Evaluation of the delivered system.
Revision and improvement of the system.
Delivery of associated documentation.
Analysis and evaluation of the whole program of work.
Formulation of proposals for future technical development of SIPAL.
Delivery of final documentation.
The Project will organize and hold meetings, correspond, undertake technical evaluation, present proposals, find solutions, implement ideas to ensure a future to SIPAL.
All the parties concerned: FAO, the Donor, the Countries involved in the development and installation of SIPAL may consider that an additional phase may be envisaged to complete its delivery.
Expansion of the coverage of the system.
Re-elaboration of the whole system by introducing innovative and advanced programming to produce commercial type user interfaces.
Installation of the system into some other center and/or countries.
Completion of the System by finalising the Extended Module.
