Documentation Mission Report-Document Management Component

The Pan-African Programme for the Control of Epizootics (PACE) has accumulated a large number of documents over the seven years the project. The documentation mission resulted from the recognition of a need for project's archiving and document management and recommended a proper documentation and archiving of the project outputs. Stakeholder comments suggested the need for comprehensive archiving of project documents under one roof in addition to strengthening the AU-IBAR library collection to meet the information needs of the Institution. The library lacked current information resources and had a manual catalogue. An in-depth analysis of the current filing system revealed an elaborate system that was not strictly complied with leading to misfiling and difficulties in accessing documents. A new database allowing searching of documents using various criteria and hosted on an intranet was proposed. The intranet will host a virtual library from which project documents can be downloaded. The key PACE Documents were gathered and digitised where necessary in readiness for the creation of the virtual library. Over 150 documents were indexed as a first step to the creation of the database. The challenges faced included the departure of the team leader and the delay in contracting the consultant who was to create the database software. Recommendations • That the AU-IBAR library be transformed into a one-stop shop documentation centre for all projects past and current • The filing system created for PACE be extended for use in all AU-IBAR projects and member countries be incorporated in its implementation • That filing of docs in server/database be undertaken by one person to preserve integrity and security of documents, and to ensure uniformity and consistency • All documents filed be labelled comprehensibly and logically for easy access • Another mission be formulated to facilitate the database creation and the indexing of mission reports — this mission should be linked to the Bamako mission if possible