Report on a mission for the preparation of the CD ROM for African development (CDAD)

Abstract

Preparation and manufacturing of a CD ROM made up of information from Africa and on Africa is one of the priority areas of ECA's focus on Harnessing Information Technology for Development. For the development of the first CD ROM for African Development (CDAD) fifteen African countries and institutions have offered to contribute information from their bibliographic, experts and institutions data bases as well as statistical and full text data, thus making the CDAD unique in its kind. Most of the participating institutions have participated in the preparatory meeting of the CD at their own costs, hence showing the interests of members States in such a cooperative effort. In addition to those efforts and that of ECA, the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Netherlands Government have supported the project since its inception. Hence, the CDAD is the result of a common effort of African countries and institutions willing to put together their information resources for sharing. Data collection has been completed while data reformatting and interface authoring are continuing at ECA and at BIREME (the CDAD production site in Brazil). Translation of the French interface language version will be carried out when the English language interface authoring exercise will be completed. Premastering, mastering and production of the "gold disc" for testing by ECA and selected African institutions are envisaged in early June while the 500 copies of the CD will be manufactured in July in the USA and sent to PADIS in Addis Ababa for distribution and sale. It is expected that the production of the CDAD will make African information available and usable at minimum cost to African countries and institutions. All member States and African institutions will be invited to contribute information to the second edition of CDAD which will be manufactured before the end of 1996.