The analysis of data and preparation of products is not sufficient to ensure that the information that has been generated is utilised. The development of visual aids and interpretive products for prioritised issues can assist towards this end, but further effort is still required to support the uptake of this science. Different tools, methodologies and media will be utilised to facilitate interactions with stakeholders and assure greater exposure to the institutions and the services that they can provide.
- Policy and media briefs provide tangible advice for decision-making, priority issues and resource deployment. ODINAFRICA-IV will support the NODCs and national coordination committees to prepare short documents that convey specific problems and outline possible actions to resolve them (policy briefs). The policy briefs will have to be focused, professional, evidence based, succinct, understandable, and accessible. The policy briefs will focus on, but not limited to the four topics that were identified during the ODINAFRICA workshop: shoreline changes, sustainable use of resources, management of key ecosystems, and marine hazards and disaster management. Similarly, materials for the media will be developed that are accessible to the general public and easily taken-up by television, radio and newspapers. In both the development of “briefings” for the media and policy makers, training is required to integrate product outputs into interpreted results and visual aids that speak clearly to the target audience.
- Conceptual diagrams: Coastal resource mapping can indicate the location and relative loading of point source pollution within an enclosed bay or harbour of interest. Interpretive tools such as the conceptual diagram, can take this information one step further: showing the interaction with competing interests and the ecological processes that are underway. Stakeholders can use such tools in decision making to reach agreement on the causal relationship of an issue such as a pollution source, and the actions that should be taken to address it.
- The ODINAFRICA posters and brochures: produced at national level will be decided on by the countries. At the project level a brochure and poster will be produced at the start to provide information on what is planned. National posters will be prepared for the exhibitions to be held together with the Heads of institutions meetings in 2010 and 2012.
- WINDOW: remains as the ODINAFRICA project newsletter focussing on project activities, and will be published and distributed half yearly in electronic version.
- ODINAFRICA Books: The series on the “African Oceans and Coasts, started in the previous phase. The following volumes are foreseen: [The African Marine Atlas, and Managing the African Coasts]
