Knowledge Management Systems Backstopper for Main Phase of the establishment of Northern Africa Organic Knowledge Hub

The German Corporation for International Cooperation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit, GIZ) identified opportunities in organic farming in Africa to contribute to food security and other challenges of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) mandated GIZ to implement an organic knowledge management project together with African partner organizations. GIZ has started collaboration with four knowledge hubs in Western, Eastern, Southern and Northern Africa considering the specific cultural and agro-ecological zones and conditions in each region.

Within the project, FiBL will provide scientific, technical and strategic expertise to support the creation and management of knowledge systems in Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco. SEKEM Freunde Deutschland e.V. (SFD) completed the inception phase and signed a contract with GIZ to implement the main phase for the hub in North Africa.  SFD and its four partners in the target countries collect and disseminate knowledge on organic farming and build a sustainable network between the key actors of the whole value chain in the countries.

The Knowledge Management Backstopper takes the responsibility for the system and staff support of the Hub's knowledge management. They work under the supervision and in close contact with the project director and cooperates directly with the project partners and their staff. He/she is particularly responsible that the staff dealing with knowledge management of the four partner organizations has the support they need to achieve the set objectives.

Role and responsibility

• FiBL is responsible that the knowledge managers in Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco as well as the hub knowledge manager (for North Africa) are well coached to perform their duties and to do an effective research. FiBL takes care that the researchers deliver an excellent work result.
• FiBL reports to the Project Director to whom it delivers the information and with whom it coordinates activities and time use. The Project Coordinator in Germany is informed in administrative related matters (contract, time use, finances, archive etc.).
• FiBL is in close contact with the country researches and guides them closely in content related matters. The researchers follow the common research methodology and guidelines developed by FiBL but don’t formally report to this project unit.
• FiBL maintains trustful and supporting relationship to all project partners.

• SEKEM Freunde Deutschland e.V

• Further programmes

• Cicek Harun (Department of International Cooperation)

• Nicolay Gian L. (Department of International Cooperation)

• Project implementation

• Agroecosystem Innovation & Adoption (Department of International Cooperation, FiBL Switzerland)
• Policy & Sector Development (Department of International Cooperation, FiBL Switzerland)