Introduction (EMWIS NFP - Madrid 13-15 Nov 2006)

Location: CEDEX, Building of the Centro de Estudios de Técnicas Aplicadas - Alfonso XII, 3-5 – 28071 MADRID (SPAIN)
Working languages: English & French
Participants: Webmasters/Data managers of the des National Focal Points –NFP- (20 countries), Representatives of the EMWIS Technical Unit and Experts.

Today 15 NFP have published their web site on the Internet. Following the launch of the new international web portal of EMWIS, some NFP declared their interest to use this new technology (see IT manager training seminar, Sept’2006) or use the common exchange standards defined with EMWIS (mainly for events, news, legislation, projects, documentation). This seminar will provide complementary information and training to help the NFP in improving their web sites. This seminar aims at:

ØReviewing the water documentation management set-up by the NFP

OTools used

OImplementation of the OAI protocol – Open Archive Initiative- (presented to the NFP in Mars 2005)

ØDiscussing an approach for the collection and the diffusion of water projects information in each country and at the regional level (in connexion with the data base implemented on the new portal)

ØReviewing the progress on the syndication of news and events, in particular on the basis of experiences carried out with Algeria, Spain and France (shared and automatic re-use of the news produced by the various focal points using XML flows). The last version of the metadata of EMWIS will be provided to the NFP.

ØReviewing the potential syndication of other types of content, e.g. the water legislation

ØExamining the progress, the use and the enhancement of the common multilingual thesaurus/glossary on water: English, Arab, French, Spanish (Italian -under development)

ØMaking a self-evaluation of NFP and international web sites in order to   improve their content

ØDiscussing   the future of the national portals:

OTechnological and thematic watch

OAssessment of user needs and new information products

ONews sections topics (working groups, topical studies, etc)