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Technical capacity to handle and manipulate environmental information also varies. Most institutions identified the need for data collection, data analysis and technical writing as major constraints. Some organisations had a decent number of well- qualified personnel with skills in the management of environ- mental information. This is especially the case in research or academic-based institutions. Other institutions are not so fortu- nate, especially at local levels. For instance in Nyamagabe district only about four officers in the district can manipulate GIS data (Ndayitabi 2009). The main areas identified by respondents for training included:


• • • •


Data collection, entry, processing and analysis, Quality assurance,


Database development, Development of indicators,


• Technical writing, • • •


Proposal writing, GIS and remote sensing, Archiving of data and spatial imagery,


• Graphic design (publishing), • Communications, • Web applications, •


• OGMR


Environmental management and planning for sustainable development, and


Environmental accounting, fiscal reform and budgeting. Equipment


Although most organisations have computers, their quality and quantity varies. Some organisations like CGIS-NUR, Ministry of Infrastructure, ISAR, RECO-RWASCO, Ministry of Finance, NLC, have state-of-the-art computers and software, with fibre optic or satellite-linked internet access. At the other end of the spectrum are institutions with no computing or even communi- cation facilities. This latter group make up a third of all surveyed institutions. This extreme variation in computing capacities raises challenges when institutions attempt to share data. Even where equipment is available, maintenance is at times a problem especially where departmental finances are scarce. This situation is more prevalent at the district level. Table 2 shows the equip- ment requirements of the institutions surveyed.


Rwanda


Initiative for Sustainable Develop-


ment (RISD) RENGOF


Rwanda Bamboo Society


Scanners-


Graphic design equipmen- tRemote sens- ing equipment- Video camera


Photocopier- Web serverIn- ternet client


Photocopi- erLocal Area NetworkCom- munication/ groupware


33 REASON


PhotocopierWeb serverInternet client


MINECO- FIN


Document man- agement systemLi- brary system


Another issue is the use of different software to handle simi- lar but sector-specific data needs of some institutions. For in- stance the meteorology department uses Windsurf software to draw maps with isobars, and Climlab software for statistical analysis. CGIS-NUR uses ArcGIS and ERDAS Imagine for their mapping and image processing work. The use of differ- ent software can become an issue in the face of data exchange and software integration.


Table 2: Equipment needs of the institutions surveyed


Organisa- tion


Equipment requirements


MINISANTE Electronic archives


GIS hardware and software- Database management systemsMin- eral analysis laboratories- Field equip- ment for new mining data


Organisa- tion


National Land Centre


Equipment re- quirements


Database manage- ment systemGeo- data processing


CGIS-NUR


Software (image processing, pro- fessional cartogra- phy)Printers (dual side)PlottersA0 scanner


Up-to-date licence for GIS & remote sensing software Broadband Inter- net connectivity


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