The restructuring of CTA resulted into three operational departments instead of four and an Office in Brussels, namely:
• Information Products and Dissemination Department (IPDD)
• Communication Services Department (CSD) and,
• Planning and Strategic Services Department (PSSD) and
• Operational Office in Brussels To further improve our efficiency and effectiveness.
The marketing unit launched in 2009 under IPDD, will be further reinforced in 2010 to put a more commercial spin on our activities, and to raise awareness of our work throughout the world. In keeping with the new organisational structure, a number of programmes and services have been:
(1) consolidated to better serve our strategic partners;
(2) renamed to provide greater clarity regarding the aim of the programme;
(3) linked more closely to ensure synergy and coherence. Agricultural Trade Programme Agricultural trade issues, as a strong catalyst for growth and poverty reduction in ACP countries and a central issue in ACP-EU relations, are one of CTA’s key thematic priorities, as set out in its strategic plan for 2007-2010.
Media Services CTA’s new organisational structure makes provision for the creation of a Media Services Programme within the Communication Services Department, to ensure that various aspects of the work of the Centre in relation to mass media are integrated and made more coherent. Special attention will be given to combining both electronic and traditional media.
Publishing in Print and Electronic Formats Due to scarcity of and limited access to information resources on ACP agricultural and rural development, CTA produces, co-produces and distributes through its Publications Distribution Service (PDS) publications on a large number of related issues, including cross-cutting issues, identified in its Strategic Plan 2007-2010. CTA co-publishes between 35 and 40 titles every year .
Science & Technology Strategies ACP scientific communities must be adequately resourced and effectively linked to policymakers and agricultural stakeholders to spur agricultural innovation that leads to increased agricultural productivity and competitiveness and socio-economic development.
Distribution of publications in print, electronic and audiovisual formats The Publications Distribution Service (PDS) is CTA’s main outreach arm, with Spore/Esporo reaching over 46,000 subscribers. PDS also distributes other (institutional and co-) publications in both electronic and print formats including CD-ROMs as well as non-CTA reference publications to 38,000 subscribers (from the 46,000 subscribers to Spore/Esporo).
ICT Observatory ICTs are one of CTA's cross-cutting issues. The ICT Observatory was created in 1998 to study and monitor suitable technologies for use in information and communication management (ICM) that may be of benefit to rural communities within Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP).
Information and Communication Technologies for Development and Information and Communication Management Services Programme CTA’s Strategic Plan 2007-2010 recognises the very rapid growth in ICTs, epitomised by two developments: growth of the Internet and the astonishing proliferation of mobile phones. These developments have transformed the way agricultural and rural development information is communicated and shared. However, few ACP farmers and particularly rural women and youth can benefit directly from these revolutionary technologies for many reasons including poverty, low income and literacy levels, and this opens up a digital divide
Seminars and Training Programme CTA’s Strategic Plan 2007 – 2010 stipulates that the Centre will continue to support thematic seminars and ICM training through face-to-face meetings and electronic fora. CTA sees the need to continue to maintain its support for thematic seminars that bring together high level ACP, EU and international experts to share knowledge and debate topical and emerging agriculture and rural development issues.
Strengthening information services in ACP countries One of the priorities of CTA’s Strategic Plan for the period 2007-2010 is to improve the effectiveness of the Centre’s actions. The INFOIR survey carried out in 2008 in ten ACP countries on the impact of CTA’s products and services highlighted a desire among beneficiaries for greater rationalisation and consistency as regards CTA’s actions.
Needs Assessment, Priority-setting and Evaluation CTA is constantly striving to improve its efficiency and sustainability, and to expand the outreach of its actions by systematically surveying the appropriate markets for information products and services in ACP and EU countries.
Regional Information Platforms and Networks CTA has, on a long term basis, worked with ACP regional organisations and networks to strengthen the information and knowledge management component of their work as a contribution to food sovereignty, regional trade, resource management and other dimensions of agricultural development.
Marketing services In order to improve CTA's effectiveness and efficiency (in terms of geographical coverage and number of beneficiaries) the 2007-2010 Strategic Plan provides for the adoption of a more "marketing oriented" approach in the dissemination of CTA's products and the mobilisation of its services.
Information and Communication Management (ICM) and Knowledge Management (KM) Strategies The rapidly expanding capacity and plummeting costs – at least in several ACP countries – of information and communication technologies (ICTs) greatly expand the potential for the acquisition, dissemination and absorption of information and exchange of knowledge, creating new ways for multi-dimensional information and knowledge flow between providers, such as CTA, and a wide variety of users.
