Caratula

Infrastructure for Cultural Information

Inter-American Observatory of Cultural Policy and the strengthening of States’ capabilities to

categorize and process information

Alice Abreu

Director, Office of Education, Science and Technology, at the Second Meeting of CIC

Washington, D.C., August, 2005

Initiatives in Cultural Information

Big Umbrella --- The future Inter-American Observatory of Cultural Policy (IOCP)

Objectives

Initiative proposed and approved at Ministerial Level, Cartagena, 2002

Overcome the existing weakness in the cultural sector throughout the region, which is: “marginalized, fragmented and lacks sufficient visibility…”“use of resources and power – both qualitative and quantitative – that culture offers, to strengthen government management, development and regional integration”

HOW Gathering and dissemination of specialized information on the cultural sector,Promotion of research and compilation of data on cultural policies and cultural diversityContribution to the design of indicators

Informational arm of CICParticipation of non-governmental actors should be ensured. Network of information providers in each countryCreation of on-line information capabilities

Initiatives in Cultural Information

Big Umbrella --- The future Inter-American Observatory of Cultural Policy (IOCP)

Initiative proposed and approved at Ministerial Level, Cartagena, 2002

HOWGathering and dissemination of specialized information on the cultural sector,Promotion of research and compilation of data on cultural policies and cultural diversityContribution to the design of indicators

Informational arm of CICParticipation of non-governmental actors should be ensured. Network of information providers in each countryCreation of on-line information capabilities

Feasibility Study

1

Janaury - August 2003

2 3

EVOLUTION OF IOCP OF CARTAGENA

August 2004

Structure

Management Commission

•Authorities

•Sub Regional Centers

Business Plan

Pre – web page

II Ministerial

Decision

April - August

2004

STRUCTURE:

BUSINESS PLAN: THE IOCP’S STRUCTURE

Central LevelManagement Commission

Technical Secretariat OAS/OEST

CIC Authorities Centers

•Barbados•Brazil•Colombia•Nicaragua•Dominican Republic

Be the link between the sub regions

Establish research categories and priorities

IOCP guidelines and rules of procedure

HOW AND WHERE DOES THE INFORMATION COME FROM?

“ An information infrastructure already exists; but it is not strong enough to attain results by simply building connections between the many existing constituent bodies” (Dr. Isar, Feasibility Study of the IOCP)

1. MEMBER STATES, CULTURE AUTHORITIES

2. INFORMATION NETWORK (RESEARCHERS, EXISTING OBSERVATORIES OF CULTURAL POLICIES, NOGs)

3. NATIONAL STATISTICS

Need to strengthen capacity, build alliances and create infrastructure:

A PARALLEL, PROGRESSIVE AND PACED PROCESS

SUB REGIONAL WORKSHOPS

SUB REGIONAL WORKSHOPS APPROVED BY THE FIRST CIC

Transference of national Cultural Information Systems looking at the experiences of Canada, Mexico and Chile

Sub Regional Workshops– Caribbean Region (Canada) Central America (Mexico) Andean Countries and Mercosur

(Chile and Convenio Andrés Bello)Planning Meeting, Washington, D.C. June 2005

Establish a common ground and analysis of Stat’s realities

1. STRENGTHENING OF CULTURAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS (CIS) IN MEMBER STATES

A PARALLEL, PROGRESSIVE AND PACED PROCESS

OBSERVATORIES, ACADEMIC AND INT. ORGANIZ NETWORKS

OBSERVATORIES – Initial Group – First Meeting held on August 24, 2005Cultural Observatory (Buenos Aires / UniversityCanadian Cultural Observatory (Government)Observatory of Urban Culture (Colombia/ Local Government)Observatory of the Colombian Caribbean (Independent)Observatory of Local Cultural Policies (Independent)Observatory of Cultural Policies (Venezuela/Linked with the Ministry)Center for Arts and Culture (United States)RESEARCHERS AND COALITIONS OF UNIONS IN THE FIELD OF CULTURE

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS – INTER-AGENCY COOPERATION

2. INFORMATION NETWORK

A PARALLEL, PROGRESSIVE AND PACED PROCESS

SATELLITE ACCOUNTS (UNESCO INST STAT, CAB, IDB FOUNDATION

CULTURE SATELLITE ACCOUNTS – Plan of Action of Mexico states: “support OAS Member States interested in the development of cultural satellite accounts and offer technical assistance on indicators, when appropriate, through and alliance with the Institute of Statistics of UNESCO”

CREATING ALLIANCES – METHODOLOGICAL TRANSFERENCE

Colombian satellite account and transference to Chile, methodological design

Convenio Andrés Bello Project, with the support of the Inter-American Development Bank

Priority Area for action of the recently created Inter-American Foundation for Culture and Development

Experience of the Institute of Statistics of UNESCO

3. CULTURAL STATISTICS

A PARALLEL, PROGRESSIVE AND PACED PROCESS

1. SUB REGIONAL WORKSHOPS

2. INFORMATION NETWORK

1. STRENGTHENING OF CULTURAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS (CIS) IN MEMBER STATES

2. OBSERVATORIES, RESEARCHERS AND INT. ORGANIZ.

3. CULTURAL STATISTICS 3. SATELLITE ACCOUNTS

CIC GUIDELINES THROUGH THE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION OF THE FUTURE IOCP

(CIC Authorities and Sub Regional Centers)

ADVANTAGES1.Strengthens States’ capacities to gather

information and data; starting from a common ground, the sub regional Cultural Information Workshops.

2.Alliances are created – different information sources and knowledge

3. IOCP Management Commission ca, starting with the alliances, define working mechanisms at different levels and based on the structure and Rules of Procedure of the IOCP

4.Facilitates the search for funds for specific projects with concrete activities, such as the establishment of cultural information systems in Member States to strengthen national capacity in data collection, categorization and interpretation of information, trustworthy and comparable data