National Scientific &

Technological Information

Center

Agenda Background information

Historical background Mission and objectivesOrganizational Structure

Main activitiesMajor achievement ISDTSD CTC SDDKMGISGESR

Constraints

Historical Background

Documentation Center 1969 Scientific Documentation Center 1973 Establishing the National Scientific

&Technical Information Center 1976 Invasion 1990 Rebuilding NSTIC 1991 Expanding NSTIC role 1996 (Division

of Information Systems merged)

Mission

To be the National depository for all scientific and technical information, and to support the information needs for the scientific and research community in KISR and in Kuwait.

Objectives- National

To build and maintain digital repositories for all scientific data locally produced.

To establish cooperation programs with local and international organizations.

To promote awareness & literacy in information and IT in Kuwait

To support National IT sector

Objectives- R&D Support

To provide information & knowledge resources in R&D.

To provide IT infrastructure for KISR. To develop scientific and

administrative systems & applications. To develop national manpower in IT

and information.

NSTIC is a unique organizational model linking information

services with IT.

OrganizationInformation Services DepartmentProvides information services to support R&D at KISR and Kuwait.Manages KISR content.Builds and develops electronic information resources. (MFD)Builds and maintains specialized collection.Conducts user training courses.Develops user guides and literacy materialsOrganizes workshops for information professionals.

Technical Services Department Develops and maintains information resources (print and electronic.Catalogs and organizes information resources.Develops and maintains library system.Conducts training courses for professionals.Supports all electronic services and resources provided.Develops resource-sharing programs.Prepare budgets for information resources.

Systems Development DepartmentDevelops and supports scientific applications and databases.Develops and supports administrative systems.Plans and implements integrated management information systems.Develops and supports KISR’s portal and website.Supports the Kuwait Geographic Information Center (KGIC).Provides consultations.

Computer Technology and Communications Supports all networking aspects.Develops and implements information security plans.Sets technical specifications for information resources.Provides IT Help Desk.Supports Internet services and applications.Supports computer operating systems.Provides facilities for distance-learning.Manages Kuwait’s top-level domain .

Kuwait Geo-Informatics CenterGIS technology transferIntegrated solutionsNational Geo-spatial databanksHuman resource development

Human Resources at NSTIC

KGIC not included

Description No. Kuwaiti Non- Kuwaiti

Management 5 5 -

Administration 4 1 3

Professional 2 - 2

Technical 47 41 6

TOTAL (Permanent)

58 47 11

Temporary 12

TOTAL 70

Major Achievements Establishing KISR Knowledge management initiative. Establishing Geo-informatics Center Establishing Distance Learning Center. Enhancing KISR network infrastructure Building KISR web site and KISR Intranet portal. Participating in establishing national policy for

scientific information. Establishing and hosting GCC Scientific Database. Building Oceanographic databank Building digital library

Major achievements Building NSTIC information portal. Publishing Science & Technology Magazine electronically. Providing high quality information services to support

R&D at KISR and Kuwait. Creating informative e-source guides Building high quality information resources in fields of

science and technology. Conducting training programs for local and regional

manpower in IT and information. Developing scientific systems and databases to support

different R&D projects. Providing consultation in IT and information. Participated in e-government initiative.

Achievements at National level

Manpower development Kuwait University field training program for graduate students PAAET field training program Loyac program Summer training courses Tailored training program for Information specialists in different

government organizations (MOP, MOE, KOC) Organizing public conferences, seminars, workshops, competions

and open days: Y2K conference 1999 Information Highway conference 1998 E-government conference 2004 Arab Documentation day 2006 Special needs in information society conference 2006 Information society Seminar 2005 National Information Policy Seminar 1994 E-commerce seminar 2000 NSTIC open days GIS open days

Achievements at National level

Publications Books (7) White papers (4) Scientific papers (25) Periodical electronic resources (ISB, SRG)

Cooperating with local organizations Kuwait university in document sharing Ministry of Communication (Kuwait Top Level Domain)

Participating in national committees Kuwait GIS user Group E-government committees National GIS policy development Committees National Information Policy Committee National Information Security Committee

Consultation Building information centers (COM, MOP, MOPW, MOC, MEW, KFED) Building IT infrastructure and data warehousing (MOF, NBK, MOI, Kuwait Port

Authority)

Information Services Department

ISD Mission

To support R&D activities at KISR in terms of information services and content management. And to support information needs of the public in the fields of science and technology.

ISD Main functions

Content management Collections and resource

development, organization and access provision.

Current awareness and literature searching

User training and manpower development

ISD Current activities

KISR web site content management NSTIC iPortal development Building Oceanoghraphic Database Participating in building Kuwait Water

Code Participating in Building Red Data Book

for Kuwait Funa Building & managing e-collection

Future Opportunities

Building and managing national information digital libraries and numeric databanks (Nuclear Information Bank, Oceanographic Databank, Genetic Information

Databank, Digital Images Bank..). Building and managing knowledge banks for

R&D at KISR and Kuwait. Digital asset management Providing client services

Thank you

Technical Services Department

TSD Mission

Develop and manage information resources to support R&D activities.

TSD Main functions

Acquisitions: develops and maintains information resources (print and electronic) and resource sharing programs.

Cataloging : organizes resources according to Library of Congress and Marc Systems.

Information Resource management : runs library operations, and supports all electronic information resources.

Document management system ( File Net) : maintains NSTIC administrative documents and KISR reports.

Information Resources

Print books 25,000 E-books 165 Print journals 480 Electronic journals:

Swets 130

ScienceDirect 87 KISR reports 5000

full text 4,400

Standards 11 Bibliographic DB 13 Newspapers

11 Memberships

13 Dialog Databank Document Delivery

with British Library KU Journal holdings

4,600

Activities Provides consultancy in information

field and in establishing libraries and information centers (National Parliament, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Interior, Scientific Club, Ministry of Planning, Environmental Protection Agency, Military College, Kuwait University, Kuwait Stock Exchange, Public Authority for Civil Information)

Participates in internal, local and regional committees and activitiesImplementing VirtuaDeveloping iPortal interfaceGCC Database Project Arab Knowledge Repository Project Information Society Summit Union Catalog Project Knowledge Management Initiative KISR website Promotion committee

Activities

Activities

Participates in organizing conferences and workshops (Y2k, Information Super Highway, Information Society, SLA…etc

Liaison with Kuwait National Library

Participates in developing human resources (Professional librarians, Graduate students, Undergraduate students)

Thank you

Computer Technology & Communication Department

Major CTC Department functions

Maintaining main Servers operation (Sun-Windows)

Operating Kuwait Top Domain System Managing & operating Kuwait Distance

Learning Center Providing Network connectivity for all KISR

Sites (LAN, WAN, wireless) Providing and managing e-mail and DNS

Services Operating Help Disk for KISR Staffs

Network Infrastructure

Shuwaikh

Salmiya

Router

Doha

Router

Ahmadi

Router

Sulaibiyah

Router

DATA - VPN

INTERNET - VPN

Router

KDLC

Router

• Email server• Firewall• DNS server

• Email server• Firewall• DNS server

• Email server• Firewall• DNS server

Fiber optics

IT Infrastructure SupportedHardware Servers

Sun Solaris Windows Ms

User stations PC’s and

Notebooks Workstations

(dedicated for scientific applications)

Peripherals: Scanners Plotters Printers digitizers

Operating Systems WindowsSolarisLinux

Application Development toolsOracle, MS OfficeER StudioVisual Studio MacromediaC and C++

DatabasesOracle Access MS SQL

ApplicationsArcGISDMS FilenetSASMatlabSPSSVIRTUA ERDASPhotogrammetry

Current Major activities

Expanding wireless network (Wi Fi) Implementing Oracle Collaboration

suite Enhancing IT Infrastructure:

Cabling SystemStorage SystemFirewall System Internet bandwidth performance

Major Challenges

Sustain continuity of IT support 7x24.

Building information security framework and security professionals.

Secondary backup site and formalized Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP)

Thank you

Systems Development Department

Main Functions

Develops and supports scientific applications and databases.

Develops and supports administrative systems.

Develops and supports KISR’s portal and website to provide web-enabling services.

Supports the Kuwait Geographic Information Center (KGIC).

Supports DMS for KISR units. Provides consultations related to the above

topics.

Current Activities

Upgrading KISR Portal Introducing Oracle Collaboration based email

solution Upgrading KISR Website Developing new applications using web

technologies. Developing scientific applications and

databases to support different R&D projects. Perform Statistical Analysis, Modeling, and

Simulation. Develop Maps for Kuwait Voluntary Work

Center

Current R&D Projects Supported

SP002K Project: “Kuwait Integrated Environmental Information Network (KIEIN)”.

EC022C Project: "Coastline Evolution of Kuwait Using Remote Sensing Technique".

EU038C Project: “Evaluation of Construction Materials Used in the Manufacture of Concrete and Locally Available”.

FB051C Project: “Microbial and Chemical contaminants Associated with Seafood and its Safe Consumption in the State of Kuwait”.

FB059C Project: “National Nutrition Survey for the State of Kuwait (NNSSK)”.

FB036C Project: “Assessment of Acrylamide in Heat Process Food Staff Consumed in Kuwait”.

WT013C Project: “Development of a Wastewater Quality Database and Assessment of Effluent for Potential Reuse in Kuwait”.

Shrimp Database project. EC058C Project: “Kuwait Air

Quality Index System”. EC032C Project: “Long Term

Prediction of Winds for the State of Kuwait”.

Future Outlook

Integrating and upgrading/replacing KISR legacy applications

Developing web interface for major applications, such as: HR systems Finance Systems Other admin information systems

Pursuing office automation

Thank you

Knowledge Management Program

Knowledge Management is…

...A business model embracing knowledge as an organizational asset to drive sustainable business advantage.

…A management discipline that promotes an integrated approach to identify, evaluate, capture, create, enhance, share, and apply an enterprise’s intellectual capital...

43

KM Goals

To capture and preserve KISR knowledge.

To create knowledge sharing environment.

What Knowledge Management will do? Improve process Cycles for KISR

research projects.

Share Best Practices.

Share knowledge among KISR employees.

Improve time to action and decision.

Who is involved in the KM …

ContentWhat do we want to know?

TechnologyHow can we deliver

knowledge to the user?

+

ProcessHow do we grow and maintain

our knowledge base?

+

PeopleHow do we use

and share knowledge?

+

Content Management– org set up

– workflow/approvals

– content aggregators

Taxonomy implementation

– Pilot

– Content tagging

– Refining

Select KM tools– Doc Mgmt – Workflow– Project collaboration– Content Management

IT Infrastructure & security

Application integration

Data Warehouse

Help Desk

Business process improvement (BPI) in R & D

Business process improvement in support functions

Implement BPI using KM tools (R&D)

Implement BPI using KM tools (Support function)

Legal and policy changes

Change management

Org Impact assessment

Communication

User participation

User empowerment

Recognition and reward

What has been achieved so Far? Establishing a cross-KISR team As-Is and To-Be business processes  RFI and RFP for KM tools Awareness campaign   Established taxonomy & metadata

structure Pilot Project  5-year estimated budget

 

Constraints

Top Management ownershipCKO (Chief Knowledge Officer)Active support from R&D

Thank you

Geo -Informatics Center

GIS scattered activities started in KISR

during late 1980s and early 1990s.

Core of Geo-informatics centre in the

beginning of 1990s with KIEIN project

(phases I to III running from 1994-2007).

Currently, the Geo-informatics centre

provides the technical support and

shares the know-how with all KISR

divisions.

Background

Mission

To manage Geo-informatics

infrastructure at KISR. And to support

R&D activities at KISR and nationally,

in utilizing Geospatial data.

• Geo-informatics technology transfer• Integrated Geospatial Solutions for all

KISR R&D activities• Execute Geospatial projects at

national level in Kuwait• Human Resources Development in

Geo-Informatics field.

Main Objectives

GIS projectsFinalized projects (12)

• KIEIN (final stages)On-going projects

• Development of Decision-Support Maps For Groundwater Protection In Kuwait

• GIS Risk Analysis Application For Avian Influenza ( Bird Flu ) Outbreak In Kuwait

Proposed projects

• National Educational Atlas of Kuwait

• Kuwait Integrated Environmental Information Network: Phase IV

• Assessing and controlling land degradation in several areas in Kuwait (An integrated GIS Approach)

• Monitoring and assessment of dust fallout and associated pollens within the State of Kuwait

Future Prospects

Integration of Geo-Informatics applications with the on-line monitoring stations to build real time applications.

Utilizing the Geo-informatics tools to build a Disaster Management System

GIS national standards and data quality control.

Constraints

o Absence of National Standards for Geo-informatics.

Thank you

Gulf Electronic Scientific Research Portal (GESR)

لــلــبحــث الــخــلــيــج( جــســر ( الــعــلــمــي

Background

A regional project initiated by the “presidents and deans of universities and higher education organizations committee” GCC.

KISR was selected to host GESR Portal in July 2005.

NSTIC proposal was based on its experience in MARC and electronic cataloging (Virtua).

KISR offered to absorb the cost of the project. The Portal was mainly developed internally.

Deliverables

Content Policy & User manuals were completed by NSTIC. The portal is bilingual (Arabic/English).

GESR Portal Components

Equipments DB

Experts DB

Organizations DB

Research DB

Research Reports

Books Periodical s, Articles

Conference Papers

Dissertations

Next..

The Deans Committee officially endorsed it and requested to start work in the 2nd phase.

KISR will host the 8th meeting of GCC technical team in Kuwait (4 – 5/ 3/ 2008).

Second Phase should concentrate on Data entry.

www.kisr.edu.kw/gccdb

Thank you

Constraints

ManpowerOut-dated Job descriptions (last updated in

1983!!) Recruiting proceduresLimited job positions

Limited budgetProfessional manpower development Availability of appropriate information resourcesInadequate facilities

Limited and late involvement at proposal stage.

Limited exposure and misunderstood role

Future outlook

Enhancing NSTIC as a center of excellence in IT and information services

Advancing the role of the Geo-informatics center to serve the society.

Developing a national information literacy program.

Preserving and sharing KISR intellectual capital as organizational assets.

Implementing KM initiatives to enhance KISR effectiveness

Future outlook

Thank you