<s>
The	O
Information	B-Application
Management	I-Application
Resource	O
Kit	O
(	O
IMARK	B-Application
)	O
is	O
a	O
partnership-based	O
e-learning	O
initiative	O
developed	O
by	O
the	O
Food	O
and	O
Agriculture	O
Organization	O
(	O
FAO	O
)	O
of	O
the	O
United	O
Nations	O
and	O
partner	O
organizations	O
to	O
support	O
individuals	O
,	O
institutions	O
and	O
networks	O
worldwide	O
in	O
the	O
effective	O
management	O
of	O
information	O
and	O
agricultural	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IMARK	B-Application
consists	O
of	O
a	O
suite	O
of	O
distance	O
learning	O
resources	O
and	O
tools	O
on	O
information	B-Application
management	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Food	O
and	O
Agriculture	O
Organization	O
(	O
FAO	O
)	O
of	O
the	O
United	O
Nations	O
initiated	O
a	O
partnership-based	O
e-learning	O
programme	O
in	O
2001	O
to	O
support	O
information	B-Application
management	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
IMARK	B-Application
is	O
targeted	O
at	O
information	O
professionals	O
in	O
developing	O
countries	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
IMARK	B-Application
curriculum	O
is	O
designed	O
through	O
a	O
consultative	O
process	O
with	O
subject	O
matter	O
experts	O
,	O
field	O
practitioners	O
and	O
representatives	O
from	O
the	O
target	O
audience	O
from	O
around	O
the	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
IMARK	B-Application
initiative	O
is	O
a	O
response	O
to	O
demand	O
for	O
enhanced	O
information	O
and	O
knowledge	O
management	O
in	O
the	O
effort	O
to	O
achieve	O
the	O
Millennium	O
Development	O
Goals	O
(	O
MDGs	O
)	O
,	O
especially	O
those	O
related	O
to	O
hunger	B-Application
and	O
the	O
information	O
society	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
context	O
of	O
bridging	O
the	O
digital	O
divide	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
development	O
goal	O
of	O
IMARK	B-Application
is	O
to	O
improve	O
the	O
capabilities	O
of	O
people	O
concerned	O
with	O
information	B-Application
management	I-Application
and	O
knowledge	O
sharing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
development	O
goal	O
of	O
IMARK	B-Application
is	O
to	O
improve	O
the	O
overall	O
effectiveness	O
of	O
programmes	O
in	O
agricultural	O
development	O
and	O
food	O
security	O
by	O
enhancing	O
access	O
to	O
information	O
by	O
key	O
stakeholders	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IMARK	B-Application
has	O
over	O
30	O
partners	O
and	O
collaborating	O
institutions	O
since	O
its	O
inception	O
in	O
2001	O
,	O
and	O
its	O
activities	O
are	O
coordinated	O
through	O
a	O
steering	O
committee	O
whose	O
members	O
include	O
The	O
Association	O
for	O
Progressive	O
Communications	O
(	O
APC	O
)	O
,	O
Food	O
and	O
Agriculture	O
Organization	O
(	O
FAO	O
)	O
of	O
the	O
United	O
Nations	O
,	O
the	O
Agence	O
Universitaire	O
de	O
la	O
Francophonie	O
(	O
AUF	O
)	O
,	O
Commonwealth	O
of	O
Learning	O
(	O
COL	O
)	O
,	O
Groupe	O
de	O
Recherches	O
et	O
d'Echanges	O
Technologiques	O
(	O
GRET	O
)	O
,	O
Bibliotheca	O
Alexandrina	O
and	O
UNESCO	O
.	O
</s>
