1. Implementation of the Training Strategy in support of the Monitoring for Environment and Security in Africa (MESA) Programme MESA Training Program Ben Maathuis / Tesfaye Korme GEO-XIII Plenary Side Event St. Petersburg, Russian Federation

2. AU-MESA Monitoring for Environment and Security in Africa
MESA program was proposed through the Ouagadougou Declaration signed in September 2010 by the African Union Commission, the ACP Secretariat and the African Regional Economic Communities.
The aim of the program is to ensure continuity of past investments on the use of EO data in Africa (e.g. PUMA and AMESD) and to provide an initial contribution to the GMES and Africa Initiative.
Beneficiary countries of MESA program are 48 African countries of the five African regional communities, namely CEMAC, ECOWAS, IGAD, IOC and SADC. The contracting authority of MESA is the African Union Commission (AUC).
Funding is obtained from the 10th EDF of the European Union, with a budget of 37 million Euros, implementation timeframe is from 2013 to 2017.

3. MESA and MESA Training Programme
Purpose of the MESA program is to increase the capacity of African institutions in information management, decision making and planning by enhancing access to and exploitation of EO applications in Africa.
MESA training focuses on making operational use of advanced techniques, especially in the field of EO and computer science in a sustainable manner:
Derivation of information from Remote Sensing data at continental, regional and national levels;
Use of such information in policy formulation and decision making.

4. MESA Training Programme Office
MESA-Training HQ
TAT
AUC EC

5. MESA Training Programme Result Areas

6. Course Design and Implementation
TNA
Common needs identified / Training strategy
Specific needs RICs/CIC identified
Courses proposed (existing/ new)
Tentative training plan established
Training Plan
Classification of courses into Blocks
Designing and development of the courses
Assessments of existing training materials
Detailed 12 months training plan
Execution of Training plan
Selection and registration of candidates
Logistics in place
Execution of training (DE/Class room)
Evaluation and Monitoring
Approved
Approved
Ongoing

7. Implementation Strategy/ Approach
The main implementation strategy is to follow a hybrid training offering system that is composed of:
Distance Education (at different levels):
Generic Continental Courses
Selected Thematic Courses
Communication, Outreach, Service Delivery Support and Policy Dialog Courses
Classroom:
Thematic courses (system admin & applications)
Blended Distance Education and Classroom type:
PUMA and MESA stations operation and thematic application training

8. Implementation Strategy Cont…
Learning Management System (LMS) is based on Moodle (Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment) and is a free software e-learning platform ( latest stable version 2.9:
Dual language (English/French) LMS;
Administrated at the local project office in Addis Ababa;
A Learning Management System Administrator manages the provision of the content (full time);
Supports generic functionality, such as contact service, blog, upcoming events, calendar, download area, additional resources, mailing list and forum, wiki, demos search, function, archive, etc.;
Can also be accessed from website (

9. Infrastructure developed

10. Infrastructure developed cont…
lms.training4mesa.org

11. EUMETCast Training Channel

12. DE Courses developed / approved
Block 1
Block 2
Block 3
Block 4
Block 5
Block 6
1: EUMETCast
3: Basic GIS
6: System Administration for AMESD Station Operations
12: Application of RS/GIS FOSS Tools
16: Introduction Python and Scripting
20: Advanced RS/GIS (2)
2: Communication PR and Outreach(1)
4: Basic RS
7:Advanced RS/GIS (1)
13: Processing Low to Medium Resolution Online Time Series
17: Running Operational Thematic Services
21: Advanced Python Scripting and Automation
5: Introduction to LINUX–CentOS
8: Communication PR and Outreach(2)
14: Building Operational Thematic Services
18:Provision of Thematic Products
22: Communication PR and Outreach(3)
9: EUMETCast Product
Visualization
15: Supporting MESA Station Mobilization & Operation
19: Processing of Medium to High Resolution Online Images
23: Policy Dialog (1)
10: Supporting continued AMESD station operations
11:Thematic EO Service Development
 24: Policy Dialog (2)
EUMETCast
AMESD Heritage
Communication
GIS focus
Service related
From Supply-Lot 1
RS focus
OS-Program. focus

13. Learning Pathways: from DE to On-site training
Example new system administrator:
Block 1 1 2
EUMETCast in Block 1
Basic
Introduction Linux-CentOS in Block2
Block 2 3 4 5
System Administration in Block4
Block 3 6 7 8 9 10 11
Intermed.
Block 4 12 13 14 15
Example from application domain:
Advanced RS/GIS in Block 3
Block 5 16 17 18 19
Apply FOSS tools in Block 4
Advanced
Block 6 20 21 22 23
Intro Python / scripting in Block 5
Station training during system setup
Advanced Python / scripting in Block 6
In support of the various MESA Services
Station and Administrator training
Environmental Application training
Meteorological Application training
DE based
DE based + on-site
On-site

14. On-Site training
Training courses and procedures are developed with a common focus on system administration training and PUMA / MESA thematic applications offered by the systems (to be) deployed using a Training of Trainer approach;
Execution training in sync with station deployment;
Required training materials are available through LMS;
Using new infrastructure at WMO Regional Training Centres: École Africaine de la Météorologie et de l'Aviation Civile (Niamey), Institute for Meteorological Training and Research / Regional Training Centre (Nairobi), South Africa Weather Services (Pretoria) and Mauritius Meteorological Services (Vacoas);
For blended training courses a number of on-site events have been conducted on Communication, PR and Outreach, as well as a Policy Dialog event

15. Concluding remarks
Already large number of DE based courses conducted (>50) and some courses are offered multiple times, > 650 trainees participated;
Started with DE courses in English, after review also in French, > 20 courses both in EN and FR;
Sustainability, also incorporate African Trainers and African collaborating Universities within the RICs/CIC in the training effort;
Fully operational Learning Management System in Addis Ababa;
On-site training using Training of Trainer approach, > 130 persons trained from 40 organizations;
Currently onsite “user” training ongoing, > 260 persons trained;
Further engage with RICs/CIC and their selected universities;
After MESA, good starting point to continue CB activities in GMES and Africa: as component of Pan African University Space Science Hub or of other continental EO related initiatives.

16. Thanks for your attention
Pointing of antenna, part of the system administration training using spare antenna at KMD
Participants reporting on weather
forecasts (group assignment conducted each day) in training room
Thanks for your attention