SECTION C: DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVE

The development objective of CSDNP is to increase the capacity for information exchange and sustainable development services at the national and sub-national levels, and in this way promote the implementation of China's Agenda 21 and its priority programmes. This in turn will help ensure a rapid transition to a more sustainable development path, an objective which continues to be a top priority of the Chinese government.



SECTION D: IMMEDIATE OBJECTIVES, OUTPUTS AND ACTIVITIES

Immediate Objective 1

To establish the national administrative node of CSDNP and strengthen managerial capabilities for the network.

Output 1.1

A detailed strategy for setting up the national administrative node and managing CSDNP at the national and sub-national levels, and in institutional, public, and private settings.

Activities for Output 1.1

Activity 1.1.1

Identify and recruit a chief technical advisor (CTA). This CTA should be a highly qualified international expert on information systems with an understanding of China. Because the CTA must have an overarching perspective of the networking programme as a tool for sustainable development, she or he should have experience not only with setting up and managing computer networks and establishing sustainable development networks, but also with international cooperation in and detailed understanding about sustainable development. His or her work will include the following:

(1) Help with and play an advisory role in the establishment of China's sustainable development network administrative node;

(2) Help with and play an advisory role in the development and management of CSDNP;

(3) Help with and play an advisory role in matters concerning international cooperation between CSDNP and other information resources;

(4) Help with and play an advisory role in the writing and revision of training materials;

(5) Help with and play an advisory role in the formation of the CSDNP Catalog database; and

(6) Help with and play an advisory role in establishing network protection measures and software for the administrative node of the network.

Activity 1.1.2

Identify and recruit one international consultant (IC) who will assist primarily in technical matters. He or she should have expertise in and professional experience in managing and using computer network technologies as well as extensive experience with the Internet. Duties of the IC will include:

(1) Provide technical assistance and advice on the formation of CSDNP's national administrative node;

(2) Provide technical assistance and advice on international and domestic network connections;

(3) Provide technical assistance and advice on CSDNP network management; and

(4) Provide technical assistance and advice on the development of key network and gateway technologies.

Activity 1.1.3

Identify and recruit six national consultants from academic institutions and government departments. Of these, one should be from the State Planning Commission (SPC) and have expertise in basic country data, macroeconomic policy, legislation, and regulation; another should be from State Science and Technology Commission (SSTC) and have expertise in Chinese technology policy and information exchange. Two of these consultants will be experts in computer science and computer network engineering from academic institutions, and the last two will be experts in social development, natural resources, and environmental policy. These national consultants must have good English skills.

Activity 1.1.4

Review and select existing domestic and international guides to the Internet through information search and retrieval services. Also review and select available information about distributed databases, data catalog systems, and metadata database technologies.

Activity 1.1.5

Analyze and compile successful case studies about network administration, Internet operation, and metadata applications both in China and abroad.

Activity 1.1.6

Collect information and materials relating to sustainable development practice and progress worldwide, particularly global Agenda 21 and China's Agenda 21; and domestic implementation and international cooperation with the priority projects.

Output 1.2

A local area network (LAN) for the national administrative node of China's sustainable development network.

Activities for Output 1.2

Activity 1.2.1

Establish Internet connectivity with one computer. This will be done by dial-up, with one personal computer and modem over a phone line via Public Switching Telephone Network (PSTN) establishing a point-to-point protocol (PPP) connection.

Activity 1.2.2

Procure the necessary equipment and software tools for the LAN of the national administrative node. This includes a server or Access Server, computers, printer, Uninterrupted Power System (UPS), a HUB, Router, network cards, twisted wire pairs, network operating system. Windows NT is expected to be selected as an operating system. Domestic experts and scientists will provide guidance.

Activity 1.2.3

Install the CSDNP administrative node LAN (probably with Ethernet). Test LAN operation.

Activity 1.2.4

Develop a short introductory training program for technical and managerial members of the administrative node. Ongoing on-the-job training will continue after the formal program. Domestic experts will provide advice about these training materials.

Output 1.3

Domestic and international connections to the CSDNP national administrative node.

Activities for Output 1.3

Activity 1.3.1

Apply for C-type IP addresses from the relevant organizations.

Activity 1.3.2

Request a DDN (Digital Data Network) line from the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) and connect the LAN to the Internet via DDN.

Activity 1.3.3

Connect the LAN to the Public Switching Telephone Network (PSTN), the Digital Data Network (DDN), and the China Education and Science Computer Network (CERNET) Domestic experts and the IC will help establish these connections.

Activity 1.3.4

Apply for several (8-16) local phone lines either for the X.25 protocol, or for dial-up from the administrative node through PPP (point-to-point protocol) or SLIP (serial line Internet Protocol).

Activity 1.3.5

Obtain necessary computer equipment and peripherals for the administrative node. This includes a workstation server, access server, Router, HUB, modem, scanner, CD-ROM, FAX machine, and other equipment. The IC and domestic experts will assist in the selection.

Activity 1.3.6

Select and obtain needed software application tools for network management, databases, and other functions of the national administrative node computers. These may be chosen from TCP/IP, UNIX, Oracle, and Sybase.

Activity 1.3.7

Establish connections between the CSDNP administrative node and the six information sharing agencies (namely, the National Information Center; China Science and Technology Information Center; The Cast China Economic Monitoring Center, Zhongguanchun Area Network (NCFC), which is the interconnections of Tsinghua University Net (TUnet), Peking University Net (PUnet), and the Chinese Academy of Science Network (CASnet); Institute of Geology, State Seismological Bureau; and the China Natural Resource Comprehensive Investigating Commission, as detailed in our Feasibility Study).

Immediate Objective 2

Develop and enhance the capabilities of the metadata system and related databases in order to promote implementation of CSDNP.

Output 2.1

CSDNP metadata guidelines.

Activities for Output 2.1

Activity 2.1.1

Select, review, and analyze existing international and domestic materials and metadata about sustainable development as well as successful case studies of metadata guideline formulation. This information, part of which can be found via Internet, will be used to help establish China's metadata guidelines. Chinese experts and the CTA will provide advice.

Activity 2.1.2

Investigate and analyze existing materials, databases, and information systems from the six information sharing agencies.

Activity 2.1.3

Develop CSDNP metadata guidelines for formulating standard formats and indices. Domestic experts and the CTA will participate and advise in these activities. The six information sharing agencies involved will participate in training courses about the Internet and metadata formulation. These training courses are detailed in Output 3.1.

Activity 2.1.4

National consultants and a working group will complete and submit a draft of the guidelines for CSDNP metadata. Relevant experts from the six information sharing agencies will also participate.

Activity 2.1.5

Revise the draft of guidelines for CSDNP metadata at and after the national workshop (as explained in Output 3.1). The workshop, in which domestic experts and the CTA will participate, will provide ample opportunities for discussions and exchange about how to revise and complete these guidelines. Once finalized, the guidelines will be submitted.

Activity 2.1.6

Using the above guidelines and information gathered (as explained in Activity 2.1.2), the administrative node will support and advise the six information agencies on extracting and formulating the contents of their metadata. This includes structuring and gathering the data.

Activity 2.1.7

The administrative node will coordinate and monitor the way in which the six information agencies extract, formulate, and put their metadata into the database. Exchanges between the node and the six agencies will take place through meetings or a workshop, as explained in Output 3.1.

Activity 2.1.8

Using the above guidelines and criteria, the administrative node will support and coordinate the extraction, formulation, and placement into databases of metadata for both China's Agenda 21 and its Priority Programmes.

Activity 2.1.9

Collect and formulate expert metadata about sustainable development from Chinese and relevant international experts. This metadata will be put in the CSDNP database. Domestic experts, the IC, and CTA will take part in this work.

Activity 2.1.10

Collect and compile all of the above mentioned metadata, including English translations.

Output 2.2

Application software for the Data Catalog System (DCS) and related databases.

Activities for Output 2.2

Activity 2.2.1

The CTA and IC will help develop and/or find appropriate software for using both the Chinese and English version metadata, including interface, editing, search, access, and safety software. This will be done after the training course which is explained in Output 3.1.

Activity 2.2.2

The CTA and IC will help write a series of Chinese and English World Wide Web (WWW) homepages for China's Sustainable Development Networking Programme. The home pages, which contain CSDNP metadata, will include text, graphic images, and other services. In addition, they will include links to the metadata databases explained in Activities 2.1.7, 2.1.8, and 2.1.9. These databases may be accessed through the Web through certain gateways. This will be done after the training course as explained in Output 3.1.

Activity 2.2.3

Develop or select appropriate software protocols for a CSDNP gateway that will allow various degrees of access to Chinese and English version metadata through the Web. National consultants, IC, and CTA will assist and participate in this activity.

Output 2.3

The Data Catalog System. DCS will include six databases, three in Chinese and three in English. These are the CSDNP metadata database, the metadata database for the Priority Programme for China's Agenda 21's, and China's Expert Metadata Database of Sustainable Development. (Explained in Activities 2.1.7, 2.1.8, and 2.1.9)

Activities for Output 2.3

Activity 2.3.1

Load the English version metadata databases into the computers and check their accuracy.

Activity 2.3.2

Load the Chinese metadata databases into the computers and check their accuracy.

Activity 2.3.3

Load and check all materials relating to the English version of the CSDNP World Wide Web home page.

Activity 2.3.4

Load and check all materials relating to the Chinese version of the CSDNP World Wide Web home page.

Activity 2.3.5

Carry out performance evaluations on home pages, databases, and system management software to be put on the network. Finally, put them on the Internet and begin system administration, user access, and gateway services.

Immediate Objective 3

Upgrade information exchange capacity and services for developing CSDNP in order to implement China's Agenda 21 priority programs.

Output 3.1

Training materials and courses for CSDNP.

Activities for Output 3.1

Activity 3.1.1

Integrate the material gathered in Activities 1.1.4 and 1.1.5 into training materials.

Activity 3.1.2

Using the results of activities 1.1.4 and 1.1.5, national experts, CTA, and IC will develop a curriculum for CSDNP training, with a primary focus on the implementation of a metadata database by participants in the course.

Activity 3.1.3

Develop and use criteria to select mid-level trainees at the national and senior local levels as well as from institutions and other sectors. Good English language ability and computer literacy will be among these criteria.

Activity 3.1.4

Prepare and install necessary audio, visual, and computer equipment, obtain line usage fees, and conduct a pilot training course in the second half of 1996, shortly after the completion of curriculum development. Participants for this course will be mid-level specialists and officials primarily from the six information sharing and seven disaster prevention agencies. The course, which will take place over a period of one or two weeks at ACCA21 in Beijing, will train 20 participants. National experts and the CTA will participate in developing the course, and national experts will help conduct it.

Activity 3.1.5

Revise this curriculum based on experience gained from the first pilot training project.

Activity 3.1.6

On the basis of experience gained from this pilot course and subsequent revisions in curriculum, three other training courses will be held. These will each train 20 participants at ACCA21 over a period of one or two weeks. The second course will be specifically for network administrators, technicians, and engineers. It will take place in the beginning of the first half of 1997. The final two courses will be held in 1997. One will be for central and provincial specialists and officials, while the other is for institutional, provincial, and local engineers and technicians, and participants from NGOs and possibly the private sector. Each of the training courses will emphasize active participation, practice, and discussion.

Activity 3.1.7

Each participant will prepare a plan for connecting their organizations to CSDNP.

Activity 3.1.8

Conduct a first workshop in 1996, in which national consultants, the IC, the CTA, and government officials will present their reports and discuss the administrative node of CSDNP. The overall conceptual framework and progress on the draft of guidelines for CSDNP metadata will also be discussed, as will national and international cooperation, and some technical issues including Chinese character compression technologies and any problems encountered.

Activity 3.1.9

Hold a second workshop in 1998 for key officials, the IC, the CTA, and national experts from government departments, institutions, universities, NGOs, provincial and local organizations. At this workshop key technologies for CSDNP, such as software for safety, gateways, Chinese character compression and transmission will be discussed. Network management strategies and issues will also be discussed, as will strategies for linking participants outside of Beijing to CSDNP.

Activity 3.1.10

Each year, CSDNP will send two or three staff members abroad in order to study relevant technologies and experiences gained abroad, to participate in international conferences, and to promote international exchange and cooperation.

Output 3.2

Key technologies for CSDNP.

Activities for Output 3.2

Activity 3.2.1

Develop or find appropriate technology for Chinese character word processing, particularly compression, and transmission technologies. These will be used for transmission of all regional Agenda 21 information, for implementing the Chinese version metadata databases, and for the WWW home page.

Activity 3.2.2

Develop or find appropriate CSDNP network management software, especially software for setting user priorities, safety, and accounting.

Activity 3.2.3

Develop or find appropriate technologies for sound and image data transfer over the network.

Activity 3.2.4

Develop computer models of decision-making for sustainable development.

Output 3.3

Information services, including Wide Area Information Server (WAIS), WWW, metadata, gopher, mailing lists, Usenet News Groups, ftp (file transfer protocol), remote access, and access data servers, on CSDNP for both domestic and international users. Special attention will be paid to the use of these services for implementing China's Agenda 21 and the priority projects.

Activities for Output 3.3

Activity 3.3.1

Provide e-mail addresses to government, academic, NGO, and private users.

Activity 3.3.2

Establish functional World Wide Web and WAIS servers which include functionality for both English and Chinese text, images, and other data. The WWW and WAIS server requires one machine dedicated to its use.

Activity 3.3.3

Provide a dedicated computer as a metadata server. The metadata will be stored in relational databases in both English and Chinese, and will be linked to the WWW and gopher servers through a gateway.

Activity 3.3.4

Provide a gopher server. A computer must be dedicated for use as this server.

Activity 3.3.5

Provide an ftp server. This server will make available data files, either in English or Chinese text or in binary format, which can be accessed either through the World Wide Web or by the CSDNP Gateway's data ordering functions.

Activity 3.3.6

Begin trial phase for user priority-setting, safety, and accounting software.

Output 3.4

Further CSDNP applications for implementing sustainable development, Agenda 21 and its priority projects.

Activities for Output 3.4

Activity 3.4.1

Compile, edit, and load materials found in Activity 1.1.6 onto CSDNP.

Activity 3.4.2

Provide updates about the progress of Agenda 21 and priority project implementation to domestic and international users. This will include both a newsletter and CA21 yearly reports.

Activity 3.4.3

Use CSDNP to achieve widespread awareness among domestic users of both domestic and international information relating to sustainable development.

Activity 3.4.4

Develop and expand the reach of CSDNP, increasing participation by local and regional government agencies, academic organizations, NGOs, the private sector, and the general public. Priority will be given to those organizations at the national and sub-national levels which are engaged directly in the work of implementing China's Agenda 21. Technical consultation will be provided to users, including a handbook which introduces CSDNP and explains different methods of connecting to CSDNP.

Activity 3.4.5

Establish channels for broad domestic and international cooperation on both the substance of sustainable development and on the technical, computer network aspects of CSDNP. These channels will be both through the Internet and by other means. Cooperation should be among parties including administrative nodes of SDNP in other countries, international organizations, universities and research institutes, and international network management organizations. Domestic experts, the IC, and the CTA will provide advice

Activity 3.4.6

Locate additional agencies which will be willing to create metadata databases to add to CSDNP in the future.



SECTION E: INPUTS

Government Inputs

(1) The Chinese Government will provide adequate core personnel, including staff members of ACCA21, the State Science and Technology Commission, State Planning Commission, experts of appropriate qualifications for research, training, and program development, translators, interpreters and working staff. Salaries for such personnel will be paid by the Chinese Government.

(2) The Chinese Government will provide adequate working space for all Chinese officials, experts and other participants involved in establishing China's Sustainable Development Networking Program, as well as space and part of the equipment for the various activities to be held in China, including consulting activities, workshops, meetings and training courses. The Chinese Government will also provide consultants and lecturers with transportation within Beijing, necessary support staff and interpreters.

(3) The Chinese Government will ensure that the necessary data, information and other facilities are provided to the international consultants to enable them to carry out the activities envisaged under this project.

(4) The total input of the Chinese Government for the project will be 4 million RMB over a period of three years. Of this, 1 million RMB is the government cost share for the use of CSDNP facilities. This is broken down as follows (amounts given in US dollars):

CSDNP Connectivity (including equipment) $68,000

Research on Key Technologies

(such as Chinese character transmission) $40,000

Operation Fees $20,000

(5) The remaining 3 million RMB will be investment in kind for CSDNP office infrastructure, staff recruitment, office facilities, and so on.

UNDP Inputs                                                     $348,000

The UNDP inputs will cover the following:

Personnel                                                           $81,000

  (1) Chief Technical Advisor (CTA).             $15,000

An international consultant will be recruited as a part-time Chief Technical Adviser to the
project. The CTA will assist in the development and management of CSDNP, help establish
the administrative node, assist in matters concerning international cooperation, and help with
the formation of the CSDNP Catalog database. The CTA will also assist in the development
of training materials and curricula, and in other detailed aspects of project implementation.
The CTA will be retained for approximately 0.75 workmonth, which 3 yearly visits of 1
week each.

(2) International Consultant (IC) $10,000 One international consultant will be invited to China to assist in technical aspects of project, especially tasks such as forming gateway interfaces. Tasks also include assisting with formation of the national administrative node, network connectivity to international and domestic sites, and CSDNP network management. The IC must have expertise in computer network technologies. He or she will be retained for approximately 2 weeks, with 2 one week visits.


(3) National Consultants $30,000

National consultants will spend a total of thirty-six person-months providing advice on various aspects of CSDNP and sustainable development. These include experts from the SPC, SSTC, Tsinghua University, and other organizations.

(4) Feasibility Study and Project Formulation $26,000

Training and International Workshops $107,000


(1) Four training courses on network administration and use, metadata application, and Internet use including World Wide Web, ftp, and other services.

(2) Two workshops to discuss key technologies for CSDNP development, to draft guidelines and criteria for CSDNP metadata, and overall conceptual framework.

(3) Publish handbook and other materials about progress on CSDNP, and ways to connect to CSDNP.

(4) Short term training course for ACCA21 people working on the administrative node LAN. This will not use UNDP funding.

(5) International Meeting and Conference. The project will cover the costs for two or three people to go abroad each year to study relevant technologies and experiences gained abroad, to participate in international conferences, and to promote international exchange and cooperation.

(6) CIESIN Training

Equipment $83,000

The project will cover the cost of equipment to be used to establish the administrative node of the network. This equipment includes computers, modems, printers, and other hardware, as well as peripherals, audio-visual equipment and related items.

Internet Networking $42,000

The project will cover the cost of network administration, operation, and maintenance, as well as networking equipment such as a router, modem pool, and data lines.

Research on Key Technology $15,000


The project will cover the costs of research for technologies needed for successful implementation of CSDNP. Chief among these is research into Chinese character word processing, coding, compression, and transmission.

Miscellaneous $20,000


Miscellaneous, including office support costs and expenses related to large scale printing and distribution of summary reports and other related materials.



SECTION F: RISKS

A possibility exists that the right types of foreign experts, i.e., those who are experts in their respective fields but who also have an understanding of Chinese conditions, may not be available. To the extent that foreign experts, and the CTA, are unfamiliar with China, their advice and prescription may not be relevant or applicable to the Chinese context. This risk can be minimized by a careful selection of foreign experts and the CTA.

The language barrier may prevent the skills of foreign experts from being successfully utilized, as much of the work done on CSDNP will be in Chinese This risk can be minimized by using academically trained interpreters familiar with the subject matter to be conveyed through CSDNP, i.e. the subject matter of Agenda 21.

The possibility also exists that technologies for Chinese character network processing transmission over the Web will not be as well developed as would be hoped. While transmission of full page Chinese text scanned into files will not be an obstacle, technology for individually coded and modifiable characters may take longer to develop. The lack of this particular technology will not stand in the way of general CSDNP implementation. However, it may make Web usage less effective than it could be. Research and development activities for this technology have been included in this plan to minimize this risk.

A similar possibility exists that the CSDNP gateway will not achieve its complete desired functionality in the timeframe of the project. To minimize the risk that this possibility poses to the project, the essential parts of the gateway will be built first, with additional functionality constructed with remaining financial resources, and at a later date if need be. The construction of a gateway is an integral part of CSDNP as it has been designed.

The greatest risk to this project is the possibility of inaccessibility of various databases. There are two possible causes. Many existing databases have been written in formats which are incompatible with each other and which are thus of little use even if they are freely available. Devising a standard format for metadata and encouraging use of this metadata will minimize this risk. The other possibility is that some organizations will not be willing to share their data, or even metadata. It is hoped that once CSDNP is underway, and the benefits of information sharing become clear, such organizations will slowly become willing to share their information as well.

A related risk involves the that participation in this project will be limited at first to a few government and academic organizations. It is believed however that starting small and building a solid foundation for CSDNP will facilitate the future participation of a large number of stakeholders.

Finally, the project risks losing funding either from UNDP or other agencies if many of the above mentioned risks become barriers to progress in the project. Minimizing these risks will help secure funding.

SECTION G: PRIOR OBLIGATIONS AND PREREQUISITES

Prior obligations

None

Prerequisites

(1) The Chinese Government has already established an Interim Steering Committee for CSDNP. It has already allocated funds in national budgets as indicated in Section E, Government Inputs.

(2) The Government agrees to make information and data available to the CTA, consultants, and workshop participants as may be required for the implementation of the project.

The Project Document will be signed by UNDP, and UNDP assistance will be provided only if the prerequisites stipulated above have been fulfilled or are likely to be fulfilled. When anticipated fulfilment of one or more prerequisites fails to materialize, UNDP may, at its discretion, either suspend or terminate its assistance.

SECTION H: PROJECT REVIEWS, REPORTING AND EVALUATION

This project will be subject to joint review by representatives of the Government, executing agency, and UNDP at least once, the meeting to be held within 5 months of the start of full implementation. The national project coordinator and/or senior UNDP programme officer shall prepare and submit to each review meeting a Project Performance Evaluation Report (PPER). Additional PPER's may be requested, if necessary, during the project.

SECTION I: LEGAL CONTEXT

This project document shall be the instrument referred to as such in Article 1 of the Standard Basic Assistance Agreement between the Government of China and the United Nations Development Programme, signed by the parties on 29 June 1979. The host country implementing agency shall, for the purpose of the Standard Basic Assistance Agreement, refer to the government cooperating agency described in that Agreement.

The following types of revisions may be made to this project document with the signature of the UNDP resident representative only, provided he or she is assured that the other signatories of the project document have no objections to the proposed changes:

(a) Revisions in, or addition of, any of the annexes of the project document;

(b) Revisions which do not involve significant changes in the immediate objectives, outputs, or activities of a project, but are caused by the rearrangement of inputs already agreed to or by cost increases due to inflation; and

(c) Mandatory annual revisions which rephrase the delivery of agreed project inputs or increased expert or other costs due to inflation or take into account agency expenditure flexibility.

SECTION J:BUDGET

Country: CHINA
Project Number: INT/95/G81/ / /
Project Title: China's Sustainable Development Network Programme

Outputs/Activities                                       Time Frame

                                                                   Immediate Objective 1
                                               Output 1.1: Strategy for administrative node

1.1.1  Recruit CTA                                                       Feb. 1996
1.1.2  Recruit IC                                                            May 1996

1.1.3  Recruit national consultants                            Jan. 1996

1.1.4  Review Internet guides                                    Jan. 1996

1.1.5  Compile network case studies                         Mar. 1996

1.1.6  Collect sustainable development (SD) information  Jan. 1996

                                                Output 1.2: LAN for administrative node

1.2.1  PPP Internet connection                                     Jan. 1996

1.2.2  Buy LAN equipment and software                    Feb. 1996

  1.2.3  Install and test LAN                              Feb.-Mar. 1996

1.2.4  Training for LAN users                            Mar. 1996

Output 1.3: Connections to administrative node

1.3.1  Apply for IP addresses                            Jan. 1996

1.3.2  Request DDN line                                  Jan. 1996

1.3.3  Connect LAN to DDN, PSTN, CERNET                  June 1996

1.3.4  Phone lines for X.25, PPP, or SLIP                Mar. 1996

1.3.5  Equipment and peripherals for node                Mar. 1996

1.3.6  Software application tool selection               Feb. 1996

1.3.7  Connect to six information sharing agencies       July 1996


Immediate Objective 2

Output 2.1: Metadata guidelines

2.1.1  Review existing metadata materials                Feb. 1996

2.1.2  Analyze information systems of the six agencies   Mar. 1996

2.1.3  Develop metadata guidelines                       June 1996

2.1.4  Submit a draft of guidelines.                     Oct. 1996

2.1.5  Review draft at national workshop.                Oct. 1996
                                                        (tentatively)

2.1.6  Support metadata formulation of the six agencies  Nov. 1996

2.1.7  Coordinate and monitor metadata formulation       Jan. 1997
         of the six agencies

2.1.8  Agenda 21 and Priority Programme metadata         June 1996

2.1.9  SD metadata from experts                          Aug. 1997

2.1.10 Compile above metadata                            Mar. 1997

Output 2.2:  DCS application software

2.2.1  Software for metadata                             Dec. 1996

2.2.2  Homepages for metadata                            June 1996

2.2.3  Protocols for CSDNP gateway                       Jan. 1997

Output 2.3:  DCS databases

2.3.1  Load English metadata databases                   Nov. 1996

2.3.2  Load Chinese metadata databases                   June 1997

2.3.3  Load English WWW page                             Dec. 1996

2.3.4  Load Chinese WWW page                             Aug. 1997

2.3.5  WWW, databases, system management                 1997

       performance evaluation


Immediate Objective 3

Output 3.1: Training materials

3.1.1  Integrate Internet and network training materials Apr. 1996

3.1.2  Curriculum development                            Apr. 1996

3.1.3  Select trainees                                   Sep. 1996

3.1.4  Pilot training course                             Oct. 1996
                                                         (tentatively)

3.1.5  Curriculum revision                               Nov. 1996

3.1.6  Three training courses                            1997

3.1.7  Participants plan connections to CSDNP            1997

3.1.8  First workshop                                    Oct. 1996
                                                       (tentatively)

3.1.9  Second workshop                                   Oct. 1998
                                                         (tentatively)

3.1.10 Send staff members abroad                         twice annually

Output 3.2: Key technologies                           

3.2.1  Technologies for Chinese character processing     Jun. 1996

3.2.2  Network management software                       Mar. 1996

3.2.3  Sound and image data transfer                     Jan. 1997

3.2.4  Models of sustainable development decision-making Aug. 1997

Output 3.3: Information services

3.3.1  E-mail addresses                                  Aug. 1996

3.3.2  WWW and WAIS servers                              Feb. 1997

3.3.3  Metadata server                                   Feb. 1997

3.3.4  Gopher server                                     July 1997

3.3.5  Ftp server                                        1998

3.3.6  Software trial phase                              Jan. 1997

Output 3.4: Extending CSDNP

3.4.1  Load compiled Agenda 21 information               June. 1996

3.4.2  Agenda 21 updates                                 Oct. 1996

3.4.3  Widespread awareness of sustainable development   Aug. 1996

3.4.4  Expand reach of CSDNP                             June 1996

3.4.5  Channels for cooperation                          Aug. 1996

3.4.6  Locate additional agencies                        Mar. 1997