IADB released code developed by ANIMUS

In 2020 we developed a Knowledge Management Platform that allows researchers to manage and analyze research projects. Once implemented and tested, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) opened its code and made it available to institutions and citizens on its Code for Development portal Code for Development. 

The web application was tailor-made for FONTAGRO, a co-financing mechanism for research and innovation projects in the agri-food sector in Latin America and the Caribbean, whose legal representative is the IDB. It is currently in use, allowing to manage and automate all the processes involved from the digital reception of profiles in the calls to the generation of knowledge products and dissemination of results.

In 2017, the IDB created a section to make software accessible and free to use that would allow “governments, civil society, and citizens to explore, reuse, and provide digital tools to support programs and projects for the social and economic development of Latin America. and the Caribbean ”. There she uploads the proposals she considers, will contribute to generating solutions to the development challenges of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean

The knowledge management platform

It is structured in two databases, one technical and one financial, which the different types of users fill in as the projects are executed. The bases allow processing and visualizing, through the dynamic generation of graphics, the information of the projects. This opens up the possibility to easily generate updated reports.

For the entry of initiative proposals, the platform has a panel for uploading and submitting profiles organized in steps. In addition, the system allows you to configure automatic notifications to send alerts to users who do not finish loading their profiles.

All projects can be uploaded and edited by researchers. The platform allows its search, filter and categorization. On the other hand, it has integrated tools to generate knowledge products, such as: posters, virtual presentations (webstories), news, blogs and brochures; facilitating the systematization and transfer of advances and innovations.

In summary, the Knowledge Management Platform speeds up times in the administration of R & D & i projects, reduces costs and provides updated information to make more efficient decisions. After the code is released, it can be reused by the National Institutes for Agricultural Research of Latin America and the Caribbean.