"This publication responds to the increasing need for organisations to think and plan strategically about managing and using their information and knowledge resources in an efficient and effective manner. Lack of strategy for information and knowledge management was identified as a major gap when CTA conducted a series of needs assessment studies across the ACP regions to gain an insight into the needs and capacities of various actors in the agricultural and rural development sector. Further gaps were observed due to lack of information sharing and dissemination approaches within institutions, making it difficult for organisations to learn lessons from past practices and effectively plan, monitor, and evaluate their activities. The studies covered hundreds of agricultural and rural development (ARD) institutions and consultations were held with senior policy-makers and planners from a wide crosssection of institutions. The need to help organisations develop and implement an information and communication management (ICM) strategy emerged as the top priority, which bodes well with CTA’s current emphasis on integrating knowledge management (KM) with ICM, as reflected in its new strategic plan. Based on a thorough review of what had been done in this area, CTA embarked on the development of two publications – a Facilitator’s guide and a User’s manual – in collaboration with ICM and KM practitioners. The exercise involved writing, organising regional methodology validation and training of trainers workshops in the Caribbean, Pacific, Southern, West and Eastern Africa. The manuals are the output of a highly collaborative and consultative process aimed at filling a clearly identified need. The manuals stress the importance of teamwork, consultation and getting the buy-in of all stakeholders who will be affected by and involved in the actual crafting of the ICKM strategy. They examine implementation, monitoring and evaluation issues with useful tips and tricks." (Foreword, page vii)