SAEON appoints expert to oversee information management function

Wim Hugo is responsible for SAEON’s information management function (Picture by Mitzi du Plessis)   CoGIS Systems Engineer Wim Hugo demonstrates the third phase of the data portal to potential partners (Picture by Mitzi du Plessis)

SAEON has appointed Wim Hugo — formerly a consultant to the organisation’s CoGIS project  — as a part-time employee in its national office to manage SAEON’s information technology function.

Hugo is currently working on the SAEON website and portal, the South African Environmental Observation System (SAEOS) and the South African Risk and Vulnerability Atlas

“I believe that Hugo is already raising SAEON’s profile internationally as his work was commended in the committee room of ICSU in Paris in October,” said Johan Pauw, Managing Director of SAEON.

In addition, the SAEON-developed South African Earth Observation Strategy data portal was demonstrated to the world during the bi-annual Ministerial Meeting of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) in Washington DC in November. The system raised considerable interest and elicited positive comments at the meeting.

The information management portfolio that Hugo will be managing includes project management functions such as the design, procurement and delivery of the SAEON Data Portal, SAEOS Portal, World Data Centre for Biodiversity and Human Health, SA Risk and Vulnerability Atlas, and the Nairobi Convention.

The portfolio also includes governance functions such as leadership in the development and revision of SAEON’s information management strategy; ensuring that data at the SAEON nodes is accessible through the SAEON portal; ensuring organisation-wide compliance of data formats, standards and other protocols; liaising with and advising data managers at the nodes; and coordinating the procurement and maintenance of information management infrastructure through the organisation.