The SADC AIMS is a web-based application that was developed to store data related to 12 different thematic areas namely Crops, Livestock, Aquaculture, Forestry, Agricultural Input, Animal/Plant Health, Socio-economics, Land Cover, Public Finances, Trade Quantity, and Production Value. The data collected under each of these areas are stored on the regional database that is part of the AIMS platform.
Before deciding on the different data points that are part of the overall system, it was critical to understand what data was available, what kind of reports were to be generated, what indicators were being monitored and how they were aligned with the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP). This helped identify variables that would be most informative, thus setting the framework for the harmonized data collection questionnaire.