Major project activities include:

--Developing norms and standards, with consistent case definitions and evaluation criteria for evaluating soil degradation and recovery processes, as well as soil functional properties (nutrient supplying capacity, carbon density, water holding capacity etc.) that will be consistently applied in Africa and the rest of the world.

--Developing robust statistical inference mechanisms with spatial models, pedotransfer functions and decision frameworks to translate diagnostics into management recommendations.

--Developing, implementing and maintaining the cyberinfrastructure to operate this effort.

--Acquiring and interpreting data for digital soil mapping and soil health surveillance in SSA, including: developing spatial databases using legacy data, environmental covariates (rainfall, vegetation, satellite imagery etc), soil spectral libraries and additional ground observations in the sentinel sites.

--Producing digital soil maps and environmental covariates.

--Developing a spatial database of soil management experiments in SSA.

--Linking the soil management information to the digital soil maps, using decision frameworks.

--Facilitating the provision of evidence-based, spatially explicit soil management recommendations by national research and extension actors of the countries involved.

--Training African soil scientists in all the above techniques.

--Developing monitoring and evaluation procedures to track progress, including user feedback, and testing of management recommendations.

--Developing information dissemination mechanisms including websites, method manuals and guidelines, policy brief and a digital atlas.

--Mainstreaming the soil health information system into the national institutions and mobilize funds for that to happen, as well as for the maintenance and updating of the service beyond the 4-year scope of this proposal.