Session 6.1.3:Strengthening the Capacities of Local Organisations and

People

also known by the media-friendly title:Get Involved! Whose and what empowerment will ensure the

provision of sustainable water services

24 Contributors:

Austrian Development Agency RASHON (Honduras)

CREPA (Burkina Faso) RCNN (Nepal)

Dr. Quassem (Bangladesh) SaciWwaters (India)

Dr. Sutardi (Indonesia) SAGUAPAC (Bolivia)

IWA (Netherlands) SNV (Uganda)

IWMI (Ethiopia) Social and Environmental Sense (Colombia)

JICA (Japan) TREND (Ghana)

Netafim (Israel) Tufts University (USA)

NETWAS (Uganda) Univalle (Colombia)

NetWwater (Sri Lanka) University of the West Indies (Trinidad &Tobago)

Pacific Institute (Canada) WaterNet (SADCC region, Africa)

Practica Foundation (Netherlands) WUR (Netherlands)

Capacity Development:

Capacity development in water management is about:• the formal and informal rules of the game (institutions)• the water organisations and their governance systems• the knowledge base of individuals: water managers, professionals and community members

The Importance of Capacity Development:

Present and future challenges facing the water sector, including climate change, will demand the mobilisation of huge human and financial resources.

It is not evident that these resources will in fact become available, and the shortage of human and organisational resources may be a larger problem than the availability of funds.

Context:

Water management is essentially a local concern to be handled by local organisations and people.

Developments that are bringing about important changes in water management:• decentralisation• increasing stakeholder participation

Capacity Needs:

Local Mandates/Tasks Local Actors

Policy development GovernmentRegulation CommunitiesGovernance User organisationService Provision Water providerSupport functions Schools

Major groupsCBOs and NGOsEntrepreneurs

Financiers

Limitations of (present) capacity development:

• often only training

• often project-related with no follow-up

• often a local activity only with little impact on sector policy, strategy and national measures

• often supply-driven, i.e. not responsive to the demand for capacity development

Questions:

What capacity development is necessary to enhance water management and how do we ensure that capacity development reflects local needs?

Should capacity development be done differently if we want to improve water management?

Session design

focuses on local issues and ensures active participation by all:

• Introductions (10 minutes)

• Discussion groups (75 minutes)

• Plenary Feedback (30 minutes)

• Wrap-up and Closing (5 minutes)

Discussion Groups (75 minutes):

6 subjects identified, one for each table:

Local Partnerships (1)

Local Autonomy and Self-sufficiency (2)

Matching CD Demand and Supply (3)

Knowledge Management and Tools (4)

Gender Mainstreaming (5)

Preparing for Climate Change (6)

Sample Issues identified by Contributors:• What are the key conditions for effective local engagement• What should be the position and mandates of local Water User Organisations• How to ensure accessibility and effectiveness of CD for all local stakeholders• What is the effectiveness of the various CD tools and instruments• How to design CD to promote gender sensitivity and women friendly water development• What should be the Modalities for CD in climate change adaptation

Process at the table:

5 minutes: get to the table of your choice

5 minutes: Moderator introduces subject and proposes issues for discussion

10 minutes: Two Contributors each present a relevant Case study

50 minutes: Group discussions resulting in 3 recommendations

5 minutes: Prioritization of recommendations

Plenary Feedback:

5 minutes: Observation by the Chair

5 minutes: Presentation of outputs for each subject

20 minutes: Discussion and Validation/ Endorsement of Outputs

Wrap-up and Closing by the Chair:

5 minutes: Outcomes and Next Steps