Daily updates - 15 November 2013

Amel Azab was the facilitator of the day

How can we use these recommendations to strengthen our networks and overcome our weaknesses.

Group 1:

To increase management effectiveness

Should  have Work plans who actually implementation level

Formal meeting in country level

MELP implementation

Communication is a key thing, have some documents that is in communicable level, manual and modules etc.

Visibility in the government programs

We must have the visibility in the country capacity to raise funding

Group 2

Governance: Have clear governance structure

Be Functional

Refer to cap-net operational guidelines

Allow rotation of leadership of the networ

For communication; functional websites, good  quality trainers

Diversifying funding: Partnership opportunities, and private sector engagement

Group 3

Auditing and accounting procedures should be in place to governece

Reporting and measuring impacts, communication –activity in regional and regular basis, local partners and river basin management level, marketing the network, quality control is entirely on governance,

Partners local level should be informed that and taken inputs for the trainings and materials as well.

Issue of training should be responsive, relevance, with partners, and get involved with partners

Group 4

Enhance the knowledge dissemination as an additional recommendation to the mentioned items. They mentional only the additional points Strategic planning and revised structures for good governance. To empower local partners; plan and make more practical trainings rather than more theoretical. Link with on-going programs, enhanced learning from each other. Partners that can potentially support our training. Make training more demanding, and more appealing.

Group 5

Governance: Leadership, independent Steering committee, clear responsibilities

Reporting and measuring the impact: continue and improve, measuring the impact is needed, emphasis on the reporting and format of reports

Visibility: Netrworks need to be more proactive, QC: part of the strategy, should be discussed on board

Communication:  website update and interactive, communicate through case studies and share thme

Empowering local institutions: focus on local institutions, identify the weaknenses and strengths to better collaborate

End of the session, Themba suggested that network should draft how to address the points mentioned and discussed by the network within next year. Damian suggested the MELP resources and network support can use as resource and it is really important to do.

Nimal suggested that this should be very important to come up with 10-12 pages document on the ways and means that network could address these recommendation. Then next management meeting you can review this and revisit how far you achieved.

Callist commented that it is good to have working group that document on how the network could properly functioned and help needy networks to improve the governance structure and address their weaknesses. Then networks can get help of the working group to address their weak points to improve and develop the network.

Work plan discussion

Damian: Managers in the country networks should be in the steering committee for the regional network. This is very productive way of achieving the goals of regional networks.

Consolidated work plan for Cap-Net 2014 has to be sent out at the end of the month, and Yasmina requested to submit the work plans early next week. It is important to try and stick to our plans.  

Asia Group

There are common issues and responses in the region for activities. New baby is borned for regional cooperation including West Asia as well. Water foot print, Private sector cooperation, MoU between ScAN and Aguajaring as Asian Initiative. 

Themba commented that the workplans needs to be fitted into the strategy and general category of the work plan of Cap-Net (Ex: Capacity development delivery, knowledge management). Joakim gave his final remarks of the meeting: the Cap-Net annual meeting this year has go more online and it is very good to see the serious discussion this year, as a believer of face to face meetings and networking, he is very happy about the outcomes of the meeting. Cap-Net as a very different approach to a normal project, so need to really concern on some of the ways and means of admin and financing things when we go for  implementation of some of the new initiave and recommendations.

Africa Group. 
One common programme on Climate Change Resilience with NBCBN, Joint activity at WaterNet Annual meeting.

NBCBN Journal dissemination – Themba commented that this is good to be stick into the general not much scientific journal level. Wangai replied that this is useful since we are making using an available journal

Share information and opportunities, meeting in March for more planning, suggested in the Africa water week.

Strengthen network delivery: Commitment to raise governance structure, joint delivery, hosting arrangement strengthening, joint visibility strategy,  and joint promotion.

Latin America Region

Regional integration, they have discussed the need of bringing the institutional strength up. Basically a desk study which can be done was suggested. Addressing the challenge of collaboration and anchoring; few universities collaborating right now. Knowledge management Case studies series of LA Wet Net, Communication in broad extent to promote s a network

Themba: There are complementarities than competition in the region which we appreciate very much, and also I encourage all to understand each other region in Cap-Net framework and values

Linking the Agriculture initiative to input to the manual and linking other training manual into the work that network is doing were suggested. Themba commented that yes, it is more open and flat structure that network can take lead and input for this. Water diplomacy, HRBA, Agriculture, water demand management, etc.

Few were asked in person about some things mentioned below (just to ensure not  loosing the points came up): Pollution training manual, Integrated Lake management training material for Asia, and Urban water management.

Recap of the meeting by Wangai

Low Kwai Sim facilitated electing members event – Beurocratic process.

Wangai was elected with 10 votes and Low Kwai Sim elected as alternate member with 5 votes.

Suggestion was came-up to elect one member from a region to keep the balance of representation from regions. Themba suggested that we should not really divide and make us with in a boundary, based on geographic and other criteria. Golam, Wangai and Damian, Lilliana commented that  there is no need of competition because elected members represent the Cap-Net global family.

“Election is not a process democratic. It is highly corrupted” Said by Tamiru. Finally it was came up with a good understanding and comments on the way that we should represent and open our mind to map the aerial lines among the members, partners, networks and with the global secretariat.

Closure

Themba talked about the democracy and working as a global family of Cap-Net. We have achieved our theme “strengthening networks and partnerships” during the meeting. It was a good experience that everything (outcome of the meeting) came online and shared by the midnight of each day, and all enjoyed the Bali, and with well organization of CK net team.   

 

Daily Updates - 14 November 2013

Report of the Day 4

Joakim Harlin:

Explained the process of SDG consultation and why SDG required. There is a positive correlation among Enabling environmental policies and low and the water resources management actions. So it shows the main need of having enabling environment. Improving water quality and waste water management probably expand the sustainable management. Three aspect of aspirations for sustainable sanitation for all: Universal access to safe water supply and sanitation and hygiene, Sustainable use and development of water resources, Improved water quality and wastewater management. Under three aspect, the targets has been formulated to achieve by 2030. Cross cutting Area of water related disaster apart from that. SDG paper further discussion, and finalizing is planned, and also decided to launch in New York.

Cap-Net is specially mentioned in some other background reports to be involved in capacity development aspects. BUDAPEST summit concluded that there is a urgent consensus for dedicated water goal and also need the looking at climate change and disaster cross cutting areas together with IWRM. It is important to work on how to work on indicators and capacity development within the Cap-Net perspective. Damian suggested that it is good if it can be defined what role and how Cap-Net can be involved in this process, and information passing mechanism on what going on, then as networks they can involve.

National consultation is planned already and GWP is involved. Linking up water people at the national level; and statistical department at the national level is important for Cap-Net. There is a need to be built the capacity in reporting of some of the target areas mentioned in the SDG framework. Some kind of inter-governmental mechanism in regular basis should be established in order to take the monitoring and reporting forward like IPCC.

Neena presentation on How can this be taken into Cap-Net area of work.  Questions were given to discuss in group. Potential areas of interest are;

Questions

1) What is being done in your region?

2) What can your network can do?

3) What can Cap-Net do collectively?

Asia Group

Cap-Net can work with GWP in their region and country offices. Cap-Net has to identify country level needs. Work on all the areas that

Africa Group

Sanitation and sustainable goals, improved water quality are the areas mainly that can be focused. Strong focus on groundwater resources, sustainability. Sanitation in terms of capacity development in SDG, is a strong focus. Issue of determination of outreach has not be addressed. Try work jointly in Africa network level.

Latin America

Working in the relevant thematic areas of the networks and involving in developing indicators

Discussion:

To make formal link, Joakim commented that we have to looking to the ways and means that Cap-Net cooperate while in the process and the cooperation with GWP as mandatory in partnership in consultation process.

Neena suggested the need of formal interactions between GWP and Cap-Net networks to be involved in national and regional level in consultation workshops etc,  If Specifically states in the SDG document, the role of Cap-Net that would help to work in regional and national level.

Themba Gumbo Cap-Net Director presentation on 2014-2017 Cap-Net strategy

Content wise, WOGP and obvereaching UNDP strategy. Concise document provide strategic directions. Details in annual work plan, focus is on network strengthening rather than the delivery, communication framework. Themed as “water knowledge for all” with three strategic goals within the water and ocean governance framework within the UNDP.

Thematic areas included the coastal management strategy as a new theme, and cross cutting areas gender, HRBA, integrity and leadership and diplomacy). Primary and secondary educational programs incorporation is paid attention. 2014-2017 USD14M is allocated excluding the leverage funding.

Discussion: There is a much overlapping of each thematic areas and missing of the specific areas like water supply and sanitation. Since climate change adaptation is presecenecin different themes that can be taken as one theme and subthemes likes disaster risk all, included, and the missing themes needs to be taken in. Question was raised whether we need to look at water energy and nexus.

Water energy food nexus is already we address as IWRM, transboundary issues etc. It also can be look at under Agriculture and water management thematic area.

Group 1: Risk Analysis and Mitigation

• ·      Legitimacy and the relevance of networks required
• ·      Poor communication is a threat to network
• ·      Governance issues
• ·      Funding, governance structure improvement, leadership can address this issues. Network sharing and learning from each other governance mechanisms. (need of resources for sharing among networks)

Group 2: Communication and Results Framework

• ·      Have to be define who are the target group and communication means that should fit to bring the Cap-Net brand in dev elopement agenda and process of its implementation.
• ·      Updated websites.
• ·      Evaluating what happened in the past and how to take the lessons from those.
• ·      Videos production and posting them, sharing.
• ·      Improved communication skills internally and to the outside audience

Group 3: Results and Framework

• ·      Based on outcomes and impacts, rethink the framework, track accomplishment of each theme,
• ·      Dissemination of own forums and in the outline forums,
• ·      Rethink about the MELP – comment was from Lilliana “this is a something new and challenging”.

Group 4: Strengthening networks and fostering partnership

• ·      Funding strategy
• ·      More efficient fund releases
• ·      Key staff and resources for the particular networks for efficient delivery

Working Group presentation

-          Discussions after the 2012 meeting, and meetings continued, and ready for the comments from the networks

-          Core support : specific cost of their own management, improve network visibility, cover meetings, 2500 MELP, network to attend regional or country event,

-          Support for delivery going as it is.

-          Cap-Net strategy allocating Core support is helps to give ownership and increased collaboration.

Recommendation: 

15% is recommended as a core support to the networks. So this should be requested at the end of previous year, for the next year, and also should ensure the deliverables from the network at least 4-5 activities. This 15% remain the same in fluctuation of the total budget. 20% of the total network strengthening is allocated in the strategy to cover the other activities for network strengthening. Network will have their own way of allocating the core-support based on what they going to do.

Comments aroused that there should be some flexibility on 50% percentage for delivery, sometimes it is difficult to provide the leverage funding, so there should be a flexibility. Tamiru has also confirmed the same point that there should be a flexibility of addressing these limitation in getting funding for deliverables.

Damian commented that we have to get work this, because it is the rasing funds for the network, since we are not a funding organization or program, but we are a network. Kees mentioned that we have to show the leverage funding for the funding agent/ donors

Joakim mentioned that there is a real need to show demand driven and sustainable strategy in terms of getting Cap-Net funded and to ensure the local ownership is established.

Callist commented that it sometimes end up in over costing some items to leverage the required funding to get the course done.  Wangai suggested the situation we are having now is acceptable because we manage and demanding from the partners to collaborate.

Engagement with the Private Sector

-          Private sector as recipient of Capacity development

-          Private sector as a  financing partner

-          As a partner for capacity development

-          Private sector as a driver of demand for capacity development

Discussion

Neena commented that there are private sector companies that engage in water sector works, which has the capacity to do training and support  at local level in terms of organizing and financing the courses.

Incentives in the country level for companies to contribute these social works (reduced tax for these social investments) is working to motivate of private sector.  There are some guidelines in UNDP to engaged with private sector.

Low Kwai Sim commented that “I am from the private sector. Big multilateral companies has their part of CSR that use for some other activities, motivate them and negotiation but they might expect many return back to the company indirectly.”

As Cap-Net we need a national legal framework and guidelines to engage in the private sector. And also we should identify as a two level of collaboration, private sector with network and private sector with cap-net

Tandiwe presented on the SSWM toolbox and its use for capacity development in sustainable sanitation and water management . SSWM for prtugeese, and french speaking countries and a development of Beta version. Optimizing business model to incorporate water integrity aspects.

Happy to partner up, create your own SSWM STEP, and own training.

Comments from LA, it is important to have some adaptation to the local level, when we plan the training to be relevant to the local. In Sri Lanka, Galagedara has extensively used this for training and teaching. Water safety plan is also implementing separately, so how this relevance to the water safety plan implementation and use of toolbox for it. The business model is a strong tool for that.

Discussion moderator Kees

We have to think working Group suggestions to incorporate into the work plans and strategy. Continuation of the working group members and if there are new members to be taken, it was asked form the all audience. All agreed to remain to the same working groups. 

Themba suggested that there should be a process of affiliation and disaffiliation. 

Valeria suggested the need of working group for reviewing material and organizing ToTs. Another addition to that was for quality controlling, peer reviewing and all.   Accreditation needs to be done with quality control, before issuing Cap-Net certified certificates for the courses. 

We cannot really reach it within a year, but needs to have the ToR first and to see how we going to do it. Then it was agreed to have a group to initiate it Golam, Jean Marrie, Valeria, 

Dato Lim and Carlos.

Suggestion for a group for Publication/ editorial board, peer review of papers/ etc. Joakim suggested an alternate to hire a consultant to do it, but then Kees suggested even though we hire a person there should be someone engaged in that from the networks to keep the relevance. Amel suggested there is a room to collect and publish a book for case studies on the themes concerning. And also it is possible and useful to support the trainings. Then Low Kwai Sim commented that we should have a virtual library as well. Dora, Low Kwai Sim, Martin