closing ceremony 31 may 2013. symposium final reflections guy alaerts 1 june 2013

CLOSING CEREMONY

31 May 2013

Symposium

Final Reflections

Guy Alaerts

1 June 2013

Contents

1.Observations and insights2.Next steps3.Who will take the lead?

1. Observations and insights

Observations of the Symposium and Expert Workshop – 1 The key drivers

220 participants

60 nationalities

Strong gender balance

Growing voice of young generation

Most discussion on drinking water supply, and global challenges. Less on irrigation and food, watersheds, large infrastructure, …

Most: capacity experts, government, international organisations, few private sector

Observations – 2

Capacity development is as much about identifying and articulating “problems” as it is about “solutions”

We should not presume “problems”, but build capacity among users, firms, stakeholders to discover the problems that can be solved …

We should learn from the private sector (Toyota Co, GE, …) and philosophy (Wittgenstein)

Apply approach to the water sector of “knowledge management”

Observations – 3

Knowledge and Capacity Development takes time !It takes 5 years to build a bridge, 10+ years to build

effective capacity in an organisation

All capacity improvement implies change != change of old habits = requires un-learning = consumes time

Technical Ministries, Ministries of Finance or Planning, Auditors, development partners, should recognize this in their planning and objectives

Observations – 4 Capacity and Knowledge Development is a wide fieldWe all should be aware of the width of the field, and some

should specialize in the generic issuesBut most of us should be operational on sub-themes or

clusters of issues:Education, research, innovationOrganisation capacityCommunity and civil society capacitySector-wide capacity

Observations – 5

We recognize that there are four sets of Competences:Technical competencesManagerial competencesGovernance competencesCompetence to learn … Urgent need to start working on the modalities how we can encourage professionals, the utilities, and the whole sector to put in place a priority and mechanisms to institutionalize learning – from successes and mistakes

Observations – 6 Knowledge and Capacity Development are “good business”For the sector, and for the country !For today, and for the future

We need to be better able to measure impact and economic and social return on investment

Three levels of analysis of investments:Key Performance Indicator on Results (existing)Key Performance Indicators on Capacity (to be developed)Protocols to measure impact, and learn from it (to be

developed)

Observations - 7To be sustainable, any action must be embedded in an

organisation !

Water utility, Water User Association, River Basin Organisation

We talk about strategy and policy …… and projects and communities on-the-ground …

… but we know very little about organisations !

Observations - 7

Public sector people know little about organisations

Learn from the private sectorImprove understanding how “capacity” works in organisationThus, we need to:

Complement the “education of individuals” with organisation-focused capacity development programs to help integrate and use knowledge

Understand how organisations can foster knowledge through longer-term Human Resources Policies

Have plan to avoid erosion of tacit knowledge

Observations – 8 Youth … they have the greatest stake in a world that is sustainable

They bring creativity, enthusiasm and new flexibility (and social media), especially important as KCD is time-consuming

Create opportunities to partner them with senior professionalsCreate opportunities for jobs

Observations – 9 It is now a global challenge –

we are all physically connected, but also are facing the same kind of institutional challenges

We must build on global and regional Partnerships – away from the “donor” concept – recognize that we are partners who can learn from each other, against whom we can benchmark ourselves

We can demonstrate progress …

Capacity Building Symposium 1996

IHEUNDPWorld Bank Institute

We can demonstrate progress …

Capacity Building Symposium 1996

IHEUNDPWorld Bank Institute

We can demonstrate progress …The 1996 SymposiumStressed networks as tool for knowledge dissemination and

generationSpawned highly effective networks – who are now “leaders”:

WaterNet of Universities in SADC (Southern Africa)POWER Global NetworkCap-Net

And contributed to other global and regional networks, i.a.:CINARA Latin American NetworkAfrican Water Utilities NetworkNetwork of Asian River Basin Organisations (NARBO)

2. Next Steps

Next steps – 1 Two main areas of work:(i) Roll out capacity development to local governments for service

delivery(ii) Prepare for the future challenges:

Climate variabilityGrowing consumption and water footprint

Prepare Framework for action and for tractionGlobal Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on Water (and

capacity?) Act now: KCD takes 10+ years to show impact, and

“If we fail to prepare for the future, we prepare to fail.”

Next steps – 2 Prepare National Water Capacity Development Strategies

Take a programmatic forward-looking approach for knowledge management across the sector

Costa Rica ?Indonesia ?

Next steps – 4 Offer a Water Leadership Programme

New initiative by International Water Centre, Nyenrode Business University, and UNESCO-IHE

Next steps – 5 Many other initiatives:

Create Young Professionals Program (NARBO)Use of Information and Communication SystemsVirtual and Global CampusesICT driven capacity buildingCommunity of Practice of those present here this weekAnd more …

3. Who will take the lead?

Purpose of 5th Symposium

Well, this is now all in your hands !

Guy AlaertsUnesco-IHE

g.alaerts@unesco-ihe.org

CLOSING CEREMONY

31 May 2013