emowers partnership stakeholder dialogue for better water use and management

EMOWERS Partnership EMOWERS Partnership

Stakeholder dialogue for better Stakeholder dialogue for better water use and managementwater use and management

Process DocumentationProcess Documentation

Process documentation tracks what happened, how it happened, why it happened

Process documentation involves: a structured, focused way of capturing the change

process that a project aims to bring about organizing the information in such a way that

stakeholders have an opportunity to reflect and learn about the process;

analyzing information by looking at common themes, trends and patterns

Why process documentation in EMPOWERS?

EMPOWERS is not a traditional water infrastructure project. It does not construct water systems or improve in any other way water technology. EMPOWERS is not a hardware project but a software project. It aims to improve cooperation, planning, information gathering and access of user groups to the decision making process.

What to document?

Which paths does the process documentation specialist follow? The events, people and places to track must have a relation with the objectives and framework of the project. In particular they must come out of the theory of change of the project. What is it that the project aims to change, what are the assumptions of the project, which processes, structures or attitudes will the project address?

The theory of change of the EMPOWERS project is built on four elements or four key processes

How to Document This How to Document This The first cover all the activities & events

in the work plan in a systematic way to record all information, and track the process as its historical occurrence; it will be record as minutes of meeting, forms, photos, video, etc. all the facts will be registered as it is & archived for use in various outcomes.

The second is the a dairy that will contain all the remarks & observations the team made & by using the tools matrix, every person of the team (EMPOWERS staff + key stakeholders) will have one to register his\her observations & comments & will be discussed in the staff meetings.

All of these collected data published as outputs such as case studies, newsletter, website updates, articles (news papers, website), and short video films.

What is being documented in EMPOWERS?

The four key processes are the backbone for achieving the EMPOWERS objectives and the enrolment of which needs to be documented. These are: •decision making processes in water management and planning•processes of concerted action in water management and planning•processes of change of behaviour and attitude of stakeholders involved in water management and planning • processes of empowerment of stakeholders in water management and planning.

How is documentation done within EMPOWERS?

Tool Box

A very simple tool box was developed for the EMPOWERS project.

PLANNING for process documentation

My work plan was formulated after a month of starting my job as I wanted to formulate a practical work plan that relates to the real work done. I relied on the documentation advisor’s handouts and added my own observations. The plan looks simple because this is what I meant it to be. It is short so that I can go back and revise it quickly at any time I want.

The EMPOWERS Project in palestineProcess Documentation Outputs

Outline:ProductsChannelsObstaclesComments and lessons learntFindings on the key issuesFinal Steps

Stories:

No. of stories was made as the material collected through different events of EMPOWERS , field work and interviews used in this stories . As they published with in project website , Care UK website and Care WBG website.

One story which is written by one of our stakeholders simply telling what’s EMPOWERS and edited by the PDS

Success Stories10 success stories were made showing different situation of success

(ex: empowering the local community , Ombasel , from my Diary , Om Hazem daily request for water ,…. etc)

Documentation of WorkshopsSix major workshops were documented. 1. Facilitation Skills and RAAKS Workshop

(Rammalh , march, 05)2. PTD training workshop (Rammalh , July,05)3. Gender and Water Management Workshop

(Jenin, Sep, 06)4. National Policy Workshop (Jenin, February , 07) 5. EWP Workshops (Jericho ,March ,07)

A product and a channel at the same time• Workshops are used to disseminate info on the

project so they are considered channels in that sense

Summary SheetsA summary sheet in both English and Arabic languages for the six villages that EMPOWERS works in besides Jenin Governorate

5 Reports ( 3 old villages + one of the new communities and governorate ) in both languages

Photos Photos available for all the meetings and events organized by EMPOWERS in Palestine during the project intervalPhotos of water problems in the communities (for Pilot implementation (Photo Gallery)-

Documentary FilmA forty minutes professional documentary film on water problems in Palestine as general and specify it for Jenin Governorate and take EMPOWERS approach as one of the approaches used to solve water management issue

Documentation of Meetings

Almost all the meetings that are done in the field and in Jenin and Rammalah whether staff, partners, stakeholders, steering committee or community meetings are documented through written reports, photos and video exerts

Portraits

Choosing around four stakeholders to do an interview with them every six month to measure their development in the projectThis tool was not as efficient as expected (high turn over in governmental officials, communities are shy when asked in an interview format)

Newsletter The production of an English and an Arabic version of the Newsletter and is posted on the net in the Palestinian section of the EMPOWERS site It is also posted on CARE WBG website8 issues of the newsletter(4 for each language) were issued(Newsletter)

Website

Both EMPOWERS and CARE WBG websites are updated on regular basis (Website 1), (Website 2)

Media

•News exerts are published on EMPOWERS in Local News papers “ MAAn news network , Al-Qades news paper and Alaayam •A program was made about EMPOWERS ,an interview was held with the CD during this program as this program was done in the Occasion of water day.

Posters Posters

The OBSTACLES we met in communities •Men and women interaction•For me as PD to keep silent during discussion especially I came from field background.•The teamwork adaptation to a different society•The delay of some pilots (due to the administration and financial regulation )•Getting the ladies to participate•Not giving them promises that we can not do. •Containing people who push for getting individual interests

Lessons learned :

•Collecting the information can be quick and comprehensive if the team has the experience, tools, and the plan of action is clear.•It is easy to identify the problems, but it is difficult to come up with solutions. •Determining a plan of action requires field visits or interviews with persons in the village, so we can benefit from the available experience to identify institutions and actors, and the key issues affecting water distribution in the village.

To encourage the participation of local leaders and social organizations, so they can play a role in the management of water sources. This requires a long-term strategy for on community outreach, and a comprehensive and joint action among all public and private institutions.

Because of the conflict of interests between the parties concerned, sometimes their ability to contribution becomes limited when it comes to the implementation of strategies that can improve the management of water sources.

Integrated management of water sources requires accumulated knowledge in the administrative, technical, and financial fields. Part of this knowledge is available in the parties concerned, but it is not available all the time. Lack of knowledge regarding the roles of institutions and how to plan and to report is diminishing the legitimacy of institutions that deal with the water issue.

Empowerment

•The concept and degree of empowerment may differ from one community to another.

•Activation depends not only on the efforts of development experts and trainers but also on the personality, capabilities, needs and response of the recipient. This is the reason behind the different reactions and activation degree from one person to another and from one group to another even if they live the same conditions and have the same aspirations.

Change of Attitude and Behavior•Behavioral type and Attitude are among the elements that need a long time for its changes in a certain community to be measured. This is due to the fact that they are deeply rooted in the community and can not change rapidly. •Tracking and Measuring any change needs gaining the trust of the communities in question and living their lives closely for extended periods.• The volume of change that can occur in this element depends on the given community's condition and how strong its beliefs, and education levels are.

Decision Making•Urging the communities to participate in the decision making and convincing the government officials to give them enough room for this had achieved remarkable progress. Nevertheless, the matter is still in its beginning and it needs effort to be developed and to build on it.

Concerted ActionThere is a strong tendency within the communities for concerted action among themselves. However, this needs guidance from the Empowers' work team and the leader of the community o convince people of take into consideration the community as whole benefit not the personal benefits.

Final Steps in EMPOWERS•Production of the story book •Dissemination of our country film with in the local TV and held a program about the participatory approach of water management with in local TVs .

•Developed the 5 reports into booklets to be used with governance office ,SH , village councils and all community members to developed their strategies and fund raising of their action plans .

Thank YouThank You

emowers partnership stakeholder dialogue for better water use and management

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