Lessons Learned from Capacity-Building Approaches in the Un-Habitat Water for African Cities Programme

Abstract

This paper describes the Training and Capacity Building (TCB) Programme of the UN-HABITAT Managing Water for African Cities (WAC) Programme Phase 1. The TCB programme was conducted between May 2002 and August 2005. The programme was carried out by UNESCO-IHE, supported by Network for Water and Sanitation (NETWAS) International, based in Nairobi, and the Centre de Formation Continue (CEFOC), based in Burkina Faso. It brought together participants from 6 cities in Western, Eastern and Southern Africa. The cities selected in West Africa included Accra (Ghana), Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire) and Dakar (Senegal). The cities selected in Eastern and Southern Africa were Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Nairobi (Kenya) and Lusaka (Zambia). The city of Johannesburg (South Africa) contributed as a resource organization. The programme sought to build capacity in the participating cities in the water sector through: Making information available on best practices in urban water management, and Linking sector professionals with each other and with other networks, institutions, governments, municipalities, NGOs and the private sector. 222The Training and Capacity Building Component specifically focused on the three inter-linked thematic priorities of the WAC I Programme, which were: Improving efficiency of water use through water demand management Preventing the negative environmental impact of urbanization on freshwater resources Enhancing public awareness in African cities. The programme was implemented over a period of three years. It started with a survey in the different cities to identify on-going pilot projects that could be used as training materials and potential local training institutes/trainers. Following this, the TCB component began with a training of (local and regional) trainers (ToT) who would lead the training in each of the cities. During the ToT, the trainers gained knowledge and expertise in the field of water demand management, pollution prevention and control, public awareness and planning, knowledge needed to train the target groups. The target groups included middle level managers (MLM), senior level managers (SLM) and top level managers (TLM) in the water sector of each of the six cities. The training courses were carried out in two cycles with a 6-month period of break time. In the first cycle, action plans were defined and developed for implementation during the period between the two cycles. In the second cycle of training, evaluation of the progress made in the implementation of the action plans were made and recommendations were suggested on experience learnt from the actions. During the training process, discussions and recommendations from the lower level were used as input and learning points for the higher level training. The training strategy was important to create a conducive environment for the lower and higher management levels to interact and discuss openly the important issues of water management. The course contents were designed to provide the participants a holistic approach on integrated water management. During the training of trainers, a team of 22 professionals was trained from the participating cities that carried forward the process at the local level. These professionals contributed to the training of about 130 managers (MLM, SLM, TLM). Action plans were developed after discussions in the various levels and at different periods of the training. The action plans resulted in measurable achievements, e.g. in the field of reduction in unaccounted-for-water, environmental protection and public awareness campaigns. Moreover, training materials and training reports were prepared for each training activity that would be used for further reference. Overall, the participants evaluated the programme as successfull, however, there were some limitations and challenges with respect to roles and responsibilities of the different partners and actors, as well as to the budget. The lessons learnt from WAC I, if addressed adequately, would provide a 223strong platform for future training and capacity building programmes in the region.