Improving water knowledge

This comprises information management and development of water knowledge to ensure the availability of vital data and information for planning, design and management of sustainable water sector programmes, and to meet monitoring and evaluation needs. Support will be given to establish systems and mechanisms where they do not exist, and enhance and strengthen them where they have been established. This will result in increased capacity for improved decision making at all levels to guide water development planning and implementation.

1. Information Management

The information management function involves a series of of steps comprising the collection, validation and storage of basic data, and the analysis and dissemination of this information. Consequently, the efficient and regular discharge of these different steps will ensure the availability of robust national and regional information which will contribute to the planning, design and monitoring of water resources management and development. The following types of activities will be supported:

  • Establish standards and mechanisms for information management in the water sector.
  • Undertake status assessments of the overall water information management situation at country and regional levels.
  • Establish or strengthen national and regional water information management systems.
  • Collection and analysis of primary data and related information, for example through joint hydrological database at river basin level.
  • Facilitate access to knowledge and information centres and services.
  • Training of local staff on proper data standards and management.

2. Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)

Monitoring and evaluation of the African water sector is a major challenge which is begiinning to be met with support from AWF and many other stakeholders, under the overall leadership of AMCOW (African Ministerial Council on Water). The overall objective of this component is to support the establishment of water sector M&E systems and management capabilities at national and regional levels. One of AMCOW's major functions is to provide a mechanism for monitoring the progress of implementation of major regional and national water resources and water supply and sanitation initiatives. AWF support will focus on a harmonized approach to avoid duplication of activities. Priority will be given to strengthening existing mechanisms and building national M&E process and structures where they exist. In more detail, the AWF assistance will involve:

  • Undertaking a rapid pan-African assessment of water sector M&E.
  • Conducting country-level assessments of water sector M&E capacity and systems.
  • Based on assessments, supporting countries to adopt minimum indications of what needs to be done to strengthen existing M&E systems and processes to produce quality monitoring and evaluation results.
  • Establishing or strengthening national working groups to coordinate water sector reporting of M&E results.
  • Assisting countries to establish and/or strengthen mechanisms for ensuring data quality and up-dating data at country-level.
  • Strengthening bottom-up approaches for M&E in water sector from local to national levels.
  • Assisting and supporting country-based M&E institutions to define capacity building needs, prepare M&E capacity building programmes and mobilize funding for these.
  • Assisting and supporting the expansion of existing pilot initiatives in Regional Economic Communities and River Basin Organizations which have started demonstrating results, such as SADCC, OMVS and others.
  • Supporting and institutionalizing the African Network of River Basin Organizations.
  • Developing a framework for a pan-african approach to M&E in the water sector through guidance papers that integrate all aspects of water sector development.
  • Establishing and supporting the use of peer review approach for evaluating water sector performance in Africa.
  • Enabling existing regional reporting initiatives, such as UN-Water/Africa, the Global Water Partnership effort in developing IWRM frameworks, and Joint Monitoring Programmes.
  • Harmonizing frameworks of global reporting efforts to benefit from national and regional perspectives and priorities.

3. Knowledge Dissemination and Generation

The AWF aims at providing resources to projects that facilitate change and innovation in the water sector, in order to promote adoption of good practices by others. This entails:

  • Establishment or strengthening of regional or national knowledge-based organizations or programmes, and national/regional research institutions.
  • Promoting and facilitating practical public and private research, development and demostration in water related priority areas, such as water productivity, freshwater eco-systems, environmental sanitation, and water demand management.
  • Assessment of the effectiveness and impact of innovative projects, or undertake various research activities to guide policies and planning at all levels.
  • Strengthening analytical capabilities of water sector organizations to address gaps in knowledge on a range of water related issues.
  • Facilitating the uptake of new innovations through pilot demonstrations, networking and dissemination of best practices.
  • organising knowledge dissemination activities to bridge the gap between researchers and development practioners in the water sector.
  • Developing capacity building networks to support development of tools and guidelines, training, awareness and gender sensitisation.
  • Preventing the loss of relevant traditional knowledge.
  • Undertaking social analysis on a systematic basis in support of IWRM to ensure mainstreaming of social concerns, including gender, youth, poverty and vulnerability.
  • Development of social policy and strategic frameworks, and capacity development in strategic impact assessment and monitoring.
  • Raising awareness on water issues.