Implications for IRC

WIS6 coincided with IRC’s 35th birthday celebrations and helped shape its new work programme with two primary areas of focus: i) providing improved access to and promoting the use of knowledge in the water and sanitation sector; and ii) building the knowledge sharing capacity of Resource Centres (RCs) in the South. The WIS6 conclusions fit well with these programme objectives and IRC is committed to working with all its partners to help achieve both the WIS6 objectives and the Millennium Development Goals.

In all the major topics discussed at WIS6 implications emerged that IRC has taken into account in its ongoing work and Annual Plan for 2004.

International Data Bases and Knowledge Sources

By offering its new web site architecture to interested partners IRC started to develop a family of related websites, using the same technical foundation: “ A Water Portal is Born”. The STREAMS coalition and the Gender and Water Alliance are going to be the first partners to contribute content on its own segment of this shared platform.

In 2004 the Portal functionality will be expanded to also contain login functionality to provide Intra- and Extranet opportunities, moderated lists to enable E-conferences, workflow management and others.

IRC was challenged during the final closing ceremony to take the lead on updating the sector Thesaurus, in close collaboration with the Water Web Consortium and CEPIS. This will be taken up in 2004 as it is also highly relevant for the IRCDOC library database.

In December 2003 the Directors of IRC and STREAMS coalition signed a strategic co-operation agreement for 2004 – 2005. Both parties recognise the prime importance of making information accessible and creating the right conditions for acquiring knowledge by people who can use this knowledge in achieving better hygiene, safe drinking water and adequate sanitation as part of the UN Millennium Goals.

Co-operation will consist of a mix of advocacy, capacity building support, knowledge generation and sharing, information management, and fund raising in thematic areas of mutual interest. IRC will take on a leading role in providing support to national resource centres.

IRC will continue to host the Gender and Water Alliance secretariat and second two of its staff members. Cross fertilisation and coordination between GWA and IRC will be increased. The GWA Executive Secretary started to participate in IRC’s bi- weekly communication meetings

Bridging the digital divide through Resource Centres

In 2004 IRC will focus more on the enhancement of capacities and competencies of partner organisations to handle information and knowledge, thereby increasing the volume and reach of information and knowledge management in the sector.

IRC will provide selected partners with a mix of advice, experiences, and tools based on their own demand and choice of topics. To assist this process a Knowledge Management (KM) methodology / framework is being developed. Work with partners to enhance their own capacities to handle information will be stepped up.

The WIS6 experience is contributing to closer collaboration between the DFID-funded WELL Resource Centre Network for water, sanitation and environmental health and IRC’s 18-country Resource Centre Development programme.

Networking at country level

Following the KM workshop after the WIS6, Resource Centres have started their KM plans with much enthusiasm. They made use of an initial 10- week support, which in the mean time has finished. The INCO section will continue to provide this support for the RCD related and WELL related Resource Centres.

IW:LEARN and IRC are asking workshop participants to use the storytelling approach as outlined by David Snowden to report on how they have fared with developing and introducing their plans within their organisation or network since they left Delft. These stories will be published on various partner web sites.

Water News services

A Source editors meeting will be organized to bring the editors together for the first time to discuss common issues, share experiences and develop the strategic outlook for the next 5 years.
The various collaboration and merger proposals put forward by the World Bank for their ACCESS newsletter with Boletín de Noticias will be carefully analysed.

The IRC-led Water News Services Yahoo group has continued its discussion on all aspects of producing a newsletter. Since the WIS6 the group has discussed financing and sponsoring of news services. The next topic for discussion is on how challenges of language(s) can be overcome. At the end of the discussion the group will produce a resource guide on how to set up a water newsletter.