Capacity development and professional development in the Irrawaddy river basin
Research & Development
Jan 2015 - Dec 2017
Partners: Directorate of Water Resources and Improvement of River Systems, Ministry of Transport, Ayeyarwady River Basin Research Organisation, Mandalay Technology Ltd, Network of Asian River Basin Organisations NARBO, International Union for the Conservation of Na
Donor: CGIAR
East Asia and Pacific
After many years of isolation, Myanmar is now attempting to develop its natural resources in a sustainable and integrated manner. It has recently developed a Water Policy and is in the process of approving a Water Framework Directive. This project contributes to these processes in Myanmar by enhancing capacities for inclusive governance and management of water and ecosystems services in the Ayeyarwady River Basin.
The project has four inter-related components:
- Component 1: At the heart of the project is a fellowship programme to enhance the capacities of professionals from key organisations at national and state levels. A 16 month WLE curriculum will be developed and offered to a diverse group of water professionals by Yangon Technological University with support from international experts. The fellowship programme addresses key knowledge and skills including cooperation and teamwork, and combines training and practical project work (related to the two WLE and other projects) supported by coaching. To recognise current, and support future, capacities at YTU, a first batch will be supported more strongly by other project partners and by providing YTU lecturers with training-for-trainers. By 2017, 25 fellows (in two batches) will have successfully completed the programme, with verified enhanced capacities to contribute to inclusive water and ecosystems services, governance and management in the Ayeyarwady River Basin.
- Component 2: focuses on enhancing the policy engagement skills of organisations, scholars and practitioners at state (Kachin, Magway, and Ayeyarwady) and related local levels. Given the current decentralisation, these are expected to increasingly play a role in inclusive water and ecosystems services governance and management. Skills include networking, writing, listening, debating, and campaigning, and will be acquired through training workshops that lead to mentored project work related to the two WLE research projects. By 2017, 35 participants will have successfully completed the training, and have verified enhanced policy engagement skills to more actively and effectively contribute to the research-policy interface.
- Component 3: organizational capacity building will be achieved by, on the one hand, cooperation with local partners (DWIR, ARBRO, YTU), and on the other, strong attention to the institutionalisation of project outputs. An example of the latter is the embedding of the fellowship programme at YTU, and the piloting of a certification system to facilitate and assure quality of professional development in different organisations supported by NARBO.
- Component 4: to promote shared learning among local actors and benefit from experience from further afield, the project will strengthen linkages and collaboration among government, academia and civil society. This will be operationalised by regular events to provide a platform to enable dialogues, and sharing findings and results (e.g. from WLE and related projects, and fellows), establishment of new collaborations and development of training and communication material including websites, brochures, and video materials. These events will also allow fellows and policy engagement participants to practice the skills they have gained.
Concluding, the project aims to provide a focussed and sustainable contribution to strengthening capacities of key Myanmar water related organisations, water professionals and individuals to contribute to inclusive water and ecosystem services governance and management of the Ayeyarwady River Basin.
