1. Sustainable Water Harvesting and Institutional Strengthening in Amhara (SWHISA) Bahir Dar Annual Work Planning Process – A Guide July 2009 to June 2010

2. 1.Introduction The PSC meeting early June 2009 work planning similar to the 4th work plan process, –Woredas prepare their own work plan in an inter-institutional consultative forum involving all woreda partners. –regional partners prepare their own plan focusing on regional level activities that are based on the project’s objectives and goals. –Regional and woreda work plans will be integrated and reviewed by the PMC –a consolidated plan with cost will be recommended by PMC for PSC review and approval.

3. Key guiding points: –SWHISA is a participatory capacity development project. i.e. project activities should be based on “real needs” of our partner institutions to ultimately satisfy or support the “real needs” of beneficiaries, –farm families of our target woredas. –Within this framework, SWHISA activities are guided by the PSC’s direction issued in its January 2009 meeting:

4. Key PSC Guiding Principles relevant to Woredas and regional institutions : The project will identify lessons learned and technologies that can be scaled up in other areas. Reorientation and institutionalization of SWHISA outputs and activities will be undertaken in the next work planning process as per new institutional arrangements. To promote improved regional-woreda linkages, enhanced mentoring at the woreda level should be carried out jointly by regional institutions and SWHISA to the extent possible. Greater focus and technical support at the farmer level should be given by SWHISA and woreda experts to maximize benefits at the farm level.

5. Lack of operational cost at woredas prevents effective monitoring and mentoring of farmers. PSC approved the proposal to provide a limited amount of funding to woredas to cover operational costs associated with SWHISA activities. PSC recognized that some of the emerging positive strategies require scaling-up as well as some of the continuing capacity development due to the recent institutional changes will require additional time and resources.

6. 2. Key concepts related to SWHISA’s objectives and goals 2.1 Capacity Development SWHISA is a capacity development project: A fact sometimes poorly understood by our regional and woreda partners. Our focus has remained on training, study tours, equipment support, etc., ignoring other elements of the process that are equally important for the capacity development to be effective.

7. Following is a quote from a UNDP document: PP2 UNDP document –…most training interventions by themselves have little long term effect on organizational development targeted for capacity development. –Strategies for change driven mainly by projects and other outside groups have little chance of creating much sustainable capacity. –Donor TA in the form of advisors and consultants that focus on ‘gap filling’ – task accomplishment, program performance and the provision of solutions – turns out to have little sustainable impact

8. –Some of the conventional TA approaches – training, study tours, equipment support – are still useful, but what seems most helpful in terms of TA for capacity development is a combination of approaches tailored to provide support and facilitation the critical injection of resources at certain times, the provision of insights and the dissemination of best practice when needed, the encouragement and incubation of promising experiments, the cushioning of the risks and the stimulation of new leadership.”

9. –This shows a big gap in how SWHISA is perceived by partners and how it acted itself: i.e. we have focused on ‘product’, that is on physical targets, ignoring the ‘process’ that is required to achieve targets or products. This has led to led to a lot of pressure on SWHISA experts in achieving targets without any accountability from those whose capacity the project is supposed to build to accomplish the targets. –At this stage of the project life (5th year) sustainability is paramount; the project would recommend to consider both ‘product’ and ‘processes’

10. a quote from UNDP related to the “process”: Capacity building activities for improving organizational processes include the following: Participatory approaches at all levels including assessments, Team and consensus building and visioning through workshops, group activities and outside facilitation,

11. Creation of opportunities for experimentation and climate for safe learning, Efforts at stakeholder management and providing space and protection to participants trying to develop their capacity. Strategic dialogues and conversation, Action research and planning, and Dispute and conflict resolution.”

12. Considering these arguments: The process cannot be prescriptive; depends upon the situation in the region and woredas. identify key process issues that may have affected the project implementation in the 4th work plan period include elements that may improve the capacity at the region and woreda level

13. Insufficient consensus on the core objective of the project Despite all the efforts the project activities were not fully integrated in PI’s plans; No accountable person for the activities from the PIs Weak support to the woredas from PIs in the implementation of activities; Woredas do not contact PIs Serious delays by PIs in the implementation of planned activities; Maintenance and repair of irrigation schemes, Sand dam, Unused equipments bought by the project 3. Observations from the 4th AWP

14. Regional Partners Work Planning: Organize a meeting for experts from different relevant work processes and SWHISA experts to develop a better understanding of the status of the project’s achievements and challenges. SWHISA experts shall use this meeting to update partners on SWHISA objectives, purpose and operational modalities. 3. Suggested Work Planning Procedure

15. Reminder : SWHISA is a capacity development project, not an implementation project needs to be achieved. SWHISA’s goal is to build the capacity of Regional and woreda institutions to implement activities.

16. Use BoARD’s diagnostic survey report on Farmers’ Development Issues and Needs, to be able to stay within the development direction of the region Review the mandate and gap analysis matrix (Extension Process in BoARD, IDDP in BoWRD and irrigation agronomy in BoARD, Water resource development process in BoWRD). The mandate and gap analysis is very useful to identify needs in the work processes. Using the attached format identify the activities that support the project outputs indicated

17. woreda draft plans to be reviewed by regional institutions and adjust their plan accordingly to be responsive to the needs of the woredas. SWHISA experts will help in this process. The bureau/SWHISA work plan should be truly integrated in the regional partner institution’s annual plan. Each activity needs an assigned responsible person/sub-process in the partner institution.

18. Time frame: PMC meeting to discuss on the planning process 30 April 2009 Regional institutions submit draft plan by 07 May 2009 Woredas submit their draft plan by 07 May 2009 PMC meets to review Regional and woreda plans 11 May 2009 Budgeting and timing (gnat chart) preparation by SWHISA groups 15 May 2009 Compile the whole plan by SWHISA by 20 May 2009 PMC meeting to approve and recommend the plan to PSC 22 May 2009 Draft plan distributed to PSC members by 25 May 2009 PSC meeting 02 June 2009

19. 4. Review work plan template with teams: PIs are open to choose activities that they consider priority so long as activities promote water harvesting and irrigation development and help to achieve the outputs (to remain same) SWHISA experts should assist to ensure that the template is clearly understood by PI experts. See Template

20. 5. Woreda Work Planning: Refer to Document PP 4:Document PP 4: