End Water Poverty
International Planning Meeting 2014
Full Report
End Water PovertyInternational Planning Meeting 2014
Introduction
In January 2014, End Water Poverty (EWP)held its sixth international planning meeting in Nairobi, Kenya.In total there were 21 participants from across Latin America, Africa, Asia and Europe. Participants were EWP members and many were also representatives on our Steering Committee.
The objectives of the meeting were:
- To evaluate the work of EWP to date
- To agree clear objectives, a coherent work plan and a membership engagement strategy for 2014
- To outline a proposed vision and structure for EWP post 2015
Below is a summary of the discussions held during the meeting and the key action points agreed.
Day 1 - Learning from experience & getting to know youBackground
The first day of the meeting focused on getting to know each other and coming to a shared understanding of End Water Poverty. This was achieved through a number of activities and discussion sessions
What does EWP mean to me:
All participants were asked to give a short two minute talk on what EWP means to them, which included:
1) Their understanding of EWP
2) What they like about EWP
3) How EWP has supported their advocacy work
4) What they would like EWP to do more of
5) Thoughts on how EWP should develop in the future
The content of the talks varied, based on peoples’ experience of EWP, but there were many commonalities, including:
Your understanding of EWP / What you like about EWPIt is a coalition that campaigns on WASH
EWP is inclusive and democratic
Representation across the globe
Brings local issues onto the global stage / Accessible materials
Link between global and national
Democratic – led by the members
Inspires people to take action
What EWP could do more of / How EWP should develop in the future
Reach out to the grassroots
Increased support to national level campaigning
Liaise/support the regional networks more
Share learnings/experiences of members / Continue Keep Your Promises campaign
More funding to guarantee its sustainability
Link WASH to wider development issues
Coordinate with other networks and partnership
Should be more challenging
Be better at demonstrating what we have achieved
EWP’s strengths and weaknesses
From the presentationsgiven we then identified the strengths and weaknesses of EWP
Strengths of EWP / Weaknesses of EWPUndertakes global advocacy to set the agenda
Provides support for national networks, including: toolkits, information, ideas and links between civil society organisations
It is democratic – members have their say
There is prestige in being part of a global network
Enthusiasm from members
Its structure is flexible, efficient and cost effective / There is confusion around what we are – are we a campaign or a coalition?
We may not be providing the correct type of support to partners
There is unequal support/engagement across regions
Membership – are we reaching out to the correct organisations – should more focus be on health, education organizations etc?
We do not explain how WASH links to wider water issues
We are not effective at showing our impact
How do we define our role against other organizations/networks to avoid duplication?
Is EWP a campaign or coalition?
Following on from the discussion Esmee Russell, from the Secretariat, clarified the confusion around whether EWP is a campaign or coalition by explaining that we started as a campaign but have since grown into a coalition and we describe ourselves as: A global civil society coalition campaigning to end the water and sanitation crisis
Examples of success
We then heard from three members who explained how they had engaged with EWP in 2013
Marco – Helvetas
Marco explained that Helvetas is an active member of the Steering Committee and task teams. Throughout 2013 Helvetas shared our materials with staff in partner countries, although take up was limited due to a lack of ownership and difficulties with incorporating the ideas into their ongoing programmatic work. Helvetas also organized a hand in of the Keep Your Promises petition in Switzerland and has been promoting the Swiss Water Goal for the post 2015 framework.
Syed Shah Nazir – IRSP, Pakistan
Used the EWP election toolkit to undertake election campaigning and has collection thousands of signatures for the Keep Your Promises petition. They also organized citizens’ juries for World Toilet Day. IRSP has benefitted from networking as this has enabled them to learn from other campaigns.
Samson Shivaji, KEWASNET, Kenya
In 2013 KEWASNETwere involved in a number of EWP activities including the World Walks for Water and Sanitation, election campaigning and the Keep Your Promises campaign. Through their election campaign they were able to get aspiring candidates to sign pledge cards, which was a great success. Through this experience they have learnt that early planning, which factors in political risks is really important.
Day 2 – The future of End Water Poverty, the Sanitation and Water for All Partnership (SWA) and WashWatchThe future of EWP - Background
EWP was founded in 2007 and to this point has focused on campaigning for access to clean water and sanitation for all. In 2013 the EWP Steering Committee (SC) agreed that we would undertake a project to review what we have done and where we want to go because:
–EWP has grown from a campaign to a coalition of over 260 members
–The scope of our work has expanded
–We only have secured funding until April 2015
At the start of the day, Esmee Russell, delivered a presentation outlining the result of a member consultation on the future of EWP. Then participants were asked to discuss and reach a decision on the following questions:
- What should EWP’s remit be – WASH or wider WASH issues
- How should EWP support its partners
- What should EWP’s organizational structure be going forwardand how should this be funded
What should EWP’s remit be?
In groups, participants then discussed what EWP’s remit should be and a range of suggestions were put forward, including:
Ideas for EWP’s remitHuman Rights
Focus on sanitation and hygiene
Active citizen’s demanding rights
Driving political will
Setting the agenda (globally and nationally
It was agreed that EWP should continue to have a focus on WASH but that we should clearly communicate the links to wider water issues in all that we do. The group also agreed a new vision for EWP which is: End Water Poverty is a coalition, of civil society organisations, which campaigns at global, regional and national level for sustainable WASH
We also clarified our remit for working on the global, regional and national level
- Globally: To enable civil society voices on WASH to be heard throughout key global processes so that sustainable WASH becomes a high priority on the international and national political agenda.
- Regionally: To influence regional bodies so that they prioritise sustainable WASH.
- Nationally:National networks and members to develop long term campaign plans so that we push governments to implement sustainable WASH for all.
How should EWP support its partners?
Attendees split into groups to discuss this issue andduring the discussion it became clear that the main concern of regions and partners was the limited capacity within regions to undertake advocacy work. How to address this was tackled in the discussions around EWP’s organisational structure and funding (see section entitled ‘what should EWP’s organisational structure be’).
Attendees then discussed how the Secretariat and members should support its partners and the following suggestions were put forward:
How to support partnersCampaign should be adapted to national contexts
Developing messages
Sharing of best practices
Capacity building of advocacy skills
Open doors for CSO voice at a global level
Develop links with other sectors
Strategic use of global media
Support for regional coordination
The following statement was then agreed: The Secretariat will continue to work with partners to determine campaign priorities and provide support to regional networks and partners which will include, toolkits, campaign materials, agreed messaging as well as information & advice on advocacy work.
What should EWP’s organisational structure be going forward and how should this be funded?
Attendees split into groups to discuss this issue andduring the discussion it became clear that the main concern of regions and partners is the limited capacity within regions to undertake advocacy work. The following agreements were reached:
- The capacity (both Human resources and financial) of the regional networks needs to be increased to ensure effective advocacy – this should be the priority for EWP going forward
- Donor members of EWP will work with regional networks to increase capacity and give advice on funding proposals. The Secretariat will assist with coordination where necessary
- The EWP Secretariat can provide some draft text about EWP, which regions can use in funding proposals
- EWP members will include EWP campaign activities in their own funding proposals
- The EWP Steering Committee will review all proposals – to ensure the activities are within the EWP remit and the EWP name is not being put at risk. It is not to comment on or approve the specific activities outlined in the proposal
- The Secretariat will not play a fundraising role, but will continue to focus on providing advocacy support to members
- The Secretariat will remain small and flexible
Action: Thilo to work with Nathalie and Vanessa (Latin America) Baker (Africa) and Murali (Asia)to progress this project
Sanitation and Water for All Partnership (SWA)
Olivier Germain began a session on the SWA by showing an introductory video, which is available here:
Olivier then gave a presentation on the SWA and opportunities for CSO engagement. (Please see accompanying file or: information about the SWA can be found here: or here:
End Water Poverty has funding, from UNICEF, to continue to support civil society engagement in the SWA partnership through 2014-2015.
WASHWatch
Fleur Anderson informed participants about WASHWatch – an online tool that civil society organisations can use to track government commitments on Water and Sanitation. Please see attached file for full presentation
Day 3 – EWP’s work plan for February 2014 – April 2015Objectives 2014-2015
The day began by setting clear objectives for EWP to reach by April 2015. The group agreed that the overall objectives for the coalition will be:
- 20 national governments are calling for a water goal, with WASH indicators, in the Post 2015 discussion due to influence from EWP members
- 4governments have enshrined and are implementing the Human Right to water and sanitation in their constitution/legal framework
- At least 7 civil society movements are strongly calling for the Right to Water and Sanitation
- 12governments are have progressed specific commitments (as determined by the regions) stated in their WASH plan
Each region then developed their own objectives:
Asia
Will focus on the right to Sanitation and Equity and Inclusion in Asia and their objectives are:
- X Governments have enshrined and are implementing the HR to water and sanitation in their constitution/legal framework
- Relations established with SAARC so that they begin to promote the RtS
- RTS is present in political agendas
- X civil society movements in xxxx are strongly calling for the RTS
- SACOSAN commitments on equity and inclusion are being implemented and monitored across S.A
- EWP has members in 3 SE Asia countries
- X governments are have progressed the commitment to xxx stated in their WASH plan
- Civil society movements are strengthened so that they can lobby for the RTWS
Africa
Will focus on theImplementation and monitoring of the Human Right to Water and Sanitation in countries where it has always been established
•AMCOW reviews, strengthens and publicises its M&E mechanism for regional WASH declarations and commitments
•WASH is prioritised in post-2015 by EU Commission president after ANEW/EWP lobbying of AMCOW
•ANEW/EWP has a strong role in AMCOW recognises ANEW/EWP as the voice of civil society
•AMCOW incorporates CSO statements, on WASH, in its presentations to all assemblies of heads of governments
•AMCOW increases effective pressure on African governments to increase national budgets for sustainable sanitation services
•Djibouti and South Sudan develop civil society movements which lobby for the HR in water and sanitation
• x governmentshave progressed the commitment to xxx stated in their WASH plan
•Xgovernments have enshrined and are implementing the HR to water and sanitation in their constitution/legal framework
Latin America
Will focus on the establishment and implementation of the right to Sanitation and water
•X Governments have enshrined and are implementing the HR to water and sanitation in their constitution/legal framework
•Establish relations with CODIA, OAS, ELAC, SICA and Latinosan to push governments/water directors to commit to sustainable access to WASH, managed at community level and the human right to water and sanitation
•Budget allocation to sanitation is increased as a result of campaigning
•Community water and sanitation management is recognised
•Right to Sanitation is present in political agendas
•Civil society movements are strengthened so that they can lobby for the RTWS
• x governments are have progressed the commitment to xxx stated in their WASH plan
•Establish communication with representatives with responsibility for WASH from the Mercosur and SICA platforms
Donors and INGOs
Will focus on Aid that supports sustainability of WASH services and a Water goal in post 2015By April 2015
- EU common position on post-2015 includes a stand alone WASH goal
- EWP campaigns for 7 Northern Governments reverse the declining funding for WASH
Action Required: Each region to finalise their objectives
How we will deliver these objectives
The group agreed that we would deliver these objectives by following the following principles of working:
Globally
•Identify key opportunities and effective ways to engage in the post 2015 framework debate
•Will develop key partnerships – across sectors, with media,
•Ensure adequate space and opportunities for community leaders and grassroots practitioners
Regionally
Ensure that regional intergovernmental bodies:
•Bring pressure on national governments to prioritize and implement sustainable and universal access to WASH
•Harmonize the global and regional processes on sustainable WASH
Nationally
•When required, due to a global issue, a unified campaign will be developed by the secretariat but support will be given to partners to enable local contextualisation led by grassroots communities.
•Work with members to develop the campaigns, tools and materials as well as training/capacity building on advocacy and fundraising
•Monitoring and feedback loop between members, regions and the Secretariat
Keep Your Promises campaign
After agreeing our objectives, we moved onto looking at what work we would need to undertake to deliver these objectives.
Esmee Russell provided a presentation on the Keep Your Promises campaign and attendees agreed that the campaign should continue – the group then discussed how the campaign should continue and came up with the following suggestions:
Ideas for continuing Keep Your PromisesWorld Water Forum Meeting
Mass concerts, engaging with celebrities and the mass media
WWD mass mobilisation
Regional campaigns on the Human Right to Water and Sanitation
KYP budget tracking side event at Africa Water Week
Event at Singapore Water Week – with the message ‘no one should be left out’
18 month campaign to get Mayors to sign up to their promises on WASH
Development of a monitoring framework to hold decision makers to account
Roundtable of EU Government donors and critical discussion on how sustainability is included
After a prioritisation exercise there was strong support for there to be a focus on the Human Right to Water and Sanitation and three options were presented to the group:
- Continue Keep Your Promises but ensure it has a focus on the Human Right to Water and Sanitation
- Stop Keep Your Promises and create a new campaign on the Human Right to Water and Sanitation
- Continue with Keep Your Promises in its current format
The group voted for option 1 as this enables us to focus on the Human Right to Water and Sanitation and also allows partners who have developed their own KYP campaigns, with a different focus, to continue.
Action Required: Esmee Russell to work with regional reps; Roel Blesgraaf, WaterAid and Wash United (Northern and INGO), Syed Shah Nazir Khisro (Asia), Thomas Sayibu Imoro (Africa) and Jorge Mora Portuguez and Nathalie Seguin (Latin America) to revise the KYP campaign