20th March Thematic sessions: Increasing WOPs impact-Part1

Participation - harnessing the potential of civil society and trade unions in making WOPs succeed

by the Reclaiming Public Water (RPW) Network and Public Services International (PSI)

Room 2.61, 2.62, 2.63, 2.64 and 2.65 (2nd floor)

Time: 14:00-15:30

Rationale:

Civil society, community groups, workers and their trade unions as well as water users are key actors in improving the sustainability and effectiveness of WOPs and making WOP projects succeed. Examples include:

-water operators can engage users’ associations, other community groups, trade unions and NGOs in the design and implementation of a concrete WOP project

-workers and their unions - the most closely involved with daily work inside the utility - can identify operational weaknesses and propose solutions, in collaboration with management, the community, and elected officials

-NGOs can help increase transparency and accountability in the implementation of WOP projects

-water users associations and other community groups can initiate and be directly involved as official partners in WOP projects (examples from Latin America)

-civil society groups can facilitate the emergence and successful development of concrete WOPs on the ground (advocacy towards local authorities and utilities, but also assist in linking up water operators, securing funding, etc.)

-civil society groups have a key role in campaigning for political and financial support from (donor) governments for WOPs as an instrument for achieving the MDGs for water (example: ACP-EU Water Facility) as well as communicating to wider audiences about the potential of WOPs and GWOPA.

For WOPs to develop successfully there is a need to share lessons-learned in how to harness the potential contribution of civil society and labour in all these respects.

Key question(s) to be asked: What is meant by participation? Who should participate in what? How can participation improve the sustainability of WOPs? How can local civil society and trade unions best be involved to contribute to successful WOPs? What are the experiences with civil society groups (such as community organisations) as official WOP partners and could this be up-scaled? How are NGOs contributing to the emergence of WOP projects? What has the role of NGOs been in developing political support and financial support for WOPs and how to build on this?

Format: talk show-style facilitator asks focused questions to four or five water managers, civil society representatives and trade unions, followed by questions and comments from other participants; key conclusions summarized by the facilitator at the end of the meeting

Intended outcomes:

- clarifying the benefits for water operators of involving civil society and labour more systematically in WOP projects

- achieving a clearer, shared understanding of the different ways in which civil society and trade unions can contribute to the success of WOP projects

- developing a manual or guidance document on how to optimally involve civil society and trade unions in WOP projects

Speakers

- MS Vaidyanathan, Centre of Excellence for Change, Water Organisations Partnerships in India: “Participation of users - a powerful tool for improving water delivery”

- Hecto Rivero, Asociación Estatal de Operadores Públicos de Agua y Saneamiento (AEOPAS), Consorcio Provincial de Aguas de Sevilla, Spain: “Experiences with working with NGOs and Unions in implementing WOPs - a water operators perspective”

- Daoiz Gerardo Uriarte Araújo, OSE (Obras Sanetarias del Estado) Uruguay, “Experiences with working with communities in implementing WOPs - a water operators perspective”

- Julius Apale, Kenya Local Government Workers' Union (KLGWU):

“Trade unions as partners in WOPs”

- Eloi Badia, Enginyeria Sense Fronteres Catalunya:

“the role of NGOs been in developing political support and financial support for WOPs”

Moderator

- Pierre-Yves Monette, European Federation of National Associations of Water and Wastewater Services (EUREAU)