Presentation on 'Effective partnerships: An example in water capacity development' by Kees Leendertse, Cap-Net at 2014 UN-Water Annual International Zaragoza Conference. Preparing for World Water Day 2014: Partnerships for improving water and energy access, efficiency and sustainability. 13-16 January 2014

2. Effective Partnerships
An example in water capacity development
Kees Leendertse
Zaragoza, 13/01.2014

3. Outline
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The global partnership
Types of partnership
What do they do?
What makes them work?
What are challenges
In summary

4. The global partnership

5. Types of partnerships:
 Partner networks
 International partners
 Global thematic partnerships

6. What do they do?
Partner networks
 Deliver capacity
development activities
through member
organisations
 Coordinate elements of
the global partnership
 Contribute knowledge to
capacity development
material
International partners
 Contribute to capacity
development materials
 Facilitate in global rolling
out of programmes
 Pick up and disseminate
programmes through
their respective
networks
Global thematic networks
 Contribute to the global
network with topical
inputs
 Bring in partners
worldwide for enhancing
programmes and
materials
 Roll out programmes
through their partners in
collaboration with
affiliated networks

7. What are effective partnerships? What makes them work?
 Define specific interests (climate change, groundwater,
energy)
 Analyse who is on the ground: who is doing what
 Trust and ownership: jointly own strengths and
weaknesses
 Develop clear MoUs with annual work plans
 Voluntary: partners have a commitment the drive to push
partnerships forward
 Focus on collaboration rather than competition: clear
understanding of distinctions & roles within the
partnership– common interests
 SMART (Specific, Measurable, Assignable, Realistic and
Time related) Partnerships – be relevant and innovative
(demand-driven & flexible)
Who does what?

8. What are challenges; how can partnerships improve?
 Communication: need to have a balanced 2- way
communication – beyond emails (need feedback)
timely responses – delayed communication affects
performance
 Ensure access of knowledge and material to everyone
(partners on the ground) – information sharing
 Evaluate the partnership regularly – measure
effectiveness: outputs and results
 Financial sustainability
 Define management of the partnership clearly
 Increase visibility – promoting the partnerships and
their objectives/mandates
Transparency and direction

9. Assessing partnerships
 Focus on organizational change within a larger group of
organizations rather than single partners
 Need to be clear on goals and indicators – what can be
measured and what can be described
 Goals should be designed based on objectives and not
whether they can be measured, and thus measurable
indicators need to be defined
 Change is a result of various actions shared between
partners and not single force
 Impact can be a result of long term institutional
engagement – where challenges can change from one
moment to another. There is a need to respond to
various challenges over a long period of time to ensure
impact is sustained
 Attribution – separate outputs from results

10. In summary
Partnerships:
 Represent opportunities and challenges
 Building on strengths of partners for enhanced knowledge and
further outreach
 Transparency is key; sharing of responsibilities as well
 Relevance and results are to be assessed regularly

11. If you want to go fast – go
alone,
If you want to go far – get a
partner.

12. Thank you
www.cap-net.org