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In 2006 the Global Water Partnershipcelebrated its tenth birthday. During theinitial years of the Partnership it built up animpressive network of Regional and CountryWater Partnerships through which thenetwork contributed with great success to theadoption of integrated water resourcesmanagement (IWRM) in the global debate onwater. The Partnership is still a major playeron the dissemination of the IWRM messageand supports intensively the development ofIWRM plans in many countries.

The world is now facing new challenges. Theeffects of climate change and the food crisesare more and more dominating the inter-national agenda. Recognizing the newchallenges, the Global Water Partnership hasdeveloped a new intervention strategy. Thisstrategy, based on an extensive externalevaluation of the functioning of the network,makes the organisation fit for the future andguarantees the continuation of the importantrole that the Global Water Partnership is

A Word from the Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

I The Global Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

II The Global Water Partnership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

III The Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

IV The Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

V The Strategic Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Goal 1: Promote water as a key part of sustainable national development . . . . . . .10

Goal 2: Address critical development challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Goal 3: Reinforce knowledge sharing and communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Goal 4: Build a more effective network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

VI Delivering the Strategy: Organisation and Governance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

VII Securing the Resources to Meet GWP's Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

VIII A Timetable for Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Acknowledgements: The GWP Strategy 2009–2013 is the result of a full year of consultations, including network-widemeetings in Bahrain and Stockholm in 2008. A Writing Group comprising Leanne Burney, Alan Hall and Steven Downey underthe leadership of the acting Executive Secretary, Martin Walshe, developed the text in consultation with a Strategy Group ledby the GWP Chair, Letitia A Obeng, and comprising Luis Garcia and Jean-François Donzier of the GWP Steering Committee,Wayne Joseph and Michael Scoullos on behalf of the GWP Regional Chairs and Roberto Lenton, GWP Technical CommitteeChair. The Strategy takes on comments from the GWP Financing Partners and the GWP Steering Committee and truly representsthe aims of the GWP Network. GWP would like to thank all those partners who contributed to the development of the Strategy.

Table of Contents

A Message from our Patron

playing in improving the integrated planningand management of the world's waterresources. It is a role of utmost importance forthe achievement of the Millennium Develop-ment Goals on water, health and theenvironment. It is an honour for me to bePatron of such an influential organisation.

HRH The Prince of Orange Willem-AlexanderPatron of the Global Water Partnership

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The Global Water Partnership (GWP) cameinto being from the clear conviction thatthere had to be a new way of doing business:one where people build coalitions to findwater management solutions that serve thepublic good. GWP convenes, empowers andconnects people with a stake in water useand management, and helps them to worktogether effectively towards water security.

The Partnership expanded rapidly as Partnerssought to apply the integrated waterresources management approach to optimiseeconomic and social benefits. We havelearned much over the past 12 years. Locallyowned, Regional and Country Partnershipsstand ready to take on new and evolvingchallenges. Our growth means we have morecapacity and can reach out to thoseaddressing their sustainable water manage-ment needs at local, national, basin orregional levels with stronger support.

The Partnership contributes to water andsustainable development work at all levels.While growing and maturing, we havemaintained a light and flexible networkstructure. We have remained objective andimpartial. We have contributed to inter-national policy processes, supportedcountries and helped to bring people andorganisations together in dialogue acrossdifferent sectors and interest groups.

The GWP Joint Donor External Evaluation,March 2008, provides valuable insights intowhat we do well and what we need to dobetter. The Evaluation states:

"The network has strengthened to a pointwhere it is now able to take the next excitingstep in its evolution – to become moremember driven and 'bottom up' and play amore prominent and dynamic role in nationaldevelopment processes; reinforced by astronger and more effective regional presenceand a global profile of technical excellence."

Not least, the Evaluation recognises that wehave developed robust financial managementand internal governance systems that reassureboth our donors and our beneficiaries. Still,network organisations are new entities, noteasily governed. We still have much to learnand improve and we will continue to workclosely with our many and diverse Partners aswe deliver our 2009–2013 Strategy.

The Strategy has been developed during anunprecedented period of economic andfinancial volatility that increases uncertaintyand threatens development. The urgency foraction is growing. We are excited that we canbuild on GWP's past and position ourselves tocontribute to addressing the water-relatedchallenges facing the world today.

Letitia A. ObengChair of the Global Water Partnership

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I. THE GLOBAL CONTEXTWater is a prerequisite for life. Good watermanagement promotes economic and socialprogress. However, poor water managementhinders development and people suffer.Prosperity in many countries stems fromsignificant investments in water infra-structure, water institutions and good waterresource management. Water underpinsalmost all economic activity from foodproduction—the mainstay of many economiesand critical to people's livelihoods—tomanufacturing, energy production andtransport. Achievement of all the MillenniumDevelopment Goals depends to a large extenton water.

Water is a finite and vulnerable resource.Current global population growth rates meanthat more and more people and economicsectors are competing for water. Increasingscarcity, stress, pollution and other threatswill aggravate this competition. By 2025,three billion people will live in water-stressedcountries. Many of these countries lack theinfrastructure and management systems tostore, deliver and use water efficiently.Countries will continue to face toughdecisions on water allocation—how tobalance competing demands from house-holds, farmers, industry, ecosystems andhydro-power—to optimise the use of thisfinite resource. Better governance willcontinue to be a key aspect of sustainablewater management.

Water also destroys. Many countries regularlysuffer droughts, floods, hurricanes and otherdisasters that destroy lives, drain economiesand hinder growth. Furthermore, althoughmany parts of the world enjoy economicgrowth and better well-being, with these gainscome greater demands for water and morepollution.

Water is crucial for food security and humanwell being. The growing global demand for

food and bio-energy, and the recent rises infood prices, slow down progress in reducingpoverty, but increase demand for water fromthe agriculture and energy sectors. Lack ofaccess by the poor to adequate, safe andreliable supplies of water, and safe sanitationlimits their options to improve their liveli-hoods. In countries that lack good watermanagement, it is usually the poor who suffermost.

Water is tied to global challenges. Climatechange is one of the most formidable long-term challenges faced by the global comm-unity. And it is the poorest people on theplanet who will feel its effects most deeply.Climate change will affect the water cycle, sealevel and rainfall variability, and thus cropproduction and the frequency and scale offloods and droughts. Water is not immune toother external and immediate challenges, suchas the recent economic and financial crisis andthe volatility in the price of food and othercommodities, and their impact on water iscomplex and needs to be better understood.Urbanisation and demographic changes,environmental degradation and a lack ofessential services also place huge demandson water resource managers. Without promptaction, such challenges may trigger conflictsbetween communities, water users andbetween nations.

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II. THE GLOBAL WATERPARTNERSHIP

Dealing with these issues requires a holisticand coordinated approach to water allocation,management and development—an integratedapproach. Fragmented responsibilities fordeveloping and managing water resourcesand, more importantly, a lack of dialogue,make sustainable management impossible. To get the most benefit from sustainablemanagement, both horizontal dialogue (acrossdifferent sectors and the environment) andvertical dialogue (across different tiers ofauthority and in policy and decision making)are essential. More and more countriesrecognise the value of improving watermanagement for development and are seekingsupport to make it a reality.

Some countries still have to put adequatepolicies, laws and plans for managing waterinto place and link them to broader nationaldevelopment priorities. Others already haveclear policies and strategies, but do not havethe political will, funds or capacity to takeaction to solve water problems. Weakgovernance, corruption and interest groupsthat resist change exacerbate the problems.These barriers exact a heavy toll on the poorand hold back progress towards theMillennium Development Goals.

The GWP 2009–2013 Strategy builds on 12years of learning, advocacy, support, dialogueand global knowledge brokering. The Strategywill help Partners tackle water management inan increasingly challenging developmentcontext.

The Global Water Partnership (GWP) is adynamic, not-for-profit action network withover 1,800 committed Partner organisationsaround the world. Since GWP was founded in1996, its chief focus has been to supportsocial and economic change processes indeveloping countries that further thesustainable management and development oftheir water resources. The Partnership enjoysmulti-donor support. Contributions fromgovernments, and voluntary contributionsfrom many Partners, ensure a coordinatedapproach to development assistance andsupport.

During the last decade, GWP successfullyhelped to change the prevailing mindset onwater by promoting and applying theIntegrated Water Resources Management(IWRM) approach. IWRM is a public good andfew now see it as a narrow, technical, single-purpose perspective. It is well understood thatmanaging water resources in an integratedway is everybody's business and that a rangeof 'social actors' from different sectors ofsociety and with different economic interestsmust be involved. As a multi-stakeholderpartnership that includes governmentagencies, private companies, non-governmental organisations, professionalorganisations, gender and youth groups, andbi- and multi-lateral development agencies,among others, the GWP network is uniquelyplaced to draw everyone together for dialogueand action.

GWP empowers, convenes and connectsstakeholders. At the same time, thePartnership encourages everyone to worktogether more effectively to deliver water-related services and manage water resourcesto help meet both long- and short-termeconomic, equity and environmentalobjectives. GWP Partners form 13 Regional

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IV. THE MISSION

The Global Water Partnership'smission is to support the sustainabledevelopment and management ofwater resources at all levels.

GWP's action network provides knowledgeand builds capacity to improve watermanagement at all levels: global, regional,national and local. The Partnership helpscountries to connect water resources planningand operations at different scales—transboundary, regional, basin, national andlocal—so that actions are coherent andsustainable. Instead of taking the traditionaldevelopment approach in which projects areoften not connected, GWP works withnumerous key stakeholders to designstrategic approaches to improving watermanagement. This builds local capacity in thelong term. GWP does not operate alone;indeed its networking approach provides amechanism for coordinated action and addsvalue to the work of many other keydevelopment partners.

A water secure world is vital for a better future:a future in which there is enough water forsocial and economic development and forecosystems. A water secure world integratesa concern for the intrinsic value of watertogether with its full range of uses for humansurvival and well-being.

A water secure world harnesses water'sproductive power and minimises itsdestructive force. It is a world where everyperson has enough safe, affordable water tolead a clean, healthy and productive life. It isa world where communities are protected from

III. THE VISION

The Global Water Partnership's visionis for a water secure world.

Water Partnerships (RWPs) and some 80Country Water Partnerships (CWPs). These areneutral and inclusive platforms for dialogueand facilitating change processes. TheRegional and Country Partnerships manageand govern themselves, and convenestakeholders to address specific issues. Theybring about solutions that are both tailored tolocal conditions and informed by localexperiences and good practices from acrossthe network.

floods, droughts, landslides, erosion andwater-borne diseases. Water security alsomeans addressing environmental protectionand the negative effects of poor management,which will become more challenging asclimatic variability increases.

A water secure world reduces poverty,advances education, and increases livingstandards. It is a world where there is animproved quality of life for all, especially forthe most vulnerable—usually women andchildren—who benefit most from good watergovernance.

GWP believes that an integrated approach tomanaging the world's water resources is thebest way to pursue this vision—a vision thatencompasses all of life.

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GWP takes its guiding principles from theDublin and Rio statements (1992), from theMillennium Assembly (2000), which gave riseto the Millennium Development Goals, andfrom the World Summit on SustainableDevelopment (2002) Plan of Action, which seta target for the preparation of IWRM andWater Efficiency plans. Over time, GWP hasadapted and elaborated these principles toreflect international understanding of the'equitable and efficient management andsustainable use of water'. The guidingprinciples are:

Freshwater is a finite and vulnerable resource, essential to sustain life, development and the environment.Water development and managementshould be based on a participatoryapproach involving users, planners and policy makers at all levels.Women play a central part in the provision, management and safeguarding of water.Water is a public good and has a socialand economic value in all its competing uses. Integrated water resources managementis based on the equitable and efficientmanagement and sustainable use ofwater and recognises that water is an integral part of the ecosystem, a naturalresource, and a social and economicgood, whose quantity and qualitydetermine the nature of its utilisation.

GWP's core values unite the Partners and areparamount to pursuing its mission. The mainrequirement for membership is that Partnersagree to adhere to the core values. GWPPartners, and all GWP regional entities, agreeto strive for inclusiveness, openness, trans-parency, accountability, respect, gender-sensitivity and solidarity. These are our corevalues. GWP expects all Partners to applythem, bringing together, as needed, as wide agroup of stakeholders as possible in fulfilmentof our mission. The values underpin

V. THE STRATEGIC GOALSGWP is a global network and because it worksat all levels, our Strategy must both articulatewhat GWP will deliver through the network,and provide strategic direction for GWP's semi-autonomous regional bodies. This Strategysets out the guiding parameters and strategicgoals for the network. Within this framework,GWP Regional and Country Partnerships, theGWP Secretariat and the Technical Committee(TEC), based on the needs and priorities of theconstituencies they serve, will design theirown strategies and annual work plans to meetthe strategic goals.

The Global Strategy thus provides the strategicdirection for the whole network, but acknowl-edges that it is not feasible to set detailedindicators for regions as dissimilar asSouthern Africa, South America or China. EachRegional Water Partnership has developed itsown Regional Strategy that specifies outcomes

meaningful dialogue among people withdifferent interests and mindsets, andstrengthen GWP's neutral stance andcredibility. Solidarity is at the heart of GWP'sdevelopment endeavours and is essential toour commitment to the poor anddisadvantaged.

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in detail specific to the characteristics andpriorities of each region. The RegionalStrategies contain the most appropriateindicators for monitoring and evaluatingprogress towards strategic goals. The Globaland Regional Strategies are thus comple-mentary and are implemented through annualwork plans.

In carrying out the Strategy, the GWP will workwith many other actors, both local andinternational, to provide support to govern-ments that are ultimately responsible forimplementation, but do not have sufficientresources to act alone. In this context GWPsupports the implementation of changeprocesses through mobilising support, bycoordinating across different disciplines andsector interest groups, by facilitating andawareness raising processes and by sharingknowledge and developing local capacities.GWP thus triggers change and promotesimplementation of actions that improve waterresources management and development.

The 2009–2013 Strategy covers the run up to2015, the target date for the MillenniumDevelopment Goals. GWP Partners arecommitted to helping realise the globallyagreed targets outlined in the MillenniumDeclaration. This Strategy will strengthen theirefforts. Each strategic goal promotes socialequity, economic efficiency and environmentalsustainability, by improving the way water ismanaged and developed.

A network-wide consultation in 2008generated four strategic goals that will bepursued by the Partnership during 2009–2013. GWP Partners fully endorse the fourgoals. All are equally significant. The goalsinclude (1) an operational goal, (2) anadvocacy goal, (3) a knowledge goal and (4) apartnering goal. For each goal, GWP identifiesthe outcomes it will pursue and the strategy itwill follow. GWP will focus its contributions andwork on specific aspects of issues highlightedin the four goals.

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GOAL 1: Promote water as a key part ofsustainable national development. This goalfocuses on improving water resourcesmanagement, putting IWRM into practice tohelp countries towards growth and watersecurity emphasising an integrated approach,good governance, appropriate infrastructureand sustainable financing.

Outcome 1aWhere policies and plans are in place,governments incorporate them into nationaldevelopment processes and implement them withsupport from others.

Outcome 1bWhere policies and plans are not in place or weak,governments develop them, incorporate them intonational development processes and implementthem with support from others.

Outcome 1cNon-government actors, including GWP, civilsociety and external support agencies, worktogether to build local capacities and helpgovernments implement their policies and plans.

GOAL 2: Address critical developmentchallenges. This goal focuses on contributing toand advocating solutions for critical challengesto water security, such as climate change,growing urbanisation, food production, resourcerelated conflict and other challenges as theyemerge.

Outcome 2aNational and regional policy makers, civicorganisations, water managers and internationaldevelopment agencies take into account the linksbetween water and climate change, and developsolutions for adapting the management of waterresources to climate change.

Outcome 2bNational and regional policy makers, civicorganisations, water managers and internationaldevelopment agencies address criticaldevelopment challenges, particularly food security,urbanisation and conflict resolution.

Outcome 2cInternational actors and multi-lateral policyprocesses work with a clearer understanding of theoptions available for tackling emerging and on-going challenges facing water resources throughobjective and incisive intellectual contributionsfrom GWP and its partners.

GOAL 3: Reinforce knowledge sharing andcommunications. This goal focuses ondeveloping the capacity to share knowledge andto promote a dynamic communications culture,so as to support better water management.

Outcome 3aGlobal entities, such as UN agencies, multi- and bi-laterals, and the corporate world are betterinformed through GWP knowledge disseminationabout issues related to managing the world's waterresources.

Outcome 3bStakeholders, including governments, finance andplanning ministries, NGOs, the private sector andyouth, have better access to relevant and practicalknowledge, and more capacity to share thatknowledge.

Outcome 3cGWP embeds a communications culture across thePartnership and stakeholders at all levels take upstrategic information and key messages.

GOAL 4: Build a more effective network. Thisgoal focuses on enhancing the network'sresilience and effectiveness through strongerpartnerships, good governance, measuringperformance to help learning and financialsustainability.

Outcome 4aGWP strengthens and builds the capacity of RWPsso they carry out their work plans more effectively,and provide support to the Country WaterPartnerships.

Outcome 4bThe Global Water Partnership Organization and theRegional Water Partnerships undertake a changeprocess to improve organisation and management,and streamline financial, administrative andgovernance structures across the Partnership.GWPO and the RWPs fully incorporate an OutcomeMapping approach as a way to plan, monitor andevaluate the success of annual work plans.

Outcome 4cGWPO, RWPs and Country Water Partnershipsaccess new and diverse sources of funding for GWPactivities while increasing funding from traditionalsources.

STRATEGIC GOALS 2009–2013

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Goal 1: Promote water as a key part ofsustainable nationaldevelopment.

This goal focuses on improving waterresources management, putting IWRMinto practice to help countries towardsgrowth and water security emphasisingan integrated approach, good gover-nance, appropriate infrastructure andsustainable financing.

Outcome 1aWhere policies and plans are in place,governments incorporate them into nationaldevelopment processes and implement themwith support from others.

Outcome 1bWhere policies and plans are not in place orweak, governments develop them, incor-porate them into national developmentprocesses and implement them with supportfrom others.

Outcome 1cNon-government actors, including GWP, civilsociety and external support agencies, worktogether to build local capacities and helpgovernments implement their policies andplans.

Strategy to reach Goal 1GWP has successfully advocated an integratedapproach to water management and supportedcountries in preparing the IWRM plans calledfor by the World Summit on SustainableDevelopment in 2002. Yet much remains to bedone to make these well-intentioned plansoperational. The world faces many persistentwater problems, not least in meeting theMillennium Development Goals and creatingan enabling environment for better resourcemanagement. According to the UN-WaterStatus Report on IWRM and Water EfficiencyPlans (2008), 68 percent of developedcountries, but only 38 percent of developingcountries have IWRM plans completed orunderway. Progress on plans for waterefficiency lags even further behind.

GWP will take a two-pronged approach. Forcountries well advanced in planning, GWP willuse the integrated approach to help imple-ment the plans. GWP will emphasise local

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engagement and building capacity to managewater and put policies into practice. Furtherdevelopment of the GWP ToolBox will play aninstrumental role in supporting governmentsas they move from planning to application. Forthose countries that do not yet have policiesand plans, but wish to develop them, GWP willprovide support in the development processand, at the same time, will help build theircapacity to implement those plans.

A key element of this goal will be to embedwater security into national developmentplans, such as poverty reduction strategiesand comprehensive development frameworks.To do this, GWP will demonstrate the need tobring together fragmented institutionalresponsibilities and interests in water, suchas finance, planning, agriculture, energy,tourism, industry, education and health. Acritical part of the strategy will be to engagewith and influence those ministries,businesses, civil society actors and those fromother sectors that use water to achieve theirdevelopment goals. This will help to raise thepolitical profile of water, improve policymaking and increase budget allocations.

Sound economic and social argumentsinfluence decision makers. This means thatGWP must demonstrate why better waterresources management is important fordevelopment. The Partnership understands

that simply drafting plans does not solvewater problems. What counts is how realisticthe plans are, what political buy-in they have,what funds are available to implement them,and how much they contribute to develop-ment priorities, poverty alleviation and eco-system health.

Specifically, GWP will provide support in thefollowing areas at regional and national levelsand beyond.

Improving support for water managementthrough national processes: In countries thathave not yet prepared and implementedpolicies and plans to develop water moreeffectively, GWP will facilitate multi-stakeholder participation and dialogue.The network will share best practices acrossregions and between countries to helpmanage water resources to achieve watersecurity.

Improving governance systems: GWP hasan extensive international network andsignificant water resources managementexpertise. Working in partnership with others,such as the UNDP, GWP will take advantageof these strengths to support improvementsto institutional environments that will enablean integrated approach to water resourcemanagement. GWP will assist governmentagencies to develop legal and regulatoryframeworks, to become accountable and toallocate resources. In addition, GWP will be a'voice' for other stakeholders. Sinceallocating and managing water resourcesneeds to be planned and implemented atdifferent administrative levels and withinspecific hydrological boundaries, GWP will domore to help align governance systems andlink administrative and basin approaches.This will strengthen institutional capacitiesand improve coordination and coherence.GWP will also work with the Water IntegrityNetwork to help reduce corruption in thewater sector.

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Improving water infrastructure: Along withinstitutional reform, there is a critical need,particularly in poorer countries, to developand manage appropriate and sustainablewater infrastructure. GWP will identify entrypoints and support multi-stakeholderdialogues to help governments and regionalentities investigate cost-effective andappropriate infrastructure options that willbenefit all. GWP will seek opportunities toconvene stakeholders and contribute toongoing dialogue between governments,regional development banks and others toexpand water management infrastructure andto ensure that an IWRM approach is used inwater infrastructure development.

Improving financing for water management:A great deal of attention has been paid tofinancing water use. However, little is knownabout funding water resources managementdespite increased insecurity due to scarcity,pollution, climate change and other threats.Working with partners such as the OECD and

EUWI-FWG, GWP will build capacity in financ-ing water resources management anddevelopment and also demonstrate how thisrelates directly with good water governance.This will include building strong links betweenwater and finance experts to tackle chronicunderinvestment and the waste of scarcefunds.

Facilitating transboundary cooperation:Surface and underground water do not respectpolitical boundaries. This means that statesmust cooperate to manage water. They mustshare responsibilities for managing water,protecting water quality, managingenvironmental flows and promoting harmonyamong states. In some cases, river basinorganisations provide an institutional structurefor functions such as coordinating decisionmaking, establishing water allocationmechanisms, reducing water pollution, andhandling floods and droughts. Good nationalpolicies and plans are prerequisites for seriouscooperation in transboundary waters,including shared aquifers that are oftenneglected. Taking the shared benefitsapproach, GWP will support regionalprocesses and work with regional organisa-tions and initiatives, such as ASEAN, SADCand ECOWAS. GWP will also work with otherpartners, such as the World Bank and UN-Water including the GEF, to contribute toexisting initiatives in all regions, extendingfrom the Yellow River to the Nile Basin, insupport of cooperative processes to makeshared waters become a force for regionaleconomic development.

Monitoring progress on IWRM: Throughcollaborative efforts, for example with the UN-Water Task Force, GWP will help develop andput into practice a robust set of indicators formonitoring and reporting on the progress andbenefits of implementing the IWRM approachat various scales. Introducing such a frame-work will help set targets, track progress andprovide feedback on the effectiveness of betterwater resources management.

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Goal 2: Address criticaldevelopment challenges.

This goal focuses on contributing toand advocating solutions for criticalchallenges to water security, such asclimate change, growing urbanisation,food production, resource relatedconflict and other challenges asthey emerge.

Outcome 2aNational and regional policy makers, civicorganisations, water managers and inter-national development agencies take intoaccount the links between water and climatechange, and develop solutions for adaptingthe management of water resources to climatechange.

Outcome 2bNational and regional policy makers, civicorganisations, water managers and inter-national development agencies addresscritical development challenges, particularlyfood security, urbanisation and conflictresolution.

Outcome 2cInternational actors and multi-lateral policyprocesses work with a clearer understanding

of the options available for tackling emergingand on-going challenges facing waterresources through objective and incisiveintellectual contributions from GWP and itspartners.

Strategy to reach Goal 2During the period of GWP's last Strategy, thePartnership learned that critical developmentproblems can provide an entry point forgalvanising action to address water manage-ment problems. For example, not only dorising food prices threaten poverty reductiongains, they also increase demand for water foragricultural production. So water managementis a crucial element in these developmentproblems. GWP will seize these strategicopportunities to promote change. GWP willincreasingly respond to calls to facilitatedialogue, provide understanding or takepolicy positions on these issues. GWP willhelp to develop solutions by involving widelydivergent stakeholders, both inside andoutside the water sector, in dialogue. GWP willwork to demonstrate the role of water insolving critical development challenges andwill provide technical support for doing so.

The Partnership will develop greater technicalcapacity, more intellectual capital andstrategic partnerships to respond to theissues identified below. Most GWP Partnerssee adapting to climate change as a serious

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maintaining socioeconomic development.GWP recognises that there are many actorsinvolved in various aspects of climate changeand will thus focus on contributing to work onadaptation with respect to water resources.GWP will offer practical, regionally relevantadvice and guidance on adapting to climatechange so that it becomes an integral part ofcurrent and future water resources manage-ment approaches. In this, GWP will workclosely with the World Bank, UNEP Coor-dinating Centre at DHI, the UN-Water TaskForce on Water and Climate Change, and theCooperative Programme for Climate and Water.GWP will also seek to build on alliances withkey organisations working at the forefront ofclimate change, including the InternationalResearch Institute for Climate and Society (IRI).

long-term development problem and so thiswill be one focus. Regional technical andintellectual capacity will be strengthened sothat support can be tailored to local needs.The Regional Water Partnerships will workclosely with the Technical Committee to bringtogether both local and traditional knowledgein giving technical advice. At the same timethey will capitalise on, and further strengthen,GWP's convening power across sectors,political boundaries and all levels. As thetechnical capacity of the Regional WaterPartnerships grows, the network will be ableto respond more rapidly to emergingdevelopment challenges. A greater ability torespond quickly will reinforce GWP'sintellectual leadership at national, regionaland global levels.

GWP will provide leadership at the globallevel. GWP will offer technical support to helpall levels of the Partnership put forwardappropriate solutions to the challenges facingwater managers as they confront criticalglobal issues. In particular, GWP will contri-bute to finding solutions to the four concernsdiscussed below at global, national andregional levels.

Adapting to climate change: Climate changeis arguably the most severe long-term threatto development facing this and futuregenerations. By altering the hydrologicalcycle, climate change will exacerbate thewater management problems that countriesalready face. Climate change will havesignificant, often dramatic, consequences—higher sea levels, more variable rainfall, morefrequent and intense floods and droughts,and rapid desertification. Risks related toclimate change impede agriculturaldevelopment. They are a major challenge tothe management of natural resources andbarriers to the transition from poverty toprosperity. GWP will promote better watermanagement, 'climate-proofing' infrastructureand adaptation as the best ways to reducethe impact of climate change while

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Achieving food security: Producing enoughfood for one person for one day requiresabout 3,000 litres of water—or about 1 litreper calorie. When compared with the 2–5litres required for drinking, it is clear thatwater for food production is a critical issue aspopulations and wealth grow. The trade–food–water nexus and virtual water aresignificant issues in water for food production.GWP recognises the importance of engagingwith the agriculture sector and will conveneinformed multi-stakeholder negotiations tochange the way decision makers think aboutwater and agriculture. The productivity ofwater, for example, must improve. Yesterday'sirrigation technologies must be adapted andupgraded to meet tomorrow's needs. Inaddition, since 60 percent of agriculture indeveloping countries is rain-fed, it is alsoimportant to emphasise rain-fed foodproduction. In this area, GWP will work withthe CGIAR system, particularly with theInternational Water Management Institute(IWMI) to facilitate adoption of therecommendations emerging from theComprehensive Assessment of WaterManagement in Agriculture and the ChallengeProgramme on Water and Food.

Tackling urbanisation: Today, 50 percent ofthe world's population lives in urban areasand, with changing demographics character-ised by massive migration into cities, by 2025the percentage is projected to be 60 percent.Urban water and wastewater management is a

serious threat in most developing countries.Most cities are unable to expand basic waterservices or manage growing competitionamong users. Given the trends in urbanisa-tion, the need to improve water and wastemanagement in cities is urgent. But, thismust take impacts over a wide area intoconsideration, both upstream and down-stream, as well as across basin and aquiferboundaries. As part of this effort, GWP willcontinue its work with UN-Habitat WaterOperators Partnerships, where the focus willbe on managing 'used water' as an essentialelement in overall water management.

Resolving conflicts: Development willincrease the risk of serious conflicts overwater and the negative impact on the poorand vulnerable that these conflicts will have.Demand for water, degradation of waterresources, climate variability and sectoral andrural–urban conflicts over water are allincreasing and will exacerbate already-seriousdisputes. GWP will support dialogues thatemphasise negotiation and compromise andthat allow stakeholders to think through andmake choices that result in optimal benefitsfor all. GWP will work with others, such asUNDP, UNESCO Centre for Water Law, Policy &Science and regional organisations, to betterunderstand conflicts related to water and todevelop objective and realistic conflictresolution scenarios to assist policy makersin making decisions.

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levels take up strategic information and key messages.

Strategy to reach Goal 3GWP has made conceptual and technicalcontributions to water management andsustainable development at global, regionaland national levels. The network has laid astrong intellectual foundation for integratedwater resources management in publicationson issues such as adapting to climate change,developing infrastructure, river basin organisa-tions and financing. The Catalyzing Changeseries, prepared by the Technical Committee,supports countries in using the IWRMapproach. GWP's educational and advocacyrole has led to changes in policies andlegislation.

GWP will implement a comprehensivecommunications strategy that builds on itsknowledge base and expands water advocacymore broadly to take in social and economicdevelopment. To do this GWP will develop twointerlinked areas: the internal communicationsculture and the Partnership's communicationsin global, as well as in regional, country andlocal development discourses. Specificelements of the strategy to reach Goal 3 areoutlined below.

Goal 3: Reinforce knowledge sharing andcommunications.

This goal focuses on developing thecapacity to share knowledge and topromote a dynamic communicationsculture, so as to support better watermanagement.

Outcome 3aGlobal entities, such as UN agencies, multi-and bi-laterals, and the corporate world arebetter informed through GWP knowledgedissemination about issues related tomanaging the world's water resources.

Outcome 3bStakeholders, including governments, financeand planning ministries, NGOs, the privatesector and youth, have better access torelevant and practical knowledge, and morecapacity to share that knowledge.

Outcome 3cGWP embeds a communications cultureacross the Partnership and stakeholders at all

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awareness and understanding of theimportance of water for other sectoral usersand abusers. This will include working withbusiness, for example through the WorldEconomic Forum and World Business Councilon Sustainable Development.

Knowledge sharing: In addition to shapingthe internal communication culture toencourage Partners to become good atsharing knowledge and communicating, GWPwill develop products, services and platformsthat make communication easier. GWP willlink the Technical Committee more closely toother GWP knowledge streams (such as theToolBox, and Country and RegionalPartnerships) and to cooperating Partners,including youth and education groups.Connecting those who can provide knowledgewith those who need knowledge will ensurethat GWP generates products and servicesthat make sharing knowledge more effective.The GWP ToolBox will be central to this effort.GWP will extend the influence of its intellec-tual leadership by producing practical guides,sharing lessons across countries and regions,and using appropriate communicationsmethods for advocacy, feedback andmonitoring results.

Strategic messages: GWP has a solidreputation in the water world. But, to positionthe network in the broader development worldand beyond requires a more deliberate focuson reporting achievements (and the processesand activities that contribute to thoseachievements). Drawing on the Partnership'sexpertise, GWP will step up efforts to iden-tify—and develop policy responses to—criticaldevelopment threats that affect or areaffected by, water resources management.The wealth of information created by thenetwork will be articulated and delivered torelevant and influential audiences, such asdonor Partners, policy makers, the media andothers who are strategic to achieving GWP's mission.

Communications capacity: GWP will build andembed communications capacity throughoutthe network. This means integratingcommunications into programme activitiesfrom the start so that programmes generateand disseminate appropriate information bothinternally and externally. GWP will shape itsinternal communication culture to improvedialogue and share lessons more widelyamong regional and country Partners. Thismeans finding ways to make it easier for thewhole network to share knowledge, experi-ences and information. Communications is anetwork-wide activity that facilitates theachievement of all four strategic goals and theoverall GWP mission. GWP will encourageevery Partner of the network to be acommunicator to multiply the network'svisibility and effectiveness.

Outreach: GWP will help people realise thatsharing information between departments,regions and cooperating Partners strengthensthe network and augments its contribution tothe wider world. As well as informing thewater sector, this will involve engaging withnon-water ministries, such as Finance andPlanning, and with key NGOs, such asTransparency International. In particular,messages will be targeted at audiences fromoutside of the water community to build

Goal 4: Build a moreeffective network.

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This goal focuses on enhancing thenetwork's resilience and effectivenessthrough stronger partnerships, goodgovernance, measuring performanceto help learning and financialsustainability.

Outcome 4aGWP strengthens and builds the capacity ofRegional Water Partnerships so they carry outtheir work plans more effectively, and providesupport to the Country Water Partnerships.

Outcome 4bThe Global Water Partnership Organizationand the Regional Water Partnershipsundertake a change process to improveorganisation and management, and stream-line financial, administrative and governancestructures across the Partnership. GWPO andthe RWPs fully incorporate an OutcomeMapping approach as a way to plan, monitorand evaluate the success of annual workplans.

Outcome 4cGWPO, RWPs and Country Water Partnershipsaccess new and diverse sources of funding forGWP activities while increasing funding fromtraditional sources.

Strategy to reach Goal 4At the end of 2008 the Partnership comprised13 Regional Water Partnerships, nearly 80Country Water Partnerships and over 1,800registered Partners. Many Partner organi-sations and individuals have local influenceand are a key resource in bringing aboutbehavioural change in target beneficiaries.This extensive network allows GWP to bettersupport and influence national and regionalpolicies and actions. GWP will maintain a lightand flexible network structure to allow Partnersto focus on local priorities and to empowercommunities to bring their concerns to thenational, regional and global levels.

Since its creation in 1996, GWP hasprogressively established rights andresponsibilities at all levels of the network—from the establishment of the Global WaterPartnership Organization (GWPO), to thecreation of Regional Water Partnerships,Country Water Partnerships and, in somecountries, Area Water Partnerships (e.g. at

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sources, the Partnership will enhance anddiversify fund-raising capacity at the regionaland country levels.

Supporting the network: GWP will upgradegovernance and administrative structures toimplement the 2009–2013 Strategy. Thefocus will be on streamlining and strength-ening governance structures across thenetwork. This will maintain the light, flexible,locally owned nature of the network, whilereassuring donors and governments of thesoundness of GWP operations. Organisationand governance aspects are discussed furtherin chapter VI.

Reducing GWP's carbon footprint: Face-to-face interaction is the most effective means ofsharing knowledge and experience, andchanging behaviour. However, GWP will takemeasures to reduce travel, use moderncommunications technology (such as videoconferencing, virtual meetings and 'webinars')and reduce global meetings, whereverpossible, to lower costs and minimise thePartnership's carbon footprint.

basin, city or district level). The governance ofGWP will continue to evolve so that it can bestsupport the achievement of the goals in the2009–2013 Strategy.

Listed below are specific elements of thestrategy for achieving Goal 4.

Partnership and alliance building: GWP has aunique ability to build capacity because of itsglobal and local reach. GWP will continue toexpand its partnership base, focusing on non-water stakeholders, while improving theadministrative arrangements that governexisting relationships. GWP will build strongeralliances with strategic Partner organisations,such as UN-Water, the European Union WaterInitiative, CapNet, the International Network ofBasin Organizations, the AssociatedProgramme on Flood Management, the WorldWater Council and others. GWP will build newalliances with Partners, such as the Cooper-ative Programme for Climate and Water andthe Water Integrity Network.

Performance measurement: Since GWP doesnot implement infrastructure projects, butfacilitates processes to improve waterresources management, GWP has adoptedOutcome Mapping as a tool to monitor andreport results, and measure performance. Thismethodology will be applied across thenetwork in 2009 and beyond, with strongerlinks to the Global Action Network to shareexperiences on performance measurement.GWP will also share with the donor communityits experience of the Outcome Mappingapproach to show how it can be adopted insimilar policy-related programmes andnetworks.

Financial sustainability: To move towardsfinancial sustainability, GWP will continue toprovide a demand-led quality service thatresponds to regional and country priorities aswell as those of the donor community. Whileworking to expand the financial resource baseat all levels through new and existing funding

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lose its comparative advantage. If it becomestoo flexible it will lose its credibility and brandreputation.

To address this tension, GWP will manageresources effectively while upholding localautonomy and ownership. This puts moreresponsibility on Regional Water Partnershipsfor effective regional governance and betterfinancial management. To achieve this, GWPwill build stronger capabilities at all levels,improve the functioning of all GWP governancebodies and ensure accountability to protectthe GWP brand.

To link the 'international organisation' face ofGWPO with the 'network component' of theGWP, and put change agents at the centre ofthe Partnership, the distinct roles and contri-butions of the different elements within theGWP structure must be identified.

Roles of the different GWP elementsGWP requires six essential (and interlinked)competencies to function effectively:

1. Organising effective, efficient and accountable action on the ground;

2. Improving the ability to build technicalcapacity at all levels and provide globalintellectual leadership;

3. Putting in place a robust network and communications system;

4. Improving the strategic and policy setting abilities of internal governance bodies for making wise decisions;

5. Securing the legitimacy of the system;6. Providing funding for the continued

functioning of the network.

These six elements are presented below withthe implications of what they mean for GWPorganisational and governance systems. Allelements are equally essential for meeting theStrategic Goals.

VI. DELIVERING THESTRATEGY:ORGANISATION ANDGOVERNANCE

A process of changeGWP will strengthen and reform organisationaland governance structures to deliver the2009–2013 Strategy with its more operationalfocus. GWP will streamline and simplifygovernance systems to clarify and improveoverall legitimacy and accountability. GWP willalign the governance system more closelywith its aspiration to be an effective globalaction network. GWP's organisational andgovernance evolution will recognise the rights,roles and responsibilities of the differentelements that make up the Partnership andtake into account the inherent duality of thenetwork:

the horizontal nature of the GWP network—the committed actors and processes for social change around the world that have been founded locally and have their own organisational processes, andthe vertical nature of the Global Water Partnership Organization, an internationalorganisation that must satisfy internationallaw (with the Chair and Steering Commit-tee appointed by the Sponsoring Partners) and basic financial requirements,hence requiring the authority of the international 'owners' and satisfying the international financial partners (donors).

The different elements of the network perceivethe vertical and horizontal aspects of thesystem and their requirements, differently andhave differing expectations. This creates atension that can be healthy and dynamic, andis common in global action networks that areresponsible for both driving social change anddistributing funding. However, this tensionhas to be managed. If the GWP networkmutates into a centralised hierarchy it will

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must drive change within the Partnership. Atthe global level the Technical Committee (TEC)is the 'technical hub' of the network. As thenetwork grows, and becomes more focusedon operations, GWP will integrate TEC'sintellectual leadership more into networkknowledge and communications. The role andmodus operandi of the TEC, the Secretariatand the Regional Partnerships, and the way inwhich they interact with one another ontechnical issues, will be strengthened andbrought closer together. This will address twokey roles: providing global intellectualleadership to keep GWP at the forefront ofnew ideas and challenges, and providingdemand-driven technical support to theRegional and Country Partnerships. Closerlinks among the network and technical hubswill encourage technical and intellectualcross-fertilisation at the regional level whilealso strengthening work on global issues.

3 Networking and communicationsThe Secretariat is the executive body and isthe 'network hub' for the whole system. TheSecretariat will gradually devolve financialmanagement, first to the RWPs and,subsequently, to the CWPs. The Secretariat,together with the Technical Committee, willalso raise the global profile of the networkand regions as they take a greater lead withinthe Partnership. The Secretariat will strength-en its communications and network functionsto help the RWPs to improve their capacities,their managerial responsibilities and theirrelationships with host institutions.

4 Strategy and policy settingThe Steering Committee (SC) is the globalgovernance body for the network. It isresponsible for making key policy andstrategic decisions about GWP's direction. The Steering Committee also providesfiduciary and management oversight of theGWPO, holding the Secretariat, the TechnicalCommittee and the network to account andproviding assurances to financial Partners.The Steering Committee is the 'strategy hub',

1 ActionThe most important factor in achieving theGWP mission in the long term is change-oriented action on the ground at regional,national and sub-national levels (for example,basin, district, and city). For the 2009–2013Strategy, the focus of attention will be onRWPs to become as autonomous as possible,to raise and manage resources and to planstrategy. Host institutions are a cost-effectiveway to administer RWPs. GWP will buildcapacity and create strong contractualarrangements with host institutions so thatthe secretariats will be effective and efficient.Fiduciary responsibilities will be transferredgradually from the Secretariat to the regionallevel in the context of robust, efficient andhighly accountable host institutions andlegitimately governed RWPs.

2 Technical/intellectual leadershipTechnical capacity has always been an integralpart of GWP. As the Partnership moves intothis strategy period, delivering technicalsupport at the country and regional level willbe even more critical than in the past, and

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The GWP is an extraordinary network in whichmany volunteer their time and intellect to helpachieve the vision of a water secure world. Thethrust of the 2009–2013 Strategy is to keepGWP at the forefront of thinking and action onwater resources issues and to strengthen andgrow the network, particularly at the regionallevel, to provide a solid mechanism to addresscurrent and evolving issues. To implement the2009–2013 Strategy and achieve GWP's goals,more financial resources will be needed at all

VII. SECURING THERESOURCES TO MEETGWP'S GOALS

the network together. The NominationCommittee is therefore essential in securing abalance between the Sponsoring Partners(who approve nominations to the SC) and theRegions (who are consulted in the process ofnominating SC members) and in ensuring thatthe appointment of SC members is the resultof consensus across the system.

6 FundingThe Financial Partners Group (FPG) is externalto the network and is made up of committeddonors who fund the GWP. The FPG provides atwo-way communication channel at the globallevel between the GWP (as a developmentpartner of the donors) and the donors. It isalso a forum where donors can exchangeviews, and share their policies and approachesto water resources management. The relation-ship with donors at the global level is a uniquefeature of the GWP and extends beyondfunding. The Financial Partners Group is aforum for achieving broad consensus on ideasand solutions in integrated approaches towater resources management. This relation-ship will be developed at regional and countrylevels, to enhance donor and governmentresponses to regional and national prioritieson water management.

and taps into the knowledge that existsacross the network as much as possible inorder to make effective, strategic andlegitimate decisions about the GWPO. Themembership and nominations process for theSC will evolve as it works to meet thechallenges of the new strategy period.

5 LegitimacyThree constituencies bring legitimacy to GWP.These constituencies are at the foundation ofthe network and opportunities for change orevolution are therefore limited.

The first source of legitimacy is the Partners,the registered members of the GWP. They arerepresented at the annual Consulting Part-ners' Meeting. At present there are around1,800 registered Partners across the world.Each Regional Water Partnership has aRegional Council made up of Partner represen-tatives (from different countries) from theregion. The Stockholm Secretariat representsPartners from countries that do not have aRegional or Country Water Partnership. TheRegional Chair presides over the RegionalCouncil. Regional Councils are thus the'regional legitimacy hub'. The annualConsulting Partners' Meeting provides'network legitimacy'. In this strategy periodthe purpose of this meeting will be clarifiedand the arrangements improved to make itmore representative of the network.

The Sponsoring Partners give legal legitimacyto the GWPO. They are the states and inter-national organisations that signed theMemorandum of Understanding establishingthe GWPO—the international organisation—and thus provide the 'global legitimacy hub'.The Sponsoring Partners effectively 'own' theGWPO and appoint the Chair, members of theSteering Committee and the Auditor.

The Nomination Committee provides the third'legitimacy hub'. It is responsible for nomi-nating the members of the SteeringCommittee (SC) to bring the Organisation and

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Change will be implemented progressivelyand in a way that reinforces rather thandestabilises the network.

GWP Partners will become more active withgreater responsibilities, initially at theRegional Water Partnerships level. This willdemand more capacity development, moretransparency and accountability, and betterfinancial management at regional and countrylevels. The process will start in 2009, but thepace at which it will proceed will vary betweenRegions depending on their level of maturity. It is anticipated that the process of regionalreinforcement will be completed by the end ofthis strategy period and that the focus in thenext strategy period will be at the CountryPartnership level. The accreditation process(based on the 'Conditions for Accreditation'established in 2005), and the LearningReviews for RWPs, will be progressivelystrengthened to ensure that robustgovernance and management systemsaccompany strengthening of the regionalpartnerships. These measures will improveaccountability and protect donor funds andthe GWP reputation.

VIII. A TIMETABLEFOR CHANGE

The Secretariat and Technical Committee willevolve to better support the network andincrease GWP's contribution to the globaldialogue on critical issues. The size andstructure of the Secretariat will respond to theneeds for better network support throughoutthe strategy period. The way in which themultiple demands for technical expertise atglobal, regional and country level may beserviced will be addressed and developedduring the first year of the new strategyperiod.

The role and structure of the SteeringCommittee and Nominating Committee will bedeveloped at the start of the strategy period,initially to improve the current ways of work-ing and subsequently, if needed, through aplanned process during the first three years ofthe strategy period to implement changes thatmay be needed to the GWP Statutes.

Network legitimacy will benefit from buildingmore strongly on regional governancearrangements as representative bodies, ratherthan relying on the Partners through theannual Consulting Partners’ Meeting. Thismeeting will evolve in line with other govern-ance changes so that it represents theimplementing part of the GWP (the RWPs andCWPs) rather than “Partners” at random. This will require statute changes and willbe addressed in an inclusive and consultative way.

levels, and new sources of funding (with newideas and solutions) accessed. It will also beimportant to maintain and increase funds fromtraditional sources.

To build a stronger more effective network asset out in this Strategy, GWP will strengthenthe capacities of the Regional Partnershipsand support functions. GWP will also putappropriate governance systems in place toenable Regions to grow, to better oversee andsupport country activities, and to fully accountfor the funding they receive.

Editing, design and layout: SCRIPTORIA, www.scriptoria.co.uk

ISBN: 978-91-85321-71-1

Global Water PartnershipDrottninggatan 33SE-111 51 Stockholm, SWEDENPhone: +46 8 522 126 30Fax: + 46 8 522 126 31E-mail: gwp@gwpforum.orgWeb: www.gwpforum.org

Photo credits – cover, children at tap: Angela Sevin | page 2: RVD |

page 3: Petter Karlberg | page 4: Philippines Water Partnership, GTZ and NWRB |

page 6: Heldur Netocny/PHOENIX | page 10: Ingrid | pages 10/11/12 (side bars): China

Photos/Stringer | page 13: Jurgen | page 18: Lars-Erik Örthlund | page 21: World Bank