#5

INPIM Electronic Newsletter #5

In this Issue:

Announcement: A Training Course on Capacity Building for Participatory Irrigation Management

Organized Jointly by:

Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari, Italy, International Network on Participatory Irrigation Management (INPIM), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

September 12 - 21, 2001
Bari, Italy,

The Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (MAIB) on behalf of its partner organizations (INPIM, IFAD, and the World Bank) is pleased to announce a 10-day training course on Capacity Building for Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM), to be held in Bari, Italy, from September 12 to 21, 2001. The course is aimed at senior faculty of training institutes, policy makers, system managers, and NGO leaders who are actively engaged in implementing PIM programs in their countries. The purpose of the course is to enable the participants to design strategies for implementing PIM in their respective countries.

Background

Participatory Irrigation Management refers to the involvement of irrigation users in all aspects and all levels of system management, through organized associations. The PIM approach has already been adopted in many developed and developing countries, including Mexico, USA, Turkey, Japan, India, etc. Many other countries are actively reforming their irrigation policies towards greater management participation by users, or are considering such reforms. The Bari training course on Capacity Building for PIM is aimed at helping these countries devise new training programs and revise existing training programs as part of the process of implementing PIM reforms.

Organization of the Course

The course will be held on the campus of the Mediterranean Institute of Bari. Lectures will be in English and French, and translation will be provided in these two languages. The training program will include classroom presentations, groups discussions, and field visits. Copies of lecture material and a full set of documents for PIM training will be provided to all participants. A certificate of attendance will be awarded to participants at the end of the course.

Admission Requirements

The course will be limited to about 35 participants who would fall under two main categories: (1) senior managers who would be responsible for implementing PIM, and in this context, providing on-the-job training on PIM to their staff; and (2) faculty and staff of irrigation management training institutes or NGOs who would develop their own PIM training programs in their countries. Preference will be given to country teams of 3-5 persons representing a mix of both categories, and who have strong practical and professional experience.

Language

The course materials will be in English, and most of the formal presentations will also be in English. Simultaneous translation will be provided in French and Russian.

Interested candidates should contact (by fax or email):

Prof. Atef Hamdy
Director of Research
Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari
Fax:+39080 4606206
Tel:+39080 4606111
Email: hamdy@iamb.it

Registration fees and other costs: A consolidated fee of $1,850 covers all costs, except for air transportation, including tuition, meals and accommodation, field visits, and incidental expenses. The organizers will help qualified candidates identify sources of funding to meet the costs of travel and registration.

DRAFT PROGRAM

Capacity Building for PIM

BARI, ITALY, Sept. 12 - 21, 2001

9/12 Registration
9/13 Introduction
Welcome and overview
Introductions of Participants
Concepts of PIM
Small group discussions and reporting
9/14 Approaches to PIM
The Range of Policy Options
Role of Public and Private Sectors
Case studies: Mexico and India
Presentation on Italy and orientation to field visits
9/15 Field Visits (all day) Two groups visit irrigation systems near Bari
9/16 (Sunday: free time for sightseeing)
9/17 Designing a PIM Strategy Building consensus and support for PIM, Reorienting irrigation agencies, Benchmarking as a tool for management reform, Preparatory Framework, Legal Framework 9/18 Open Discussion and De-briefing (morning) Participants to decide on topics for discussion Afternoon: free time
9/19 Implementing Policy Change
Organizing options/steps for implementing PIM
Identifying capacity building needs
Elements of a PIM marketing strategy
(pm: Country groups formulate PIM marketing strategies)
9/20 Second Generation Challenges for WUAs, Operational procedures for WUAs, Financing and rate structure of WUAs, M&E of WUA performance, Participatory design process, (pm: Country groups finalize PIM marketing strategies)
9/21 Presentation of Country Marketing Strategies (poster session)
Wrap-up and conclusions, Evaluation, Closing