This partnership is preparing for the delivery (up to 2006) of:

- High quality capacity in post-graduate water education at regional and national centers in the developing world in order to help satisfying the high human resources needs in the water and environmental sectors;
- Innovative education and training courses based on new systems, processes, methodologies and techniques for knowledge transfer and sharing. Here innovation means the intelligent use and mix ("blended learning") of technology-based systems - also to bridging distances through e-learning systems - and of social-psychological methods and techniques to use the creative thinking power of professionals;
- Collaborative research to generate new knowledge by ensuring that the world's best researchers work together to provide us with new insights in our search for innovative solutions for problems in developing countries;
- A real and virtually connected alumni community as part of a continuous education strategy where a graduate of IHE and/or its partners will be kept updated, and where knowledge could be shared with others without the necessity for physical presence;
- Global education and training needs assessments to improve policies for human resources development;
- A connectivity system and a partnership model that sustain water education at post-graduate level on the longer term, and that is based on mutual benefits.
- Direct connectivity with decision-makers and leaders to move policy into practice.

The founding members are aware of the fact that they have very different objectives and working styles and typically respond to very different incentives. The diversity is what makes this partnership attractive in the first instance: each bringing something new to the mix i.e. their own strengths and weaknesses, resources and capabilities.

1. Experience built with collaborative working and decisions-making;
2. Knowledge Map software installed and system is operational;
3. Arrangements for Governance and Operations of the Partnership approved
4. Twelve pilot joint-courses in production for delivery through distance learning
5. Three collaborative research projects initiated
6. Training of more than 50 academic staff in the partnership in creative learning methods
7. More than 1,700 professionals from more than 40 countries connected through Video Conferencing based seminars in 2003
8. Hardware systems in place and operational: web-based collaborative spaces, websites, tele and video-conferencing facilitaties installed
9. Marketing and communication plan under preparation to promote the Partnership
10. Terms of Reference for the production of Best Practice case studies among alumni prepared and launched in Latin America and Africa.

The Rectorate of UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education has the overall responsibility for the implementation of the PoWER programme. The Programme Director of PoWER reports on a monthly basis to the Rectorate of UNESCO-IHE.

The Panel of Rectors from Partner Institutions is responsible for assessing partnership policies on academic, administrative and investment affairs for decision-making in the Rectorate of UNESCO-IHE. This Panel will meet at least once a year, or as frequently as demanded. It has an advisory role to the Rectorate of UNESCO-IHE. Rules for policy assessment and criteria for acceptance of new partners is under development and will be available after the 1st Meeting of the Panel, scheduled for April 2004.

The Technical Committee (=TC; the "Extended Task Force") consists of academic representatives from partner institutions (selected and appointed by the Panel of Rectors, Vice Chancellors and Directors) to work on the partnership development scheme. The TC provides guidance to the Task Force on the implementation and management of the partnership. The Task Force and its Members of the Technical Committee meet each other every 3rd Monday of the Month using a Web-based Collaborative Space and Teleconferencing to discuss operational matters and new policy issues. For decision-making the TC submits proposals to the Panel of Rectors.

Academic Working Groups for Joint Products, appointed by the Panel of Rectors, Vice-Chancellors and Directors for the duration of the joint educational activity, consists of reputable professors and senior lecturers from partner institutions, responsible for quality monitoring of joint curricula, materials and tools and joint-research. These Working Groups will communicate with Academic Boards and Councils of partner institutions on benchmarking quality of education, set standards for the Partnership in general. These Working Groups will meet as frequently as required.

The Alumni/Associates are connected through the Virtual Alumni Community and through direct contact with the different partners; the will be giving feedback to the plans and operations of the programme in cases where demanded by the Task Force or the Director of the UNESCO-IHE institute or the Members of the Technical Committee. They will also promote the partnership and assist in strengthening the links with other major actors in the water and environment sectors. Alumni will be mobilised to deliver content in the form of both `Best Practices? and through participation in Communities of Practice aiming at sharing knowledge experiences through communications, seminars, documents and multi-media products.

The Task Force has been authorised to mobilise all necessary internal and external (international) expertise to implement all activities and to contribute to the management of the Partnership.

The Best Content for Sustainable Development
The partnership mobilises knowledge from both North and South needed to support water and environment capacity building in developing countries and countries in transition. PoWER is developing and will implement joint-modules and programmes with several partners. Courses are being redesigned to improve the immediate performance of professionals, and to increase their chances for a better career within organisations and the sector as a whole. Redesigning courses are also aiming at increasing the innovative abilities of professionals so as to enable them to find creative solutions that are compatible with objectives for sustainable development. Educational content need continuous update to serve development. Therefore, research in the fields of water security, environmental integrity, urbanisation, integration and information and communication systems will receive support, and if it is carried out as a multi-partner effort.

Innovative Learning
Educational products and services need to be innovative and more ?learner-centred?. Education and training will be delivered to many more people and institutions in the developing world by using "blended" learning systems i.e. combining human-to-human interaction with electronic systems in the context of "continuous education or learning". This will accelerate and intensify the process of knowledge delivery. Education and training of junior and mid-career professionals require creative approaches to benefit from (explicit and tacit) knowledge that is of both the "learner" and "teacher".
PoWER will function as the "vehicle" to stimulate academic staff to adopt new ways of "human-to-human" knowledge sharing and transfer i.e. by the use of innovative didactical methods and techniques. Here, innovative methods and techniques mean the use of social-psychological systems for creative brainstorming and integrated thinking; innovation also means the use of e-tools and multi-media (such as role plays, simulation games using data, sound and images) in order to make learning effective and inspiring. PoWER will also stimulate the establishment of "Communities of Practice" (CoP) in which alumni and other professionals could form learning communities that could generate new education and training materials, case studies, joint-publications, etc. These communities will be based on principles of mutual benefit and growth. The establishment of the PoWER I(nnovative) Learning Community, will ensure capturing these new experiences among staff within the partnership.

Facilities for Distance Learning
PoWER will continue to establish the necessary facilities and infrastructure at UNESCO-IHE and its partner institutions to provide multi-media education both through Internet combined with Video-Conferencing. The Video-Conferencing facilities will be used within the frame of the World Bank Institute?s Global Development Learning Network (GDLN). The use of both Internet and Video and Telephone Conferencing technologies will change the way and speed of knowledge sharing and transfer. New delivery and cost/income models will be developed, as well as new ways of marketing such courses. This infrastructure will bridge distances between experts, and between "teachers" and "learners", and provide cost-effective communications in collaborative events, such as education, research and conferences.

Amount in US$: 6.2 million for 5 years (2002-2006)

Source(s): Government
Remaining amount in US$ 4.0 million for 2004-2006 (3 years)
Sources: Government of The Netherlands/Ministry of Foreign Affairs (initial budget), Government of The Netherlands/Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management (distance learning), the Foundation for International Technical Cooperation (collaborative research).

Source(s): Private sector

Required Amount in US$: 15000000

Source(s) already approached: Required amount in US$ 15 million (5 years) to built local capacity and to accelerate knowledge transfer around the world and in the regions through seminars, video-conferencing and the facilitation of Communities of Practice.