Dear colleagues
As we move closer to our first delivery (end Feb 2012), and as we move into the next milestones of on the EU JRC project, I though it would be a good time to report on the status of our project, in order to keep momentum.
As always, I first and foremost want to thank all of you who have contributed in trying to make this project a success. In future I want to increase the communication though various channels (i.e. email; skype; Aquanknow etc), in order for all of us to keep the momentum.
Herewith the progress report - apologies for it being quite extensive, but we have a few topics to cover, so please take some time to absorb the content of this report.
1. Project Progress - Deliverable 1
Based on feedback I received, we had a very good worksession in Stellenbosch on 14-15 Feb 2012 with the Institutions that are leading tasks JLP1.1 and JLP1.2 (Stellenbosch University) and KM2.1 (UWC; UMozambique and Hub) on the deliverables due end of Feb 2012 to the EU JRC. During this time, Keith Kennedy (CSIR) also joined us on 15th Feb 2012. We still aim to submit the report and are pushing hard to finalise the draft reports.
As mentioned earlier, once we have compiled a report that is at a decent level, we would like to circulate it among consortium members - please expect some correspondence either from me or the lead institutions in the coming week 20-24 Feb 2012.
2. Overall Project Progress
During the aforementioned worksession, we also discussed JLP1.3 PREPARATION OF MECHANISMS FOR DIALOGUE, AWARENESS RAISING AND COACHING ELEMENTS (UWC) which is the following task, and also discussed logistics and required outputs of JLP1.4 CONSULTATIVE PLANNING SEMINAR with UBotswana. I am in the process of compiling the minutes of the worksession, which I will circulate in next week, which will report on the discussions.
3. Project monitoring and evaluation
In order to monitor and evaluate the progress of the project, I have extended the original project Gantt chart with the feedback from our Maputo workshop, as provided by the different consortium members. I attach the updated chart to this mail. Within the Gantt Chart, I have allocated the steps due date as per detail tasks, and are then able to monitor the task by ‐
ACTIVITY : PLANNED DATE
ACTIVITY : ON TRACK (ACTUAL)
ACTIVITY : PREPARE PLAN B (ACTUAL)
ACTIVITY: IMPLEMENT PLAN B (ACTUAL)
To date I have received such detail feedback from all institutions on their specific tasks, except for
JLP 1.5 FINAL DESIGN OF THE SEMINARS AND TRAININGS (CSIR)
JLP 1.6(a) TRAINING/SEMINARS, ORGANIZATION (ALL)
JLP 1.6(b) TRAINING/SEMINARS, IMPLEMENTATION REPORT (SU)
KM2.3 PRODUCE EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL, LINKED WITH AQUAKNOW PLATFORM AND DEVELOPMENT OF COURSES (UKZN - to be reassigned)
KM2.5 INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP (UMalawi)
I will commit to prepare the detail steps and requirements for JLP 1.6, but if all other institutions could please provide their steps and expected dates to me as soon as possible, then I can monitor the project. If by any change you prepared and sent the information though and I missed it, please just forward it again.
4. Important dates
Please keep the following important dates as we move through the project. I have organised the tasks chronologically in the table by due date, in order for us to plan better: (I also attach the table as a document)
|
TASK
|
DUE DATE
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LEAD INSTITUTION
|
|
DELIVERABLE 1 to JRC
|
|
JLP 1.1 SURVEY ON REQUIREMENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION AND WITHIN TRAININGS FOR PRACTITIONERS IN THE WATER SECTOR
|
End Feb. 2012
|
SU
|
|
JLP 1.2. STUDY ON HOW THE CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE COULD BETTER ADDRESS SECTOR EXPERTISE FOR CONSULTANCY AND ADVOCACY NEEDS FOR WATER SECTOR
|
End Feb. 2012
|
SU
|
|
KM 2.1 ANALYSIS OF THE AQUAKNOW USERS AND POLICY MAKERS
|
End Feb. 2012
|
UBotswana; UWC;
|
|
SUBMIT DELIVERABLE 1 TO JRC due end Feb. 2012
|
|
DELIVERABLE 2 to JRC
|
|
KM2.2 DEVELOPING A LIST OF ACTIONS AND CHANNELS FOR THE DISSEMINATION AND DISSEMINATION MATERIAL
|
Mid March 2012
|
UZambia
|
|
JLP 1.3 PREPARATION OF MECHANISMS FOR DIALOGUE, AWARENESS RAISING AND COACHING ELEMENTS
|
Mid April 2012
|
UWC
|
|
SUBMIT DELIVERABLE 2 TO JRC end April 2012
|
|
DELIVERABLE 3 to JRC
|
|
KM2.3 PRODUCE EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL, LINKED WITH AQUAKNOW PLATFORM AND DEVELOPMENT OF COURSES
|
Early to mid May 2012
|
UKZN – NEW LEAD TO BE ASSIGNED
|
|
JLP 1.4 CONSULTATIVE PLANNING SEMINAR in Botswana
|
Preliminary dates:
13-14 June 2012 or 20-21 June 2012.
|
UBotswana
|
|
JLP 1.5 FINAL DESIGN OF THE SEMINARS AND TRAININGS
|
Mid to end July 2012
|
CSIR
|
|
JLP 1.6TRAINING/SEMINARS
|
August 2012
|
ALL
|
|
JLP 1.7 PROCEEDINGS AND FEEDBACK MATERIAL FROM THE TRAININGS/SEMINARS
|
August 2012 during 1.6 training seminars
|
SU
|
|
JLP 1.8 AMCOW AND SADC REPORTS
|
Date to be determined by AMCOW
|
SU
|
|
KM2.4 INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP
|
Date to be confirmed by JRC
|
UMalawi
|
|
KM 2.5 E-CONFERENCE AND THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE E-CONFERENCE
|
Early to mid October 2012
|
SU
|
|
SUBMIT DELIVERABLE 3 TO JRC due end Oct 2012
|
|
DELIVERABLE 4 to JRC
|
|
CONTRACTUAL REPORTS
|
End Nov. 2012
|
SU
|
|
SUBMIT DELIVERABLE 4 TO JRC due end Nov 2012
|
|
PROJECT CONCLUDE
|
5. Communication and Collaboration
As per my emails in the week. A CLOSED and PRIVATE group has been created on the Aquaknow.net KMS platform for us to communicate and distribute private information, discussions and documents amongst ourselves. I urge you to please register on Aquaknow.net (if you have not done so yet), and become members of the "NEPAD SANWATCE - EU JRC Project" group. If you are unsure how to proceed with this, just let me know, as I want to use that platform in future for all our communications.
6. So what to expect in the next few weeks
1. Finalise report and deliver on Deliverable 1 to EU JRC - expect correspondence and input into the report in the week 20-24 Feb 2012
2. Focus on Deliverable 2 due end April 2012 (refer to above table)
3. Start Planning for Consultative workshop in Botswana
4. Resolve and realocate the UKZN task
5. Refer to 3. Project monitoring and evaluation - if all other institutions could please provide their steps and expected dtates to me as soon as possible, then I can monitor the project.
6 . Refer to 5. Communication and Collaboration - Register and joint the NEPAD SANWATCE - EU JRC PROJECT group
6. EU JRC Issues
1. Get clarification of the expected date for the International workshop
2. Assist in resolving the reallocation of task KM2.3 PRODUCE EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL, LINKED WITH AQUAKNOW PLATFORM AND DEVELOPMENT OF COURSES
If there are anything you require clarification on, or that you think I might have left out, just let me know.
All the best
Nico
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Mr. Nico Elema,
MBA
NEPAD Water Centres of Excellence
Regional Program Manager:
SANWATCE - Southern African Water Centres of Excellence
