Integrated Capacity Building Programme
The Integrated Capacity Building Programme, or ICBP, underpins all MRC programmes and missions by developing activities to increase the professional capacity and expertise of staff at the MRC Secretariat, the National Mekong Committees (NMCs) and related line agencies in the Member Countries.
Funding for the ICBP was limited in 2007 and the programme had to restrict activities according to the available budget. The outlook for the near future is brighter, however, with funding now received from Finland for the new project of the Junior Riparian Professional (Project 2).
The programme has two components.
Component 1: Programme Management and Communication
This component provides management support to ensure that demand-driven
and relevant capacity building activities are designed, delivered
and fully integrated throughout MRC programmes, the NMCs and
line agencies, and radiate to a wider audience of stakeholder
groups. It also maintains and deepens professional contacts
with regional academia and training institutions.
ICBP has been supporting the International Cooperation and Communications Section in preparing a proposal for Australian funding to be delivered through continuation of the Strategic Liaison Programme with the Murray-Darling Basin Commission (MDBC) and AusAID. An MDBC design mission completed national consultations with three NMCS (Cambodia, the Lao PDR and Viet Nam) and this process will be completed by inputs from the Thai NMC and by seeking regional consent prior to the finalisation of the proposal. Priority capacity building activities for the MRCS and the NMCs have been identified and a detailed Terms of Reference developed for programme formulation. In 2008 the ICBP programme document and programme implementation plan will be developed through extensive national and regional consultations, and priority capacity building activities can be implemented.
Component 2: Integrated Capacity Building
The objectives of this component are to raise the level of competence
among staff in the MRC and in riparian governments, particularly
on cross-cutting issues pertinent to Integrated Water Resource
Management (IWRM), and to provide methodological support to
integrate and consolidate MRC training activities in priority
areas. At the moment the component includes three activity lines/projects,
namely (i) MRCS and NMC training activities, (ii) the Junior
Riparian Professional Project, and (iii) the Gender Mainstreaming
Project.
Almost US$50,000 provided under the Operating Expense Budget (OEB) for 2007 was used to strengthen the capacity and develop the skills of MRC staff. Training courses included English language proficiency, computer skills, office administration, and technical subjects.
Under an agreement between the MRCS and the Government of Finland signed in November 2007, €750,000 (approximately US$1,000,000) worth of funding will be made available for implementation of the new Junior Riparian Professional (JRP), to run from January 2008 to December 2011. The new JRP project will provide forty young riparian professionals with the opportunity to follow a training programme that gives hands-on experience in integrated water resource management. The preparatory phase of the project is planned for the first half of 2008 while eight JRPs will be recruited and trained during the second half of the year.
The Gender Mainstreaming project continues to implement the MRC gender strategy and institutionalise effective implementation of MRC gender policy. The project works together with national gender teams at the four NMCs, and with the MRCS gender inhouse network. Networks are also pursued with gender activities and projects in other international organisations, agencies and institutions. The major activities of the project over 2007 focused on:
- Four gender training courses conducted for NMCs and line agencies to increase gender awareness and sensitivity aspects;
- A gender basin-wide workshop organised at the MRCS to finalise national and basin-wide action plans;
- Four in-house meetings organised to provide a forum for MRCS staff for gender issues in sectors related to MRC development programmes;
- Support provided to the Cambodia NMC gender team to organise the Regional Workshop on Gender Mainstreaming in IWRM for Southeast Asia in Siem Reap;
- Consultative meetings with national gender teams to follow up on the impact of training sessions and to monitor implementation of action points defined by participants. Two further gender training courses were organised by the Lao NMC gender focal points, and an introductory session on Viet Nam’s Gender Equality Law was organised by the Viet Nam NMC national gender coordinator.
- National gender team reviews conducted in preparation for the project mid-term review.
In 2008 plans will centre on capacity-building around gender and development concepts and frameworks, plus introduction to the MRC Tool Kits for Gender Responsive Mekong River Basin Development at the MRCS, NMCs, and line agencies. Attention will also be dedicated to a proposal aimed at fund raising for the next phase of the project.
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