Resource Centres and their networks can play a vital role in documenting lessons and making information flow in the sector for governance and service delivery. IRC has worked with and supported WASH resource centre networks since the 1990s. The PSO programme helped IRC work with resource centre networks in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Honduras, Nepal and Uganda and document their contribution to a learning and adaptive sector.
Published on: 07/02/2012
IRC has been supporting Resource Centre Development and STREAMS of Knowledge since the 1990s. The PSO-supported programme has helped IRC to work more closely with resource centre networks (RCNs) in five focus countries (Burkina Faso, Ghana, Honduras, Nepal and Uganda) with a focus on learning at all institutional levels with a view to improved governance and more equitable, sustainable service delivery.
The first PSO-funded programme (2008-2010) focused on capacity development. It has helped develop the capacities of the RCN coordinator, the capacities of the organisation hosting the RCN and has helped RCNs to produce useful information products and services to assert the visibility and credibility of these networks.
IRC's regional programmes and WASHCost and Triple-S projects have played an important role in supporting and to some extent documenting RCN experiences. Inputs from thematic groups have also been made. Under the ‘learning for change’ agenda efforts were focused on documenting, sharing and synthesising regional or in-country sector learning experiences. ‘Innovative communications’ contributed to regional sector learning initiatives by encouraging innovative approaches to communication, including information management, knowledge sharing and process monitoring/documentation to provide more effective messages and means to reach key national WASH sector institutions.
The extension programme on ‘Sector Learning’ (2011-2012) focuses on documenting and learning from ongoing sector learning activities, there is less emphasis on the organisation hosting the secretariat because it is only one of many organisations involved in sector learning. Instead, the RC network as a whole has become the centre of attention as the catalyst of sector learning.
Since the start of the PSO-supported programme IRC has organised several learning and sharing events, a training for the RCN coordinators in 2009 and supported the facilitators and other network members to participate in relevant international events and workshops. For example at the 5th World Water Forum in Istanbul and at Stockholm World Water Week.
Links with other resource centres were sought as well, for example in the workshop jointly organised and facilitated by IRC, WASTE and SEI, where representatives of resource centres shared their experiences, challenges and worked on joint proposals. This RCN programme also has links with the Southern Youth Zone programme, which is also supported by PSO.
Reflections on how the RCNs are contributing to learning and change in their country sectors are documented in the publication "Resource centre networks : contributing to a learning and adaptive WASH sector" listed below under Resources.
