Structure & governance
As the initial three-year phase 2009 – 2012 of the Water Futures Partnership draws to a close, the three founding partners are committed to opening up the knowledge, experience and benefits to a wider set of partners. To this end, they have decided to establish a successor body – the Water Futures Initiative (WFI). Read more on how the WFI will build on the original Partnership.
Our intention is to create a strong governance framework by establishing an International Steering Committee (ISC). The group will be responsible for setting the overall strategy, providing guidance on matters of policy and building global relationships. This body will be comprised of senior individuals from organisations funding or partnering in multiple countries. It will be supported by input from external advisors and experts.
While the success of the Water Futures Initiative will depend on the effectiveness of local partnerships, the experience of recent years has also highlighted the importance of having a central resource to provide support and co-ordination for them. The intention, therefore, to establish a team of individuals drawn from partnering organisations to fulfil this function. This support and coordination unit will act as a secretariat to the Water Futures Initiative overall.
The secretariat will be responsible for, among other things, building the capacity and monitoring the impact of local partnerships, communicating the Initiative’s achievements, and funding/budgetary management. It will also provide a portal through which local partnerships can access relevant tools and services — some of which will be offered by third parties such as NGOs, academe, and the corporate sector.