Citizen monitoring ofSouth Africas second National Water Resources Strategy (NWRS2)WRC Project 2313 Overview | 9 November 2016JESSICA WILSON

In situ experiment of knowledge-generation, learning, action and reflection by (and with) the active citizens and organisations who can use it to strengthen the implementation of the NWRS2 and other water policy, in particular public interest aspects such as:WHAT IS THIS PROJECT?

Equitable access to waterProtection of ecosystems, including riversTransformation of society

ACTION RESEARCH LEARNERSWestern CapeThabo LusithiManelisi James

ACTION RESEARCH LEARNERSVaalSamson MokoenaMduduzi TshabalalaThandi Ngcanga

PROJECT TEAM

ACTION RESEARCH LEARNERSEastern CapeSithembele TempiSoso Mjacu

PROJECT TEAMACTION RESEARCH LEARNERSMpumalangaDecember NdhlovuDr Alex MashilePatricia Mdluli

CORE TEAMHeila Lotz-Sisitka, RU ELRCJane Burt, IndependentJessica Wilson, EMGSamson Mokoena, VEJATaryn Pereira, EMGThabang Ngcozela, EMGThabo Lusithi, EMGVictor Munnik, Independent

PROJECT TEAMANCHOR ORGANISATIONSGeasphere: Philip OwenZingisa: S. Tempi & Joe NkopoVEJA: Samson MokoenaEMG: Thabo Lusithi

STUDENTSLondeka MahlanzaJane Burt

Network, social movement, or living organism Deep values and principlesReframing humans relationship with waterLong history of engagement

SITUATED IN SA WATER CAUCUS

Changing Practice course for 10 water activistsEmancipatory, transformative and

ecologically sensitiveStarting with what people knowBuilds on action research approach of EMGBuilds from Rhodes University ELRC

social learning coursesAccredited by Rhodes University

SOCIAL LEARNING APPROACH

Research design:Learning and action through a spiral of forms

Core team: reflection and analysisWatersectorCitizen monitoring guidelinesChanging practice courseChange projectCase studyAction plans, incl. exchange visitsSocial learners (individuals)Meetings with DWS,Municipality,CMFMeetings with DWS and municipalitiesPublic discourseContextualised case studiesSAWCProvincial water caucusAnchor organisationReports to WRC, articles & academic papers

CAPE TOWNJOHANNESBURGPRETORIAPORT ELIZABETHCase study sites

www.emg.org.za

CASE STUDIES

THEMEPLACEKEY QUESTIONSWater demand management and conservation in the context of climate changeDunoon, Cape Town, Western CapeWhat is the state of installation of devices in Dunoon and what are the impacts emerging as a result?Plantations, ecosystems and waterMoholoholo (Mariepskop), MpumalangaWhat is the impact of large scale plantations on downstream flow, ecosystem services* and land claims in the Moholoholo catchment?

* Ecosystem services focus on plants and sacred pools used by traditional healers

CASE STUDIES

THEMEPLACEKEY QUESTIONSCivil society monitoring of water qualityVaal, GautengHow do we enable spiritual water users to participate in the CMFs in the Vaal?

What are the river access problems, and where are the sites that the spiritual and traditional water users are using?

Role and form of civil societyParticipatory democracy in the water sectorLearning in practice and cognitive justiceNWRS2 implementation and policy cycleBuilding a common humanity and solidarity

FINDINGS AT MULTIPLE LEVELS

FINDINGS AT MULTIPLE LEVELSEach person active in the projectCase study bookletsCitizen-monitoring guidelines (draft)Final WRC report (draft)Solidarity paperALARA paperWater wheel articleNumerous talks and presentationsOther articles still to come

Thank you for listening,and for thinking about how you can build justice, democracy and ecological integrity in the water sector

Draft citizen monitoring guidelines:What do local activists need and how can they support and be supported by DWS to monitor the implementation of NWRS2 and other water policiesWRC2313 Deliverable 4 | 5 August 2015JESSICA WILSON AND VICTOR MUNNIK(with lots of help from others)

WHO ARE THESE GUIDELINES FOR?Activists as individuals and groups e.g. members of SAWC, water user associations, CFMs, participants in IDP processes, etc.Government officials who work with activists and the public, to improve their understanding of engaging with civil society

Currently seeking input and comments to strengthen the guidelines

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY MONITORING?Observing and intervening in the full policy cycle, including agenda setting, institutions and implementation

We monitor against:

Our key principles and core valuesGovernment promisesFour key issues (of this project) from the ground up

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY MONITORING?Monitoring means testing against a value based approach from our own world view and perspective. It means monitoring against the promises made in policy documents and constitution and pronouncements of politicians (including Councillors). It also means noticing and protesting against things that are wrong and building alternatives for social justice and ecological integrity.

HOW DO WE MONITOR NWRS2?Identify your issue, organise locally, build a caseMonitoring policy and governanceBuild the water and environmental justice movement

IDENTIFY YOUR ISSUE, ORGANISE LOCALLY, BUILD A CASEDescribe what is happening: what are the conditions in which people live, what are they doing in relation to water? This develops the context.

IDENTIFY YOUR ISSUE, ORGANISE LOCALLY, BUILD A CASEDescribe what is happening: what are the conditions in which people live, what are they doing in relation to water? This develops the context.Identify the issues and challenges facing your community: prioritise which one/s you will tackle first. You do this with your community by describing the context back to them and pointing out things you notice. One way of thinking about this is you are holding up a mirror to people so that they can see their situation clearly and so identify issues and challenges together.

IDENTIFY YOUR ISSUE, ORGANISE LOCALLY, BUILD A CASEDescribe what is happening: what are the conditions in which people live, what are they doing in relation to water? This develops the context.Identify the issues and challenges facing your community: prioritise which one/s you will tackle first. You do this with your community by describing the context back to them and pointing out things you notice. One way of thinking about this is you are holding up a mirror to people so that they can see their situation clearly and so identify issues and challenges together.Identify new possibilities: how and at what level can we bring about change? This is also done collaboratively with the communities we live in or work with.

IDENTIFY YOUR ISSUE, ORGANISE LOCALLY, BUILD A CASEDescribe what is happening: what are the conditions in which people live, what are they doing in relation to water? This develops the context.Identify the issues and challenges facing your community: prioritise which one/s you will tackle first. You do this with your community by describing the context back to them and pointing out things you notice. One way of thinking about this is you are holding up a mirror to people so that they can see their situation clearly and so identify issues and challenges together.Identify new possibilities: how and at what level can we bring about change? This is also done collaboratively with the communities we live in or work with.Implement the change: how do we work with others to bring about change?

IDENTIFY YOUR ISSUE, ORGANISE LOCALLY, BUILD A CASEDescribe what is happening: what are the conditions in which people live, what are they doing in relation to water? This develops the context.Identify the issues and challenges facing your community: prioritise which one/s you will tackle first. You do this with your community by describing the context back to them and pointing out things you notice. One way of thinking about this is you are holding up a mirror to people so that they can see their situation clearly and so identify issues and challenges together.Identify new possibilities: how and at what level can we bring about change? This is also done collaboratively with the communities we live in or work with.Implement the change: how do we work with others to bring about change?Reflect, review and consolidate: what have you done and learnt? Go back to step 1.

EXAMPLES OF ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITES:

Chairperson who calls and chairs meetings

STARTING AND RUNNING AN ORGANISATION

EXAMPLES OF ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITES:

Chairperson who calls and chairs meetings

Secretary who keeps minutes of meetings and other documentation like decisions and correspondence

STARTING AND RUNNING AN ORGANISATION

EXAMPLES OF ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITES:

Chairperson who calls and chairs meetings

Secretary who keeps minutes of meetings and other documentation like decisions and correspondence

Treasurer who makes sure that the use of all monies is documented and can be explained

STARTING AND RUNNING AN ORGANISATION

EXAMPLES OF ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITES:

Chairperson who calls and chairs meetings

Secretary who keeps minutes of meetings and other documentation like decisions and correspondence

Treasurer who makes sure that the use of all monies is documented and can be explained

Research coordinator who makes sure all members are well informed through gathering, keeping and sharing informationSTARTING AND RUNNING AN ORGANISATION

EXAMPLES OF ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITES:

Campaigns coordinator who supports mobilisation and engagement

Media officer who builds and keep contact with community radio and the press, and can turn the issues into stories that the media will carry (See box 4: on media tips)

STARTING AND RUNNING AN ORGANISATION

EXAMPLES OF ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITES:

Campaigns coordinator who supports mobilisation and engagement

Media officer who builds and keep contact with community radio and the press, and can turn the issues into stories that the media will carry (See box 4: on media tips)

Government liaison officer who builds relations with specific people in government to get and give information, and to strengthen civil society -government alliances

STARTING AND RUNNING AN ORGANISATION

EXAMPLES OF ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITES:

Campaigns coordinator who supports mobilisation and engagement

Media officer who builds and keep contact with community radio and the press, and can turn the issues into stories that the media will carry (See box 4: on media tips)

Government liaison officer who builds relations with specific people in government to get and give information, and to strengthen civil society -government alliances

Task team coordinators who lead on a specific issue within the organisationSTARTING AND RUNNING AN ORGANISATION

MONITORING POLICY AND GOVERNANCEIf you want to work at a policy level, there are four main things you need to learn about:

You need to know what a policy is and what it saysRemember policy is not only contained in policy documents and legislationYou need to understand what policy changes you want work with others to identify and articulate theseYou need to identify the space to engage and participate. These could be invited or invented spaces

BUILDING THE WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE MOVEMENTWhy is this important?Transformation is an ongoing process. What parts of our society do we still want to transform?Solidarity is the glue that keeps a social movement together.A social movement follows a network logic without entrenched hierarchies keeping your own organisation strong, accountable and transparent, keeps the movement strong, accountable and transparentPeople and organisations come together, take form from within the movement to achieve specific things e/g/ coalition that led to VEJAs victory over AMSALearning from SAWC (page 30)

Tips for activists:Use existing forums to talk to officialsGet the Minister on your sideAlly yourself with academicsRemind officials that they are required to include citizens in decision makingCultivate links with regional officials

What other tips can you suggest?

WORKING WITH DWS

RESOURCESNGOs and their websites(EMG, CER, Geasphere, Benchmarks, groundWork, CDRA)WRC research reportsParliament and government websitesSocial learning modulesKnowledge networks gathered through your research