BENCHMARKING |
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One of the projects which the DILG-GTZ Water and Sanitation Program had provided technical assistance in using benchmarking is the local government of Oriental Negros. A process benchmarking project was initiated by an inter-agency team of Oriental Negros LGU after attending a training on benchmarking conducted by GTZ. Its initial project aims to learn the best practices and approaches on how river basin organizations are organized and sustained in the context of IWRM. This is in connection with their plan to establish an island-wide and province-based river basin organization in Negros Island and Oriental Negros province, respectively.
The team partnered with Laguna Lake Development Authority in studying how the twenty-one (21) micro river basin councils around Laguna lake were organized and sustained. Through the technical assistance of the program, the team conducted benchmarking visits at the Tanay Environment Foundation and the San Cristobal River Enhancement Defenders (SACRED). The objective of the benchmarking visit is to determine the critical elements in organizing a successful river basin organization.
The DILG-GTZ Water and sanitation program already developed a Benchmarking Manual which both private and public institutions could use as a guide in implementing a benchmarking project.
The intended impact of the benchmarking project which focused on determining key elements in a successful organizing effort to build RBOs is to improve the quality and the quantity of water resources of Oriental Negros. It shall trigger hosts of activities which a well-organized RBO will spearhead.
So far, the actual impact of the project has been limited to the new and inspired perspective acquired by the members of the IWRM benchmarking team. The following were the learning points identified by the team:
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An institutional champion or a “big brother” like LLDA is sometimes needed to act as effective catalyst to set a momentum of the initial push to organize a river basin organization. This institutional champion has the political clout and resources to support this fledging river organization; |
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An environmental problem or issue usually drives members of a community to band together to form an RBO. This element provides basis for sustainability of the organization; |
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The quality of the leadership defines the character of a river basin organization. Passionate and dedicated leaders usually sprout when burning issues require sustained campaign to rally the various stakeholders to address the environmental problems; |
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The participation and involvement at the lowest possible level of various stakeholders is critical to make a river basin organization sustainable; and |
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Information and awareness raising campaign should focus on strategic target like the youth and key decision-makers. |
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The Oriental Negros benchmarking team is now in the process of positioning what they learned from the benchmarking study to apply it in the establishment of island-wide and province-based river basin organization in Negros Island and Oriental Negros Province . |
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For more information about this project, you can contact Bernardo R. Agawin Jr at gtzwater@info.com.ph |
