Report Partner Exchange Meeting RAIN 20131 Amsterdam, December 9 – December 12, 2013.

The objective of the Partner Exchange Meeting 2013 was to bring together strategic partners from

out of our global network to see how we can jointly further upscale rainwater harvesting.

The discussion was dedicated to:

o Upscaling water retention, reuse and recharge (3R) at catchment level to creates a win-win

situation in terms of both environment and socio-economic wellbeing.

o Developing a RWH programme which boosts business development while it ensures at the

same time environmentally and socially sound practices.

o Moving from NGO driven programmes to Public Private Partnerships.

o Active and open knowledge sharing on rainwater harvesting.

The invited strategic partners to the Partner Exchange Meeting 2013 (PEM2013) have a strong

interest in rainwater harvesting in combination with environmental sustainability, WASH, food

security and business development and all have different areas of expertise within this realm. Some

are active on a national level and are more practical field oriented while others are active on an

international or more thematic level. Bringing together these different perspectives on the common

goal of sustainably upscaling rainwater harvesting for water and food security and environmental

protection will inspire us all to develop innovative and positive ideas to reach that aspiration.

A filmed report will be available of all presentations that were held during the Partner Exchange

Meeting. From February 2014, these recording can be viewed via our website

www.rainfoundation.org. This report intends to summarise the main points that came up during

discussions and the output of the group work. In the annexes, you can review the supporting

documents used by the key note speakers.

The PEM2013 was a very fruitful and inspirational week. To all the key note speakers that have

contributed to the PEM2013: thank you for inspiring us! And to all the participants that made this

week a success: thank you for being such an active, interactive and lively crowd!

1 Annex 1: Background to the PEM2013; Annex 2: Detailed agenda of PEM2013

Monday December 9

Agenda:

Item Who Objective Supporting material

Walking lunch and + sharing updates through poster presentations

All Country updates are shared. ---

South - South exchange in practice Robert Meerman

RAIN knowledge sharing facilities are known.

Annex 3

Presentation on reorientation RAIN and perspective post 2015 + Q&A

Guus Paardekooper New RAIN strategy shared with main partners. Input gathered.

Annex 4

Notes:

Poster Presentations: The participants presented their results. RAIN and the partners’ joined efforts

have benefitted many people all around the world. From the poster presentations, it also showed

that all partners are now moving from a focus on RWH for drinking water towards 3R, MUS and the

integration of WASH with food security and in some cases also RWH for climate change adaptation.

Moreover, knowledge production and exchange, as well as capacity development is increasingly

becoming central to most of the partners’ activities.

Almost all partners expressed that they encounter two main challenges: (1) the increasing complexity

of partnerships and (2) the financing of new 3R projects. On the other hand, almost all partners also

expressed that the interest in RWH for different scopes is growing, and that a lot of opportunities are

coming up.

South-south exchange:

A presentation was given on efforts made so far on south-south exchange and on the way forward

from now on. Suggestions were made for ‘real life’ exchange: exchange visits and boosting (cross

country) ambassadorship. Emphasis was put however on online means of exchange. In that

perspective, suggestions were made to improve http://www.rain4food.net/sharing-documents/:

- Link sharing docs to Google search

- Make ‘search on author’ possible

- Have partners upload their reports

- Make new additions blink.

A discussion on RWH and Environmental Sustainability was started in the Community of Practice

http://www.rain4food.net/community/. So far, 8 external parties are taking part in the discussion.

Finally, the RWH Wiki http://www.rain4food.net/wiki/#akvopedia:Rainwater Harvesting was demonstrated to the participants. The following suggestions were made:

- Re-write 3R-page icw Kenya-participants - Add wiki page on Rock catchment dams - Review Sand dams page within akvopedia

RAIN reorientation and new strategy:

The presentation focused on the previous strategy of RAIN Foundation and the way forward. The

logo change and the new strategy for partnership have been discussed in detail. Following the

presentation the following questions were raised from the participants:

- Q: When does the decentralized approach be functional? What will be the consequence for

existing contracts? A: Partnerships will continue and be strengthened with the help of local

representatives. There will not be major changes in terms of collaboration but the kind of

collaboration might change in terms of making it sustainable.

- Q: What is the long term strategy of RAIN beyond 2017? A: To make it concrete it is limited

to 2017 because it is not known what will happen in the far future. The strategy could be

further applied with modifications beyond 2017.

- Q: In terms of program development is it possible to make 2-3 years of program? A: If

possible and the resources are present it should be practical to make programs run for longer

time. The strategy will focus on partnership, developing proposals together and involving in

fundraising.

- Q: What do the three domains advice, implementation and innovation mean for

management? A: They are fully interconnected; most country programs will be out of the

implementation program but others will also be integrated. Depending on demand, funding

and expertise the local partner will take up the tasks. It allows for a flexible way of

collaboration.

- Q: When you compare the previous with the new strategy, have you thought about the

impacts on the RWH projects? A: It is still in the early stage of thinking. In the next stage the

impact will be clarified.

- Q: What is the strategy concerning private partnership? A: We (RAIN+partners) would like to

involve with the private partners, also with local RHCCs. This is an area that will be expanded.

- Q: Don’t you think the new strategy excludes the civil society organizations? A: Aid and trade

is not quite different from the existing platform but we need to be there to exist in the

future.

The participants repeatedly mentioned that the guiding principle behind the strategy should be

clarified and the plan beyond 2017 need to be discussed openly. Comments were given that RAIN

should focus on advocacy rather than lobby in the implementation countries due to the political

connotation that lobby brings.

After the presentation on RAINs reorientation, an interactive session led to some suggestions: - The strategy needs to be country specific and should involve capacity development of the

partners to go along with the strategy (for example on fund raising and on consultancy abilities).

- Special attention should be given to value chain development and the combination of water and food security

- Create Partner Power Map: draft an overview with the specific strengths of RAIN and its partners

- Check membership of Rainwater Harvesting community of all the participants that visited RAIN. Invite people to become a member of the Community of Practice on https://dgroups.org/rwsn/rainwater.

- Develop indicators to contribute to the vision and monitor the actual implementation of the strategy.

Tuesday December 10

Agenda:

Item Who Objective Supporting material

Presentation: Water harvesting, environmental sustainability and the blue economy perspective

Patty Kluytmans and Jules Rijnierse, Bright Future Lab www.theblueeconomy.org

Blue economy thinking is understood. Relation to RWH and environmental sustainability is clear.

Annex 5

Presentation: Partnerships and inclusive business innovations in low-income markets

Highlight the potential of transformational change of partnerships in pro-poor innovations

Annex 6 and clip on ‘ the simple show’ on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1af08PSlaIs

Presentation: knowledge management & exchange, learning and networks

Bart Romijn, Director at Warner Strategy & Fundraising BV www.wsfr.nl

Importance of evidence building and collaboration is highlighted; explore processes how to achieve this.

Annex 7

Questions to panel Panel --

Group work on program development and plenary feedback by panel

Participants Panel Members to observe and steer towards end product

3 working groups – 1 per theme: - Food security - Water security /WASH - Climate change resilience

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Notes: Questions to panel (Patty Kluytmans (PK), Jules Rijnierse (JR) and Bart Romijn (BR)): Presentation 1 (PK & JR): Water harvesting, environmental sustainability and the blue economy perspective. 1) Examples were small scale, are there any large examples? 2) What is needed for upscaling? 3) What is the difference between the blue economy and the green economy? Presentation 2 (PK & JR): Financial flows: Entrepreneurship without money. 1) Access to money, how to get money into the flow that was presented? How to find and motivate entrepreneurs? 2) Who needs to be on board to make this a success? 3) How to deal with the lack of political support? JR: we need entrepreneurs, governments, universities and scientific people to get involved. It is not only the entrepreneurs. BR: people start businesses where money is not the main thing. Products are more important. JR: behind every problem is a hidden cash flow. When you can mobilize the cash flow you can make the next step.

Challenge of the rainwater harvesting movement. Training people and then sent them back to their countries. But people won’t go back to their home place. They will go to the big cities. BR: bringing knowledge to people. PK: there are more blue economy projects in developing countries. Within the blue economy you create a system where you generate your own income. The traditional knowledge and the awareness is growing by people. The awareness is starting to grow. JR: you mentioned labeling of the blue economy. By labeling you give it a direction. Green economy is reducing the waste. Blue economy is getting out of the loop. If you are looking for a new label and you look at the green and blue economy, you can go back to the roots. Presentation 3 (BR): Knowledge management & exchange, learning and networks. 1) How to get people out of their comfort zone? 2) How can we motivate people to get involved? 3) How can we develop a business model? PK: To start with your own interest. Find what people’s interests are and what motivates them. We want to link to people’s interests. BR: Self-interest is one. The key is to find common interest to bring groups together. And then go back to the different roles people have. BR: you need a vision to mobilize a network. A major ambition is a global action network. Complications: advocacy reasons, you need to accelerate in all kind of directions. Knowledge networks don't need to be funded. It is about how you learn and work together. That is what should be funded. Identify in a few words what you learned about the presentations Equality / Differently / Inclusive / Choices/ Smart thinking/ Opportunities/ Relations/ Untapped resources/ Diverse partnerships/diversification/ Decentralization/ Synergy/ People mobilization/ Effectiveness Assignment group work: Output requested: Outline of a program design to upscale water harvesting for food security/ wash/ climate change (adaptation, DRR, environmental protection), based on the knowledge you gained this morning of the presentations on blue economy, hidden cash flows and learning-knowledge-networking: develop the program outlines for a program that incorporates and integrates innovative business, environment and local social development incorporates open partnership building, transparent learning, knowledge dev/exchange in a program geared towards water harvesting for food security/ for wash/ for cc. Level: global OR (fictive) country/region. Emphasis is put on 1 theme (food security/wash/cc) but can integrate the others as well. Formulate the main problem to solve / the main questions to answer. Identify what are the main elements of a program to upscale RWH (key objectives, approach,

intervention strategy) Identify and describe the main partners? Who are they? What are their roles? Identify current gaps/ obstacles Identify possible opportunities

Feedback on working groups by panel The key question was: “what was the main problem?” There is a kind of comfort zone when you frame questions, we can’t get out of the problem. We were, as a panel, looking for opportunities. We call it “design thinking/approach”, starting your programme with opportunities instead of starting with problems. We agreed that there was a lot of energy in the groups. Group 1/ Food Security: This group looked into the big range of the problems. Group 2/ WASH: This group looked at the resources, things that are already there.

Group 3/ Climate Change: This group came up with good examples as a showcase (between local and global). General remarks:

- All three groups focused on the content of the programme outlines. - On finances: Do you actually need that much money as usual? First look at how much money

you need? Self-sustaining. Imagine there is no money, how would you solve the problem? - On partnerships/ networking: You have to think about the process. One aspect of the process

is, where is the power? How to involve them? Peer assists, what kind of persons do we have to involve for the thinking/creativity?

- Other: One word we didn't hear, related to advocacy is the word “marketing”. Marketing as management of perception. You can frame things from many perspectives.

Wednesday December 11

Agenda:

Item Who Objective Supporting material

Interactive summary of presentations day1

Participants Participants refreshed on main issues presentations day1

Annex 8 and 9

Three short presentations of the end- results of working groups day1 and discussion on program outlines developed

Participants

Questions of the participants were answered, experiences shared.

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Presentation success story business case in linking water and environmental sustainability

Marijn Bergsma, BiDnetwork www.bidnetwork.org and Guido van Hofwegen, Nazava water Filters www.nazava.com

Inspire participants Annex 10

Presentations - Role NWP - Practical example of a PPP in linking water and environmental sustainability

Joris van Oppenraaij, Netherlands Water Partnership www.nwp.nl

Inspire participants Annex 11 and 12

Group work, Elevator Pitch and award granting

Participants 5 working groups developed a practical PPP and competed against each other

Notes:

Q&A on presentation success story business case Nazava Water Filters by Marijn Bergsma,

BiDnetwork and Guido van Hofwegen, Nazava Water Filters

Q: What is the cost – benefit structure? Can you make a living of it? A: In 2013, in its 3rd full year of operation Nazava Water could break even, including a small salary for GH and investments in the sales network Q: How is the cooperation set up? A: They work together with resellers and local NGO’s as logistics in Indonesia is difficult. Network of 60 distributors living all over Indonesia, they help in selling and promoting, multi level approach – social marketing. Farmers, women groups, etc. Targets women with very poor background on appropriate technologies on cooking using solar light for example. Q: How has Nazava Water been financed so far? A: 1st: self-investment from GH and his wife

2nd: 2009/2010 equity investment of 86.000 USD via BiD network 3rd: 400.000USD needed to scale up, of which 100.000USD already secured as a loan from Low Carbon Energy Foundation

Q: Did investors have an exit so far? A: No, not yet. Investors committed to 5-6 years. Q: What has to be done if the filter doesn’t work / in case of maintenance need ? A: Nazava Water can be reached via sms (number provided on the equipment). A new water filter will be sent through the nearest reseller. Resellers also sell replacements. Q: Are there similar products you have to compete with? Now? When the business just started? A: When Nazava Water started there was virtually no competition in Indonesia. Nazava Water filters cost 20USD, the next cheapest available costs 60USD. Notes and Q&A on presentation success story multi stakeholder partnership WNF Naivasha, Kenya by Joris van Oppenraaij, Netherlands Water Partnership

- There are different perspectives on what a PPP is. The classic PPP is a partnership between government and private sector to share risks. In the development cooperation setting it is often understood as multi-stakeholder collaboration whereby different actors try to create a shared value.

- Role NWP: 1)informs about opportunities and policy, 2)advocate to keep water on the agenda in Dutch policy environment 3) connect Dutch water sector actors 4) profiling the Dutch water sector, match demand and supply. Focus is on delta countries, but also active in other countries, e.g. Kenya. Focus is on 1) from aid to trade and 2) positioning the NL water sector within bilateral programmes 3) link propositions to finance/funding other then embassy funds.

Q: there are many examples of PPP’s where things went wrong. E.g. PPP in Somalia. What is NWP’s role in getting things going – how to avoid a one man show? A:Publically owned – operated in a private way to cover costs….your country needs to be ready for this…Rebel group made inventory of which countries are PPP ready It is not about public or private – as long as transparency, costs are recovered and….it should be tailor made Q: We see that many countries are copying the NWP model. However, the water partnership model is about tied aid. What about the legal aspects thereof? A: Tied aid is indeed not permitted by (international) law. NWP aims at local development, while putting the Dutch in a competitive advantage – trying to create linkages. NWP generates for example country platforms – NWP tries to foster PPP’s, once they are established, they are out. (meetings, support, coaching – linking supply and demand) Q: what about sustainability principles within PPP formation? A: Indeed, sustainability issues are often still overlooked. FIETS has been a great advocacy achievement. NL has procurement proceedings that are quite good on sustainability issues. Q: A key challenge in creating an institutional framework is that it requires a lot of incubation to get institution growing – how do you see that happening? A: People have to let go of power – power needs to be balanced. For example: Bangladesh textile industry – consumers are getting very much aware of conditions. Prices need to increase in EU. People might/might not accept – local governments need to support this by providing frameworks and educating consumers. In the example of Naivasha, equal governance is being implemented but it takes a lot of time and effort. Assignment group work: Output requested on business case development / PPPP project development. Think as a ‘blue’ entrepreneur – not as an NGO The winning case answers the following:

Practical output. Specific case that is practical and precise. And realistic for a specific context setting. Case is about water harvesting for WASH, climate change adaptation, food security or any other theme you are interested in. Value of the case is not the amount of money, but how well developed it is. Take into account as much as possible: Blue principles: output = input; locally available resources; systems thinking; multiple cash flows;

hidden cash flows Integration of business environmental sustainability, social development is prominent. Strategic partnership is clear. Win-Win is created. Multi stakeholder collaboration for added

value: who is involved (types, maybe even names); roles are defined. Criteria BidNetwork Scheme NWP (see presentation) Four cases were presented: Nepal/ India: Pure Pokhara Pani: bottling rainwater Ethiopia: 3R and the reuse of coffee husks West Africa: Espoir pour le Sahel: sand dams and MUS Kenya/Uganda: EcoFarm

Thursday December 12

Agenda:

Item Who Objective Supporting material

Excursion to ‘Polderdak', Green Business Club Amsterdam

Kasper Spaan, Waternet and Sacha Stolp, Zuidas

Learn / exchange on the initiative of one of the nominees for the Dutch Water Innovation Price 2013

Annex 13

RAIN Environmental Sustainability Event: Think Big, Act Small

Open to public Interactive programme on circular aspects of water, food and energy

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RAIN Party Celebrate and dance! ---

Notes:

During the excursion to Polderdak, courtesy of Waternet, Amsterdam Zuidas Green Business Club

and INBO Architects, Kasper Spaan and Sacha Stolp explained the in and outs of the partnership that

led to the ‘Polderdak’ initiative and provided insight in the business case that ‘Polderdak’ is aiming to

illustrate. More information (in Dutch) can be found on http://polderdak.nl.

During the RAIN Environmental Sustainability Event, four presentations were held followed by an

interactive discussion. The event was filmed by Pakhuis de Zwijger. You can view the recording via

our website from February 2013 onwards. For a general description and the announcement of the

programme: http://www.dezwijger.nl/89657/nl/de-circulaire-stad-6-think-big-act-small

RAIN celebrated its 10th anniversary and presented its new brand. This video captures the

rebranding of RAIN as well as the new strategy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsBIj8r2xD8.

Pictures of the party can be viewed on

http://www.flickr.com/photos/111647943@N07/with/11402343915/and on

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jollyphotobooth/sets/72157638636497883/

Annexes

Annex 1 Partner Exchange Meeting 2013 Background

Annex 2 Detailed Agenda PEM2013

Annex 3 Presentation Robert Meerman on South South Exchange in practice

Annex 4 Presentation Guus Paardekooper on RAIN reorientation

Annex 5 Presentation Bright Future Lab on the blue economy

Annex 6 Presentation Bright Future Lab on entrepreneurship without money

Annex 7 Presentation Bart Romijn on Knowledge sharing, learning and networking

Annex 8 Recap Entrepreneurship without money

Annex 9 Recap Knowledge, learning, networks

Annex 10 Presentation BidNetwork

Annex 11 Presentation Netherlands Water Partnership on PPPs

Annex 12 Presentation NWP, adopted version WNF Water for All Naivasha case

Annex 13 Presentation Polderdak