SWITCH training workshop on Learning Alliance Development

IHP International Hydrological Programme UNESCO Agenda Department of Applied Ecology University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology u/a of UNESCO Polish Academy of Sciences, Lodz, Poland IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre SWITCH training workshop on Learning Alliance Development and Facilitation Lodz, Poland 27-31 March 2007

ORGANISERS ORGANISERS Department of Applied Ecology University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology under the auspices of UNESCO Polish Academy of Sciences, Lodz, Poland Agenda Agenda International Research Centre Background The Sustainable Water Management Improves Tomorrows Cities Health (SWITCH) project (www.switchurbanwater.eu) is a research partnership funded by the EC undertaking innovation in the area of integrated urban water management (IUWM). The project aims to carry out more demand-led, action-orientated research in its nine demonstration cities (Accra, Alexandria, Beijing, Belo Horizonte, Birmingham, Hamburg, Lodz, Tel Aviv and Zaragoza) and study sites, with a view of effecting greater integration of UWM, and ultimately beneficial impacts. The different aspects of the urban water cycle for efficient problem solving need the translation of science progress into the independent multistakeholders platforms at different levels, which the project is helping establish (see SWITCH learning alliances briefing note No.1). Objective of training workshop The objective of the SWITCH training workshop on 'Learning Alliance Development and Facilitation' is to advance and consolidate the establishment of city learning alliances in the demonstration cities through training of the appointed facilitators. It will focus on introducing useful tools and approaches that facilitators may use to support learning alliance development and activities. A general introductory training on learning alliances for the SWITCH project was attended by senior researchers from the project consortium in April 2006 and helped cities to plan and budget for learning alliances. This training was followed by citybased scoping visits to initiate the learning alliance development. Subsequently, several of the cities have recruited (or are in the process of recruiting) learning alliance facilitators who will be responsible for coordinating the establishment and facilitation of the city learning alliances, and documenting associated learning and change processes. FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT AND CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

Water Day Water Day Day 0 - Tuesday 27 March 20:30 Welcome event - drinks in Irish Pub, 77, Piotrkowska street, Lodz. "Water Day" - Wednesday 28 March 08:45 coffee/tea 09:00 Introduction - Objectives of the course, agenda, methods and expectations. John Butterworth 09:45 Introduction - Presentation on Learning Alliances concepts and the SWITCH project. John Butterworth/Carmen Dasilva Exercise using interview method on challenges being faced in developing SWITCH learning alliances. John Butterworth/Carmen Dasilva 10:30 Field visit - (with welcome coffee) - Waste Water Treatment Plant Field visit - Sokolowka River. Iwona Wagner/Wojciech Fratczak 13.00 lunch in Nowa Gdynia restaurant 14:30 15:15 Facilitation skills for learning alliances - Introduction to facilitation skills and methods. Monika Dziegielewska-Geitz Exercise - Starting to develop building blocks for your own city l learning alliances. John Butterworth 15:45 coffee/tea 16: 00 Facilitation skills for learning alliances - Exercise - Solving learning alliance problems using the intervision methodology. Agnieszka Jaszczak 16: 45 Reflection on day 1 of workshop. 17: 00 Evaluation - With two selected participants. Evening Stakeholders meeting - welcome party in the European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology a/u UNESO, Lodz, 3, Tylna Street.

Lodz Day Lodz Day Lodz Day" 2- Thursday 29 March 09:00 Opening - Introduction to day - Office of the City of Lodz 09:05 Summary of previous day. 09:20 Facilitation skills for learning alliances - Introduction to facilitating networks and processes. Exercise: message game and short story. Discussion. Monika Dziegielewska-Geitz/Jaap Pels 10:30 coffee/tea 10:35 Key methods in initiating learning alliances: Stakeholder analysis. Presentation of the stakeholder analysis method proposed for SWITCH learning alliances. Exercise on stakeholder analysis (using World Café). John Butterworth 12:30 City building blocks. Monika Dziegielewska-Geitz 13:00 Partnerships in Lodz City, Presentations: European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology a/u UNESCO. M. Zalewski Department of Strategy and Analysis. Department of Infrastructure. Lodz Destination Alliance NGO. Discussion on challenges in building alliances. Iwona Wagner 14:30 lunch - Zlota restaurant 15:30 Experiences in using a learning alliances approach: Presentation from the Empowers project: addressing challenges in establishing and facilitating learning alliances Exercise: Group work facilitated by the Empowers team. Patrick Moriarty/Sameera Rifai 17:00 City building blocks. Monika Dziegielewska-Geitz 17:30 Reflection on day 2 of workshop. 17:45 Evaluation - With two selected participants. Evening Museum of the City of Lodz, Manufaktura/Dinner in Manufaktura.

Lodz Lodz - City of 4 Cultures - City of 4 Cultures Day Day "Lodz-City of 4 Cultures Day" 3 - Friday 30 March 09:00 Opening - Introduction to day. 09:05 Review of previous day by 2 participants. 09:15 Key methods in initiating learning alliances: Visioning and scenario - based planning. Presentation of a methodology for visioning cities of the future in SWITCH. Exercise: IUWM in the city of the future. John Butterworth/Kinga Krauze 11:00 coffee/tea 11:15 Introduction to action research: An introduction to action research. Exercise on action research principles. Patrick Moriarty/Alistair J. Sutherland 12:30 City building blocks. Monika Dziegielewska-Geitz 13:00 lunch -U Chochola restaurant, Piotrkowska Street 14:30 Field visit - Evangelical church visit. 15:30 Exercise on facilitating learning alliance processes Open - space exercise focused on developing a SWITCH protocol to be signed at the Expo2008 Zaragoza. Jaap Pels 17:30 coffee/tea 17:45 Reflection. 18.00 Field visit - Orthodox church visit. 19:00 Evaluation. Evening Piotrkowska street visit and dinner in Jewish restaurant "Anatewka".

Artistic Day Artistic Day Artistic Day" 4 - Saturday 31 March 09:00 Opening - Introduction to the day. 09:05 Review of previous day by 2 participants. 09:15 Presentation on monitoring and evaluation (M&E) for learning Alliances. Exercise (M&E). Alistair J. Sutherland/Carmen Dasilva 11.00 coffee/tea 11:15 M&E for learning alliances- Introduction to process documentation. Exercise: Work in groups to reflect on use and relevance in own setting. John Butterworth/Carmen Dasilva 12: 00-14:00 Communication skills for learning alliances: A brief introduction to the draft SWITCH dissemination strategy. Francesca Shraff ICLEI / John Butterworth An introduction to learning and sharing mechanisms including googlegroups and the SWITCH portal. Jaap Pels Facilitated discussion on experiences running project internet platforms. Jaap Pels 14:00 lunch - U Szwajcara restaurant 15:30 Field visit - Herbsts Palace Visit, Elektrownia. 16:30 Revisiting the city building blocks - Participants present their city building blocks and discuss next steps in the SWITCH project. Monika Dziegielewska/Geitz 17:30 Workshop evaluation, next steps and closure: Verbal and written evaluation. Next steps / recommendations for next training. Agreements on (process) documentation of this workshop. Closure. John Butterworth Evening Wine and cheese at Book Art Museum.

Information Information Who should attend? The workshop is aimed at the SWITCH city learning alliance facilitators although other participants interested in learning alliance approaches are welcome. The city learning alliance facilitators will be working part- or full-time to establish the learning alliance processes in their cities. The course was previously held in Cairo from 27-30 January and attended by learning alliance facilitators from Belo Horizonte, Beijing, Accra and Lodz. Training methodology The workshop will combine short expert presentations from key resource persons combined with discussion, exercises and group work based upon the participants' own cities and other examples. These interactive sessions will be based on adult-learning principles. Participants will improve their own facilitation skills during the workshop by facilitating some of the group sessions. Workshop arrangements The training workshop will be facilitated by members of the SWITCH learning alliance support team (from IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre and the Natural Resources Institute), the Lodz learning alliance team and staff of the EMPOWERS project (www.empowers.info) that have recent experience in successfully using a learning alliance methodology to scale up innovations in local water management in Jordan, Palestine and Egypt. The workshop will be hosted by the European Regional Centre for Ecology u/a UNESCO located in Lodz, Poland from 27-31 March 2007 (www.erce.unesco.lodz.pl). Participants are recommended to arrive in Lodz on 27 March and to leave from there on 1 April. The four workshop days will be full, and will not include any free time for sightseeing! Participants will need to cover their own travel and subsistence costs (accommodation/meals) from their own budget. Participants will all stay in the same hotel and the booking will be made as soon as your travel details have been supplied (date, time and flight number of arrival and departure) to Agnieszka Jaszczak (a.jaszczak@erce.unesco.lodz.pl). Participants will be sent further information with more details about the hotel, venue and travel to Lodz shortly. To register and for any more information please contact a.jaszczak@erce.unesco.lodz.pl or see www.switchurbanwater.eu.

Information Information Additional information Arrival at the airport Most participants will arrive in Warsaw where there are international flights to many countries, however there are also direct flights to Lodz from a few destinations (including Nottingham and London Stansted in the UK). There are some Warsaw-Lodz domestic flights (three per day) with LOT Polish airlines that might connect with your flight if you are lucky, but most participants will need to travel overland from Warsaw. As long as you provide your flight arrival time and flight number to Agnieszka Jaszczak (a.jaszczak@erce.unesco.lodz.pl) prior to the 15 March 2007, the organisers will assist you with your airport transfers and we will try to join people together to reduce costs. We will propose that participants arriving at Warsaw International Airport Okêcie will be met by a taxi driver for the journey to Lodz (about 2 hours away and it costs about 60 which participants will need to pay for or share). It is also possible and cheaper to travel by bus or train from Warsaw, and more details will be provided later. Hotel We are all staying at: IBIS Hotel in Lodz, Ibis Lodz Centrum Hotel ** Al. Pilsudskiego 11, 90-368 Lodz, Phone: (+48) 42 63 86 700, e-mail: H3096@accor-hotels.com www.ibishotel.pl, www.ibishotel.com/ibis The booking will be made on your behalf providing you have provided your travel details by 15 March 2007. Tuesday 27 March 2007 To welcome you we will organize some welcome drinks in the Irish Pub (77 Piotrkowska Street). You will receive an information pack including a final agenda and course materials. Workshop venue The workshop will be held at the European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology (ERCE/UNESCO) www.erce.unesco.lodz.pl and we will start at 8.45 on Tuesday. Address European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology under the auspices of UNESCO, 3, Tylna Str., 90-364, Lodz, Poland Phone: (+48) 42 681 70 07 Fax: (+48) 42 681 30 69 e-mail: erce@erce.unesco.lodz.pl Costs The cost of the hotel is 70 per night (bed and breakfast) so we suggest you allow around 95 per night to cover all your expenses i.e. lunches, dinners and some taxis plus the cost of the airport transfer. You can use credit cards, and cash machines easily in Poland. Dollars, Euros, Pounds etc can also be easily changed at the airport on arrival. We will organise some visits and dinners as a group and we will share the costs equally between all who decide to participate. Please contact John (butterworth@irc.nl) if you have any other questions.

Design: M. Lapinska Photos: University of Lodz buildings - www.uni.lodz.pl (pages:2,4,5,6,7), ERCE (Sokolowka River - page:1,3, ERCE building - page 8), T. Karpinski (Poznanski s Palace, page 2,6), Ibis Hotel - www.ibishotel.pl (page 8). www.switchurbanwater.eu Workshop Contact Address Workshop Secretary A. Jaszczak a.jaszczak@erce.unesco.lodz.pl ERCE a/u UNESCO ORGANISERS 3, Tylna Str., 90-364 Lodz, Poland Phone: (+48) 42 681 70 07 Fax: (+48) 42 681 30 69 www.erce.unesco.lodz.pl