KM initiative in Ghana

The Resource Centre Network (RCN) is an institutional partnership that seeks to promote Knowledge Management (KM) services within the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector in Ghana.

The process of establishing RCN originally started back in October, 2002 with series of investigative studies which informed decisions on priority activities. The Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) in association with TREND Group, WaterAid (Ghana), the IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre organized an Advocacy workshop on May 12/13, 2004 in Accra on knowledge management. Subsequently, four key sector organisations namely, Water Aid Ghana; Water Research Institute; KNUST-Department of Civil Engineering and TREND Group joined hands to form the nucleus of the Resource Centre Network (RCN) to spearhead knowledge management in the water and sanitation sector in Ghana. The outcome of the Knowledge Management Advocacy Workshop was the establishment of a Task Force which brings together about a dozen key organisations in May 2004. The activities of the Task Force were led by the CWSA and the Group met regularly until December 2006. Overall the Task force made positive gains in terms of advocacy aimed at raising awareness of knowledge management (KM). Key outputs of the group also included a Concept Paper for development of KM in the Sector.

However, the activities of the Task Force slowed down considerably in 2006 due to lack of funding. In 2008, the inception of new projects in the sector with a focus on knowledge generation and dissemination (UNICEF/WHO Water and Sanitation Monitoring Programme (WSMP), the Tripartite Partnership Project (TPP) led by TREND, the WASHCost and SWITCH Projects which are led by KNUST, and the West Africa Regional Programme of IRC, which supports RCN, etc.) provided a new impetus for the revival of the RCN. A knowledge management Coordinator has been appointed since June 2008, and a core group of knowledge focused organisations are already taking steps to revive and intensify knowledge management activities in the sector.

The RCN secretariat will provide the following products and services:

Sector Newsletter: The RCN will coordinate the production and editing of a national sector newsletter.

Sector Website (www.ghana.watsan.net): The RCN coordinates the update of the WATSAN website. We also offer free publishing (on the website) of your articles, reports and information on upcoming and/or past events and activities, etc. The website, established and hosted by IRC International is regularly updated by the secretariat. The site has information on RCN and partners, sector calendar, upcoming and past events; news and themes on community wash, rural wash and urban wash; etc. There are also links to several other resource centre websites from across the globe. For publishing on the site please send your articles, reports and information to rcnghana@gmail.com

Brochure, Fact Sheets, and Thematic Papers: RCN will offer information materials like the Brochure, Fact Sheets, etc. These will be short briefing notes in response to frequently asked questions and will provide information to key themes with reference to local situation. These papers will be made available both in hard copy format, as well as in soft copy format, accessible on the sector website.

Training and Capacity building: The RCN will encourage the building of a minimum capacity for knowledge management like, information storage and usage within each sector organisation at the national, regional and district levels.

Establishment of Media Platform –‘WASH Agenda’: RCN will work closely with the media (radio) to establish an interactive programme on WASH issues. This platform will bring key sector actors involved with WASH governance to interact, share with sector and non-sector audience.

Questions and Answer Service: The RCN will offer enquiry services, that is, the secretariat will directly provide answers in response to specific problems and queries.

Sector Walk-in Library: The RCN will develop a small library. Key publications will be available to sector agencies and District Assemblies (DAs). The publications will also be made available for downloading from the website, www.ghana.watsan.net).

Organisation of Sector Debates: The RCN will work closely with sector agencies and umbrella groups like CONIWAS to encourage and organise sector debates on topical issues.

Documentation of Case Studies: The RCN will work closely with sector agencies and projects to document, analyse and to draw out the lessons from programmes and provide recommendations on the minimum conditions of success, thus, helping to direct funding towards the most effective interventions.

For further information please contact,

The RCN Secretariat

H/No C218/14, Wama Close, Dzorwulu

P. O. Box CT 6135, Cantonments, Accra

Tel. (233-21) 769530/ 769552

Fax: (233-21) 769583

Cell: 024 8121598/ 020 2110335

Email: rcnghana@gmail.com

awumbei@yahoo.com

URL: www.ghana.watsan.net