Capacity Development Policy and Strategy for the Water Sector.

This Capacity Development Policy and Strategy for the Water Sector is a sectoral document to develop the capacities of all water sector institutions to fulfill their mandates to achieve fair, effectively and efficiently water supply and sanitation services and sustainable management of water resources to successfully implement the Water Policy and Strategy 2013-32 in line with the Water Law. It also provides a basis to monitor, and regularly update the policy and strategy on capacity development in order to coordinate the efforts. To achieve the overall goal, the following strategic objectives need to be reached (i) ensure coordinated and complementary capacity development efforts; (ii) support organizational development of sector institutions; (iii) enable individuals working within water sector institutions to develop required capacities to work effectively and address their weaknesses; (iv) enable sector stakeholders to access and use existing knowledge, relevant information and resources; (v) develop practical knowledge and competencies to address existing and emerging water sector challenges; (vi) facilitate a learning culture within sector institutions that acknowledges failures and successes and enhance water management.
Main stakeholders involved are (i) the Palestinian Water Authority and its newly established Capacity Development (CD) Directorate; (ii) the Water Sector Organizations, namely the Water Sector Regulatory Council, the National Water Company; the Regional Water Utilities and the Water Users' Associations; (iii) the General Water Sector Organizations, such as educational institutions, private research, consulting and training institutes, water-specific NGOs; and (iv) further Authorities and Organizations with an influence on the water sector.
The document provides for a non-discriminating path. At this end, to enable more inclusive and efficient agricultural system, it provides for (i) equal access should be ensured, to both women and men and staff of all employment levels, to capacity development without discrimination of any groups, so that capacity development efforts contribute to building a sector where both women and men participate confidently at all levels; (ii) government organizations perform awareness and outreach functions to inform and empower the general public, women and specific water users on issues like water-wise behavior (water demand and conservation), public health (pollution, sanitation) and environmental protection.
As for the Governance, the Policy implementation needs a trustworthy mechanism so that planning, decision-making, control mechanisms and sector regulation should aim at building public confidence and legitimacy through high levels of transparency and balanced and fair consideration of stakeholder interests.