The list of expectations for this project over the coming three and a half years is enormous, but at the same time, the conditions and needs for the GEF IW:LEARN project have never been greater. Expectations start with the project’s high goal, to strengthen global portfolio experience sharing and learning, dialogue facilitation, targeted knowledge sharing and replication in order to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of GEF IW projects to deliver tangible results in partnership with other IW initiatives.

The new project maintains the basic IW:LEARN service line in the project’s two critical areas -  capacity building  led by UNDP, and information management led by UNEP, but adds a lot of new tools for the GEF IW portfolio as well. The basic services include targeted training workshops, project-project exchanges, the GEF Biennial International Waters Conference, support to communities of practice, support for regional (particularly Mediterranean) and global dialogue processes, information dissemination, our website iwlearn.net including our new community workspace platform, our website toolkit and finally basic help-desk services.

On the former, regional targeted workshops will continue in three GEF regions (Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and Caribbean, Asia - Pacific) in partnership with local institutions. The regional workshops will be accompanied by opportunities for project-project learning exchanges. The 6th GEF Biennial International Waters Conference will take place this year in Dubrovnik, Croatia (from 17-20 October 2011, accompanied by a very special Gala Dinner to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the GEF IW focal area, as well as workshops for project managers).

Our website, http://iwlearn.net, continues to be enhanced constantly. A particular new highlight is our Community Workspace, http://community.iwlearn.net, which all IW stakeholders should join. The Workspace will support further networking among stakeholders in a free manner, where users can upload all manner of content and engage in all kinds of discussions, in a flexible platform that allows full participation. Our Website Toolkit has also been upgraded, and remains an option for all GEF IW projects, already used by over 30 of your fellow GEF projects to disseminate project, news, results and other data.

The new IW:LEARN also features a suite of new tools and activities for different sub-sets of the portfolio. In particular, the project will provide critical support to the MENARID strategic programme on issues of managing groundwater in that highly stressed region. The project will also deliver a new IW Project Manager/Focal Area Manual and Course, a revision to the TDA-SAP Course and Methodology, new Guidance on Private Sector Engagement, on Mainstreaming Climatic Variability & Change, a pilot of index-insurance to manage flood risk, an IW Journal, the first-ever IW Science Conference in 2012, a Portfolio Visualization Tool, a Project Results Archive and new Global Communities of Practice for Groundwater, Rivers and Lake basin projects.

The focus of this newest iteration is to make life and management easier for all GEF IW projects through this suite of services and tools.

The project, in addition to implementation by UNDP and UNEP, will feature partnership with UNESCO, United Nations University, Global Water Partnership Mediterranean, IUCN to deliver many of these activities. The project will also be working with GETF, SEA START Regional Center, Rhodes University and the Caribbean Environment Programme, as well as coordinating with GEF IW’s various other learning projects to ensure a well-managed approach to learning across the portfolio.

Please keep in touch with the project and its new joint PCU, which will soon be announced, and drop a line to info@iwlearn.org any time for further information. This phase will operate until mid-2014.