ANNUAL WORK PLAN YEAR 1

3.3.4. TASK 2.4 CAPACITY BUILDING OF MWRI PERSONNEL
Objectives
Assist MWRI in providing graduate level training opportunities for its employees to increase
productivity, efficiency, equitable allocation, and improved water quality of water resources.
Background
Funds have been obligated to IWRM II by USAID to provide long-term Masters Degree
training for up to 50 staff of MWRI in American University in Cairo and other Egyptian
academic institutions focusing on staff that will be assigned to management positions in the
East Delta region.
Expected Results
Improved practices for recruitment, training, and retention of qualified staff.
Expected Outputs (Deliverables)
• Training Needs Assessment Report
• List of universities and candidates
• Orientation seminar
• Progress and evaluation reports
• Final Report.
Partners
The key partners for this task will be IWMU, MWRI Minister’s office, the American University
in Cairo, and other Egyptian academic institutions.
Approach
IWRM II will assist MWRI to improve its practices for recruitment, training, and retention of
qualified staff, and will sponsor local MS degree training for qualified staff based on identified
MWRI priorities. Several lessons were learned in the course of implementing the IWRM I
graduate degree training program that will inform the IWRM II approach. In particular, trainees
where possible, require paid leave from their MWRI positions to enable them to pursue their
academic programs on a full-time basis and complete their degree requirements before the end
of a project. Under IWRM I, some attended universities on a part-time basis, and did not
complete their programs by the close of the project. In addition, candidates for graduate degree
study should be required to commit to return to MWRI upon completion of their academic
programs.
The IWRM II Team will work with MWRI and with
USAID/Egypt to determine how thinking about
graduate training priorities has evolved since
presentation of the Ministry’s training needs assessment
in June 2003, and what the respective roles of the
Ministry, Mission, and IWRM II should be in planning
for the new in-country MS degree program. IWRM II
will take a central role in all phases of the process
including conducting an updated training needs
assessment, designing and overseeing procedures for
the selection of trainees, and providing input into the
IRG will work with IWMU, the
MWRI Minister’s Office, AUC, and
other Egyptian academic institutes,
such as Ain Shams University, Benha
University, Cairo University, Helwan
University, Mansoura University,
Menufiya University, the Sadat
Academy for Management Sciences,
Suez Canal University, Tanta
University, and Zagazig University.
selection of training institutions to match Ministry needs with programs offered. IWRM II will
also assist training candidates with application processes, provide pre-program orientation, and
Annual Work Plan Year 1(January–December 2009) 40