Skat News - October 2006
Newsletter of Skat - Swiss Resource Centre and Consultancies for Development
Dear Friends and Partners,
The electronic newsletter of Skat is sent to you approximately three times each year. Skat News provides you with brief summaries of recent and ongoing projects, links you to further information and documents, and provides you with a relevant contact address. Your feedback at mailto:news@skat.ch is welcome.
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Skat Projects and Activities
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>>> 22nd AGUASAN Workshop 2006 - With cross-sectoral approaches to higher impact <<<
The 22nd AGUASAN workshop took place from 26 to 30 June 2006 in Gwatt (Switzerland) and dealt with the topic More benefits for households from water and sanitation through intersectoral synergies. In order to achieve a higher impact on peoples livelihoods and on poverty alleviation the potential of a Cross-Sectoral Approach (CSA) linking water and sanitation with health and income generation was explored. The CSA was understood as an approach that goes beyond ones own core business and sector boundaries to join forces with the aim to increasing impact through synergetic and combined interventions. Various cases were presented and assessed, which showed how water and sanitation are effectively link with health and income generation, thus generating multiple benefits for the households. During the workshop sessions, the insights were transferred to the personal working situations of the participants. A number of potential d benefits of a CSA in water and sanitation-related interventions were identified, and a strategic approach to implement this particular approach was developed. The workshop report will be published shortly. For more information please contact Roger Schmid ( mailto:roger.schmid@skat.ch ), in charge, at Skat, of the AGUASAN group.
>>> Vertical Shaft Brick Kiln (VSBK) programme in Afghanistan - Pilot phase to be launched in early 2007 <<<
Following the feasibility study on the VSBK Technology Transfer Programme to Afghanistan, which Skat carried out last year, the Skat team has successfully initiated preparations for a pilot phase that will start in early 2007. The preparation activities include a training and knowledge sharing tour of Afghan partners to the ongoing VSBK programmes in India and Nepal, which was conducted already in May 2006. The Afghan partners received a high quality VSBK design training with regard to the implementation of the pilot project. In the frame of the VSBK technology transfer to Afghanistan two engineers from the VSBK Programme Nepal conducted a four-day VSBK design training in Afghanistan in August 2006. Engineers and architects of five different local construction companies attended this training. The mission also facilitated further familiarisation of the visiting Nepali team with the local Afghan context. In addition, the team was able to successfully assess the local brick market and availability of necessary materials for the VSBK pilot project. For further information please contact Karl Wehrle ( mailto:karl.wehrle@skat.ch ) or Claudia Schneider ( mailto:claudia.schneider@skat.ch ).
>>> Sustainable reconstruction in Tsunami affected areas - New guidance manual <<<
UNEPs Paris-based Division of Technology, Industry and Economics commissioned Skat to prepare a manual on sustainable reconstruction, in particular in the context of Tsunami and other natural disasters. As is often the case in post-disaster situations like in the Tsunami aftermath, the urgency and scale of needs for shelter pose a tremendous challenge. Based on these needs, Skat has compiled a manual for sustainable reconstruction with the main objective to encourage project managers to take into account important issues of sustainability. This should also help to minimise negative impacts that may arise from poorly managed reconstruction initiatives. The target group and users of the manual are international donors, development agencies, NGOs, UN agencies, and government institutions who are engaged in reconstruction activities. The manual serves as a reference book considering selection and availability of building materials and technologies and their social acceptance, cost-effectiveness and affordability of housing, and access to information. It gives recommendations and advice on how to comply with cleaner production and environmentally sound and energy efficient building practices. For more information please contact Claudia Schneider ( mailto:claudia.schneider@skat.ch ).
>>> Work the Net - New hands-on guide for networking practitioners <<<
The new guide 'Work the Net' is one of the outputs of the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) project 'Networking, Information and Knowledge Management by Regional Organizations' (NeRO), which provided an exchange platform for information and knowledge management approaches and instruments between regional development organizations focusing on the management of natural resources in the Asian context. Skat was involved as backstopper, and later contributed in writing and producing the guide Work the Net, which addresses networking practitioners as well as other professionals who intend to set up a network. But also established networkers will find a number of useful tips. The guide, in concise A5 format, describes on 140 pages how formal networks may be set up, managed, and utilized in an efficient and effective way. Up to two hardcopies of the guide are available free of charge. For three copies and more, postage and administration fees will be charged. Copies of the guide can be ordered at mailto:publications@skat.ch. For more information please contact Urs Karl Egger ( mailto:urs.egger@skat.ch ).
>>> Threads - Workshop on the management of international networks for knowledge sharing <<<
The Skat Foundation and Helvetas organised a workshop in St. Gallen (Switzerland) on 25-28 April 2006 on the topic Management of International Networks for Knowledge Sharing. 45 networking practitioners from all over the world shared their expertise, supported their colleagues, and learned from each other how to manage networks in an effective and efficient manner. Various workshop methods such as a world café, case study sessions, an open space, and excursions, were applied to facilitate exchanges and learning. Details about the workshop are available at http://www.threads.ch . Threads is a new initiative of the Skat Foundation with the aim to launching joint projects with partners in the North and South to improve management practices in development cooperation through sharing and learning. For more information about the workshop and Threads please contact Urs Karl Egger at mailto:threads@skat.ch .
>>> Capacity Building for Networking - New issue of the KM4D Journal online <<<
The September 2006 issue of the KMD Journal on the subject of 'Capacity building for networking' is now available online: http://www.km4dev.org/journal/index.php/km4dj/issue/current . Catalyst for the compilation of this issue was the Threads workshop on the 'Management of International Networks for Knowledge Sharing' organized by Skat and Helvetas on 25-28 April 2006 in St. Gallen (Switzerland). Two contributions ensuing from this workshop may also be found in this special issue that comprises articles and case studies ranging from analysis of the type of capacity building needed in specific cases, to insights in capacity building programmes for networking from a grassroots perspective and from the point of view of the networking practitioners. The journal was produced by guest editors Urs Karl Egger (Skat), Georg Buchholz (GTZ), and Marc Steinlin (Helvetas), together with Chief Editor Lucie Lamoureux.
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Skat Publications
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The Skat Foundation edits various publications in the fields of water supply and environmental sanitation, waste management, sustainable building and settlement development, and transport and mobility. Browse through our list of publications on our website: http://www.skat-foundation.org/publications . For any enquiries please send an email to mailto:publications@skat.ch
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Impressum
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Skat, Vadianstrasse 42, CH-9000 St.Gallen, Switzerland
phone +41 71 228 54 54, fax +41 71 228 54 55, email mailto:info@skat.ch, web http://www.skat.ch
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