AWARD PROFILE
The emergence and development of the Association for Water and Rural Development (AWARD) took place during the ten years marking South Africa’s transition to democracy. Between 1993 and 2003 an upheaval in all of the governing frameworks – from the constitution to various policies - moulded the AWARD of today. In taking up the new challenges, the organisation has interacted with and influenced institutional changes and in turn contributed and responded to the evolution of change in context.
AWARD’s mission is to develop and test new and appropriate ways of managing water to address water security in the catchment through wise resource management and equitable allocation, through:
- The Sand River Catchment, the area we focus on, and learn in;
- Research based enquiry on implementation of the framework provided by the national Constitution, the Water Act and related policies;
- Critical engagement with developmental frameworks;
- Writing up and sharing our learning and findings to influence and support institutions with responsibility for policy and implementation;
- Concern with integrated and holistic approaches, and impact on the livelihoods of the poorest.
AWARD’s genesis
- Born from a vision of a multi-disciplinary rural facility for Wits University, Wits Rural Facility (WRF) was established in 1989. It offered research and education that would be relevant and responsive to rural development challenges, particularly in the Bushbuckridge area.
- The The Claude Harris Leon Foundation (CHLF) explored new directions for its support in 1992, commissioned a number of papers and held numerous discussions in seeking inputs from experts, including those at WRF. This resulted in support to WRF’s Water Information Project (WIP).
- In mid-1993 a series of village water projects were approved, from which point AWARD has been shaped by the vision of CHLF, the context in which it evolved, the severe drought of 1992, and the complement of staff inputs and ideas – across engineering, social and environmental issues –that required integration in the transition to democracy.
- By 1996 a programme that integrated the village projects with the WIP efforts at WRF was launched, and in 1998 AWARD was established as an independent Section 21 Company.
- In 1999 the Save the Sand Project, a collaborative Integrated Catchment Management pilot for rehabilitation and sustainability of the Sand River catchment, became part of the bid for equitable allocation of water and AWARD’s vision of a model of sustainable social, envirionmental and economic development.
AWARD’s evolution
- By 2003, changes in AWARD’s funding structure had required a strategy to develop systems and skills for attracting and operating on project funding. Undertaking work in line with organisational objectives became more demanding to staff in the shift from the comfort of having core funding to a consultancy model dependant on grant and research funding.
- The 2004 Annual Report reflects AWARD’s outputs, structured in two key programmes, a Catchment Management Programme and a Village Water Supply Programme, under which Projects have operated.
- The 2005 Annual Report reflects the emergence of Themes as follows:
Catchment Management Themes: Guidelines, Governance and Implementation of policy in the context of communal wetlands; Capacity development; Action Research on wetlands rehabilitation and Management plans in communal areas of the Sand River Catchment.
Village Water Supply Themes: Securing Water to Enhance Local Livelihoods (SWELL) encompassing the engagement of multiple stakeholders in planning for multiple uses (MUS); Building learning alliances; Understanding water and livelihoods needs of the most vulnerable; Methods and processes for sharing; An integrated systems approach to Rainwater Harvesting.
- By 2006, building supportive partnerships with role players and relevant structures became a key element for ensuring effective implementation of policies to benefit communities, including working with the local municipality in context.
AWARD’s current challenges and opportunities:
AWARD has been working on what is practical by providing advisory services on implementing of policies. The interpretation of policy is critical and our context provides us with a valuable platform to review specific policies and deal with each specifically.
The implications of implementing sophisticated policies in the water sector through testing in our context, means that we revisit policy frameworks in respect of questions that arise from application and enquiry: Do we need to challenge policy, build the capacity to interpret and apply in a user friendly way, or is it more about having a strategy to progress incrementally?
