Project description

Title: Management training in Egypt’s water sector / Promotion of the National Training Centre at the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation
Commissioned by: Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ)
Country: Egypt
Lead executing agency: Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (MWRI)
Overall term: January 2007 to December 2009

Context

Egypt is almost entirely dependent on the Nile for its water supply. Water shortages, inefficient water use and deteriorating water quality are among the country’s most urgent problems. Fair distribution of the scarce water resources and their sustainable use are of major significance for the country’s social and economic development.
Structural changes in irrigation management have to be developed and introduced, particularly on account of the worsening droughts. The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation has introduced an institutional reform for water resource management in order to meet the challenges. An Institutional Reform Unit (IRU), which answers directly to the Minister, has been set up with a view to steering and coordinating the reform process.
The new national water resource policy (2002 to 2017) must first of all address the great lack of staff and management personnel. Although some 70 per cent of managers in leading positions reached retirement age by the end of 2005, the recruitment of junior management personnel was neglected. There were too few management personnel to implement the new water resource policy and the associated institutional changes, which has to be corrected as quickly as possible.

Objective

Young, qualified executives and junior management personnel have responsibilities within the new national water resource policy reform process.

Approach

The project supports the national water resource policy and the current reform process. Young management personnel and capable staff are qualified for the competent organisations. The Regional Centre for Training and Water Studies (RCTWS), which is affiliated to the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, is advised in developing and implementing training courses. In addition, it receives support for setting up a training programme especially to manage the reform measures.
A modular management training course has been developed. Personal interviews with young executives and junior management personnel resulted in some three hundred of them being selected to take part. All the participants have completed the first round of the training programme.

Further information

• Website of the Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation
  www.mwri.gov.eg
• Regional Centre for Training and Water Studies (RCTWS)
  www.rctws.com