Water Governance for Future Leaders: Inaugural course of the Arab Water Academy

Launched in July 2008, the Arab Water Academy (AWA) was created with the aim of becoming a regional "center of excellence" for executive education in water. AWA focuses on strengthening the knowledge and skills of the Middle East and North Africa's decision-makers to address and manage effectively the region's water challenges.

The Academy is based in the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi's (EAD) headquarters in Abu Dhabi. Its management, administration and academic development is undertaken by the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), which maintains offices in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Its objectives are to:

- Develop and deliver executive education for leaders, senior professionals and policy-makers from the public and private sectors
- Provide technical coaching and mentoring services to executive leaders in managing change, reform or transformation at organizational, sector and national level
- Support a continuous learning environment for alumni and other ' professionals in areas of strategic importance in the Arab Region

The Arab Water Academy is launching a first series of programs, one of them focusing on water governance.

The program seeks to:
1) Develop an understanding of the concepts, roles, frameworks, and practices of effective water governance
2) Enable participants to identify and analyze critical governance-related problems in the water sector, and to bring about change in water governance
3) Empower 'agents of change' who can inspire effective and innovative governance processes which benefit the range of stakeholders while ensuring accountability and sustainability

This water governance program will involve three one-week modules that will take place in Abu Dhabi (27th June - 2nd July 2009, November 2009, February 2010).

Mid-level professionals involved in water governance issues with the government, a university, the private sector, or an NGO in the Middle East North Africa region are invited to apply.

This competitive program will strengthen the technical and management skills of a select group of highly promising professionals through high-level training modules.
Participants in the program - AWA Graduates - will learn the latest concepts, approaches, ideas, strategies, and best practices on water governance. Our program will foster professional collegiality and friendships so that the ties formed here remain in place long after the program ends.

Applicants must be nominated by a host organization from Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Nomination requires a reasonable commitment on the part of the host entity to maintain the employment relationship and regular salary of the individual for the life.
Applicants must be committed to participating fully in all modules and via web-based applications between modules.
AWA will pay for participants' travel costs from their point of origin, including international economy air fare, and ground transfers. Such payment will be on a reimbursement basis. AWA will also pay for costs during modules, including accommodation, venue, study tours, materials, group activities, some meals and with a per diem for incidental expenses during the period of study.
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The Arab Water Academy, in collaboration with the USAID will organize a learning program on "Water Governance for Future Leaders". The program is made up of 3 five- day sessions with the first June 28th -Jul 2nd, the second in November 2009 and the third part in February 2010. The learning program will include interactive lectures and discussions, case study analysis, field visits, team assignments as well as a 3-day leadership course delivered by the University of Oxford's Said Business School. International and regional experts in water governance will lead the sessions.
The program is funded by USAID and attendance of the course is free of charge to selected participants from the public and privates sectors in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Oman and the United Arab Emirates with capacity limited to 25 people. The course will be conducted in English and a certificate of achievement will be awarded after attendance of all parts of the course and completion of assignments. The first part of the course in 27th June -2nd July will be held in Abu Dhabi.