Backstopping Mandate (BSM) to the
“Inter-Ministerial Water Council (IMWC) of Kosovo”

 

To advance the country’s water sector reform, the Government of Kosovo established in 2008 the Water Task Force (WTF): an inter-ministerial decision-making body shaping the sector’s policy & strategy frame-work and related action plans, as well as coordinating the domestic and external sector actors. The Swiss Government supported the WTF by funding through SECO long-term consultants, short-term experts and a backstopping mandate by Skat from 2009 to 2013. To transform the successful WTF into a permanent institution, an Inter-Ministerial Water Council (IMWC) was introduced into Kosovo’s Water Law of 2013.

In continuation of its assistance, SECO supports over 2014-2020 (2+2+1+1 years) the IMWC by funding two permanent advisors (on water policy, respectively regulatory aspects) and two intermittent advisors (legal and an economic expert) seconded to the Office of Prime Minister, a project assistant, international and national short-term experts as per specific needs, and Skat’s backstopping services. The aim is to enable the IMWC as “coordinating and decision-taking body that examines the systematic issues of water, the harmonization of the different needs and interests, and proposes measures for the development, utilization and protection of water resources and systems of Kosovo”. The main expected outcomes are that:

  • The Council coordinates the sector development and addresses the related core systemic problems;
  • A comprehensive legal, policy and strategy framework in the sector is developed and enforced;
  • Inter-institutional coordination, collaboration and learning in the sector are strengthened;
  • An improved regulatory and institutional framework for sustainable water resources management and protection as well as for the sustainability of the water services industry is in place and performs.
Project Facts

Country:

Republic of Kosovo

Project Period:

2014 – 2017 (Phase 2)

2009 – 2013 (Phase 1, BSM “Water Task Force”)

Name of Client:

State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO)

Services Provided:

Backstopping & Technical Advice

  • Backstopping (thematic and methodological)
  • Coaching

Name of Staff involved and functions performed:

Project Manager (team leader): Roger Schmid

Project Officer (team member): Florian Klingel

Project Assistant (local staff): Majlinda Pruti

Project Administration: Norolalao Robson

Project Description

Since 2009, Skat has been acting as backstopping consultant assisting the Swiss Coordination Office in Kosovo and SECO headquarters in the steering and monitoring of the “Support to the WTF” project, whilst providing technical support (advice and coaching) to the permanent advisors in relevant global and regional water sector issues as well as deploying the short-term experts on specific thematic issues. Skat has also conducted the project’s mid-term review and designed its 2nd Phase now known as “Support to the IMWC”.

In the current backstopping mandate, the Skat expert team with large experience on international water sector reforms and policies, primarily supports the permanent local advisors to the IMWC, whilst deploying the intermittent advisors and the (inter)national short-term experts. The backstopper also provides support to the Swiss Coordination Office and SECO in project steering and monitoring. Finally, the backstopper ensures the quality of the operational plans and reports of the IMWC Secretariat and the intermittent advisors/short-term experts, and was tasked to conduct the project internal review end 2015. The backstopping mandate includes, but is not limited to, the following tasks:

  • Provide thematic and methodological advise to the two permanent advisors upon demand and felt needs, whilst bringing in relevant regional and global best practices;
  • Support the IMWC Secretariat in developing their Yearly Plans of Operations and in getting them approved by the client;
  • Assist the client in monitoring and steering of the project by providing in a timely manner the information, analysis and learning required for effective project performance assessment and decision-talking;
  • Monitor on a periodic basis (i.e. during field missions) project progress, performance and synergies with other sector endeavours of the Swiss Coordination Office in Kosovo;
  • Comment on the inception report and the semi-annual progress reports of the IMWC secretariat, whilst assisting the finalisation of the documents up to approval by the client;
  • Deploy the intermittent advisors to the IMWC based on terms of references and profiles proposed by the secretariat and approved by the client;
  • Deploy the national and international short-term experts to the IMWC based on the justifications, terms of reference and profiles proposed by the secretariat/backstopper and approved by the client;
  • Participate in / contribute to, upon demand of the client, conferences, workshops, IMWC meetings and other events organized within the framework of the project;
  • Conduct, in consultation with the relevant project stakeholders, an internal review of the project in 2015 providing the basis for SECO’s decision taking on project extension beyond the initial two years.
Print