Surabaya, 21-25 June 2010

Forty Five (45) participants as representative of central government, provinces, university, non-government organization (NGO) participated in the WASPOLA Facility’s training, namely Training of Facilitator of Water Supply and Sanitation Development (ToF), held in JW Marriot Surabaya, from 21-25 June 2010. The 45-peoples are came from Provinces: Jawa Tengah (Central Java), DI Yogyakarta, Jawa Timur (East Java), Kalimantan Barat (West Kalimantan), Kalimantan Tengah (Central Kalimantan), Kalimantan Selatan (South Kalimantan), Kalimantan Timur (East Kalimantan), Bali, Nusa Tenggara Barat (West Nusa Tenggara), and Nusa Tenggara Timur (East Nusa Tenggara) and also from Ministry  of Public Works, Home Affairs and National Planning Agency.

ToF is opened by Director of Housing and Settlement Bappenas (DHSB), as represented by Mr. Nugroho Tri Utomo, where in his prepared-remarks he said that WSS sector has significant role to increase community productivity, so that why local government has to put it priority of development. Lack of coordination and commitment on implementation are two constraints  frequently faced in the field. Establishment of WSS Working Group (Pokja AMPL) is become an alternative to create better coordination mechanism. “Pokja AMPL has to be functioned as a premier media/forum coordination among related-WSS stakeholders, to accelerate WSS development target” said DHSB, Mr Budi Hidayat, in his prepared-remarks.  Align with this, Mr, Nugroho also said that WSS sector has to be wrapped as political issue at local level. “Put it as political agenda is a single way to make WSS sector pay a public attention” said Nugroho.   Inline with this by Mr. Gary D. Swisher, WASPOLA Facility Team Leader emphasizes that facilitator present in each province will help local government to acceleration the national target achievement and the seventh-MDG  target as well.

ToF is conducted by a managing-collaboration among WASPOLA Facility-Pokja AMPL-Bappenas. During the training,  participant are enriched with knowledge about understanding on WSS issues, and also train to have an analytical capacity WSS problem, sustainability aspects, designing of what should be done in WSS development, facilitation process and advocacy design, class simulation and practice, and so on.  ToF is designed with aims to increase understanding on WSS issues, method and facilitation technique, enhance facilitation skill in WSS sector including in policy analysis, strategic planning, stakeholders analysis, and process design of WSS facilitation. To strengthen their capacity, Ms. Maraita Listyasari, from Bappenas, presented the national policy of WSS development and continued with group discussion to understand essence of its principles substantially.

WASPOLA Facility also introduces to participant the facilitation method, technique, design scenario on WSS sector, including how to design process of facilitation with participatory, dynamic and goal oriented. Sharpen individual skill and talent development also conducted by an simulation/practice individually and within group and team work. Through a media photo analysis, participant practice on how to develop communication message in WSS advocating and public engagement. An interested thing during ToF is feedback and refining from participant and facilitator for every session both in process and substance. “We have to enriched ourselves with analytical capacity and strategic in facilitation tools” said Mr. Robby Lay, an NGO from Nusa Tenggara Timur.  The same things also addressed by Mr. Haidi, an NGO from Kalimantan Barat and Mr. Abdul Kahar from University of Mulawarman, Kalimantan Timur.

In general, participant’s facilitation skill is good, as seen in the practice review when they simulation. Through 3 facilitations simulation, which are: Pokja AMPL creation, WSS policy dissemination and analysis, WSS development synergizing, seen that there is a positive trend in term of understanding and skill of WSS facilitation process. The result also show that participants are happy with process and ToF situation (mood barometer).

During ToF process, feedback and review session,  Mr. Oswar Mungkasa, Bappenas, said that qualitatively participant ability is good and promising. “In qualitative aspect, this ToF tend better and participant is easy to understand, full of improvement and innovation in each session and topic” said Oswar. Post training participant wants to conduct several agenda, depend on demand in the province, as their commitment. Thing first is disseminate training experience and conduct stakeholders meeting to follow up its result.

In the closing session, Ms. Dana Ilmiana, as representative of participant said that they get much and invaluable experience during ToF and more understand how to and why need Pokja AMPL. “On behalf of colleagues, I thanks to WASPOLA Facility and Bappenas those who enrich and train us with WSS sector development and policy reform facilitation” said Dana. Mr. Budi Hidayat, who joint to ToF one day before closing, said that importance things after ToF is spirit and willingness participant to support local government in achieving both WSS national target and MDG. “ National target (RPJMN 2010-2014) is possible to attain if all of us hold hand together within one vision, and there are collaboration between central and district,  WSS sector planning effectiveness” said Budi.  In the training closing, Director of Housing and Settlement Bappenas, award certificate to four participants as representative of them, which are: Mr. Kamaruddin (from Provincial Planning Agency of Nusa Tenggara Barat), Mr. Saiful Amin (from Surabaya Institute of Technology), Ms, Yulita Lestiawati (NGO from Kalimantan Timur) and Ms. Yulia Zhahara from NGO Kalimantan Barat.

+Dormaringan h Saragih+