Author name: bdadmin

The Blue Deal project intends to start a Flood Risk unit at ARA Centro in Beira. In this Flood Risk Unit, staff will be trained to use hydrological models for better prediction of time and level of floods.

In March 2019 the Cyclone Idai caused a lot of damage to the office of ARA Centro. DWA expert Jan den Besten took the initiative to collect funds in the Netherlands to support ARA Centro in repairing the damage. Due to this quick action of the DWA partners ARA Centro managed to repair the roof and the damage inside the office before the next rainy season that started in November 2019. With a few months of delay, we are glad that our partnership can make a start with the Flood Risk Unit in 2020.

The Blue Deal effect: What impressed Jan was the mutual feeling of solidarity between the partners. To have the basic office infrastructure in place is an important condition for the staff to perform its tasks. "This was felt in the Netherlands too and I am glad that we were able to help a little bit in solving the situation caused by IDAI”, according to Jan.

The road to positive outcomes: ‘’Small contributions can lead to huge impact’’

One of the partners in the Blue Deal activities in Beira is FACE Association, where Helder Domingos is in charge of our activities. Helder Domingos:“Our association was founded by colleagues who had been working within the Frisian Urban Sanitation Project (FUSP 2010-2018). Our activities have always been turned to the sanitation chain with a focus on raising awareness and building sanitation infrastructures such as improved latrines, public sanitation facilities and school sanitation. In 2018 in Beira, we were involved in the construction of a pilot faecal sludge transfer station (component 5) and in training small private companies for emptying of latrine pits. We very much welcome the opportunity provided by the Blue Deal initiative to continue with these kinds of activities which have important added value for the sustainability of infrastructures and behaviour change”.“.

At the start, FACE was involved in the various preparatory meetings with the local partners in the city of Beira, field visits, conversations with the partners and the communication meeting for the launch of the Blue Deal. The interconnection between the main actors (Municipal Council, SASB, ARA Centro, universities, private sector) with an informed community will enhance the desire to improve the individual situation for sanitation in families.

The Blue Deal effect: According to Helder: for us, to be part of this project is inspiring and as a team, we have a positive feeling as we are contributing to the sustainability of the existing sanitation environment that was created in the previous projects. We think that community education by means of awareness is important and should be constant and continuous.

The road to positive outcomes: The Blue Deal offers opportunities for improvement of behaviour about the correct management of solid waste and proper management of the drainage system at the city level impacting positively in public health.

In Nampula, ARA Centro-Norte is innovating the planning & control cycle. In 2020, the ARA is gaining experience with a system approach of “traffic light (red-yellow-green)” to indicate the progress on the operational action plan that was developed in 2019. ARA Centro-Norte is gaining also new experience with a more detailed financial estimate for the year 2020. "We welcome a more sustainable grip on finances." Said Director Carlitos Omar.

“Traffic light approach” creates overview

In January 2020, ARA Centro-Norte in Nampula adopted an approach of traffic lights (red-yellow-green). For an easy overview, the system indicates the progress of each subject in the action plan for planning & control. The new approach was introduced by experts Taco Mulder and Geert Room. To make it workable, they discussed all the details of the action plan with Mr Carlitos Omar and with the managers of the technical department, the financial department, the human resources department and the procurement/legal department.

A more detailed estimate

ARA Centro-Norte is also gaining experience with a more detailed annual financial estimate. Geert Room: “When developing the annual budget we used inputs from the national budget, the expenses made by the ARA during 2019, the costs for operation & maintenance and the own (tax) income of ARA Centro-Norte”. The estimate was further detailed by the mentioned staff, including Mrs Adelgisa, a financial controller financed through the Blue Deal partnership.

Next working visit

Geert Room expects a next working visit in the second half of 2020. “We hope to be able to monitor the development and implementation of the annual budget and have a look at the progress of the operational action plan. But only if we are allowed to visit Mozambique and not to be stopped because of the Covid-19 pandemic measures” - said Gert Room.

“From 26 to 30 August 2019, we had a full week workshop at ARA Centro Norte in Nampula, with all heads of the departments and other staff members” - Said Carlitos Omar, ARA Norte General Director. “We discussed a lot about planning and control topics and we made some very important steps from our strategic plan towards an operational action plan. We also defined the outcomes and outputs of our new action plan“.

The Blue Deal effect: As Carlitos Omar mentioned: “it was very interesting to learn that with the help of the colours green, yellow and red of a traffic light we can easily and simply visualize the progress of our actions and tasks“.

The road to positive outcomes: During the workshop, we discussed and emphasized that an important element of our daily work is based on: "say what you do, and do as you say“.