After Thursday & BEFORE Tuesday - For individual RSA (mostly Operational) NRW-IAM team members
Nigel Lowe
Hi All,
Firstly especially note this distribution – mostly to the smaller individual players I have gathered (notably around an e-table) AND apart from mother-operational organisations which some of you have. My wisdom (but negotiable) is that Stephen and Tendai are on the team side and will not take “water service intensification” (note label) leading-organisation-responsibilities - at least in RSA. Zim – is something rather different. Alan R – I still think I need you for independent risk assurance. I copy Pianos to the degree he can and wants to volunteer especially his own time and linkages back to DCoG at some point. I copy Themba as he is strictly on the enabling side and in some way (source of funds being secured or planned) that is still necessary to accelerate what we might now be starting. Those in the latter organisation-linked category will need to negotiate your own ‘secondment’. But ALSO a next email also goes to principal participating organisations, like those represented on Thursday.
I have had an amazing few days around NRW-IAM and Thursday certainly actually was a pivot point and it was not just the afternoon! A lot is slowly going into the NRW-IAM Google groups for any of you to find. It has been exceptionally wide ranging and some of you have various insights into it as I have been copying you – especially in different and varying domains – whether NC, Bulawayo, soon Gauteng+ (possibly led by Tlokwe) and there-after (including Wednesday 2nd) something else potentially emerging at least by month end around East London. It is between probably Mark and Tendai who has the greatest insight / exposure.
Secondly – Moses, I / we need to be counting on your Notes asap from Thursday but I am also not going to wait on them. Just too much is stacked up. But they must still emerge and soon please.
Thirdly - The NRW-IAM content IS - AND I CANNOT PUT IT SIMPLER THAN THIS - actually “all there”. Rather I assert this – all NRW-IAM now requires is enough commitment to drive select key cases to ‘PACKAGING CLOSURE.’ That could take the form of tendered bids if required but then the cases are not selected. However I still favour sufficient planning / engagement and then ‘offers’. Yes, grants make it easier but I am also at the point of saying that if “we” pick our cases – perhaps like Tlokwe. It is now a matter of becoming the ‘we’ (team) to ‘JUST do it’! Let me be as bold as this. Maybe ‘we’ do NOT NEED grants and can actually birth an additional-value-adding AND relatively easily-appended “project”. If budgets are needed that require grants then let us find them too. Just a different emphasis. But the core issue we must not lose the core integrity of what the NRW-IAM scopes AND then POTENTIALLY offers.
I am literally ready to “go for it” especially around Tlokwe (beginning formally on Tuesday?) and subject to the agreement of Ilifa to ‘play’ the lead organisation role. The basic point of entry SHOULD just be WDM, initially no more than that, unless there is express justification and capability to deal with that. Even my role needs to be defined within that. Hopefully Monday (note please Mark) But I want a real team behind me.
So who is ready to accept my assertions and make Tlokwe a COLLECTIVE test case? Neither do I expect it to be the last. Bulawayo is ‘VERY ripe’ but more logistically and grant-source demanding, to probably be next. NEARLY EVERTHING I have engaged yourselves around CAN now begin to come together. I definitely want to count on Riaan or Chris for Tuesday in Tlokwe to give the strongest IAM-based framework. After that I am proposing that ‘we’ confirm and scope feasibility, cost it and potentially make an offer to Tlokwe. We cannot cost ourselves into this first case – as due to duplication and while we are learning our positions and roles, costs will be too high. But those need to be recognised and emerge as well. Perhaps in the next or future case – our efforts can be costed and compensated via the lead-organisations commitment to compensate. It is a matter of growing ourselves into this – grants or not!
So;
1) Who has issues / perceives pitfalls with this kind of approach?
2) This question challenged me initially. How do ‘we’ (those active) avoid accumulating or keeping ‘passengers’? I note this where-as the contribution of some actually (like WR colleagues, Moses and particularly Themba) will still need to be appended? Perhaps the solution lies in the emergence of team needs / roles (e.g. inisitutional) AND also in the available persons OFFERING their own additional value-adding contributions to any basic project (intervention) plan.
I have not even consulted Mark in this regard and under time pressures for Tuesday cannot hold this back either. So now you all have it.
SO WHO’s interested to join me and help take ‘us’ into more structured teamwork, initially in Tlokwe? Rather don’t miss this bus!
Regards, sincerely,
Nigel
Nigel Lowe
Hi All,
Mark and I had an extended Skype conversation this afternoon. I am pleased that I now have the support of particularly Mark in general to this and notably underlying tactics, especially in the short-term. We also seem to have our week well sorted out. He is now escalating everything to his boss Albie (Ilifa). I will now make a concerted effort to speak to Riaan asap too. Let us see what Tlokwe delivers.
I also the support of Tendai well positioned for the Zimbabwe trip.
Please don’t hesitate to call me if there are coordination issues not resolved. Themba – you and I should hopefully be speaking soon, especially about Tlokwe.
I am just about to drop the ‘larger’ contextual email to our Organisational reps as I said below I would do – sorry too much else also to do until now. Watch out for that and if there is anything you are surprised about – PLEASE get back to me first and foremost.
Have a good week, if we are not set to talk or meet.
Nigel