UNESCO Accra takes a step in the water sector
By RCN Ghana · 10 April 2006
UNESCO is committed to take up a key role in the knowledge management initiative in the water and sanitation sector in Ghana.
By Ms. Francesca Greco, UN volunteer, UNESCO Ghana.
Why UNESCO is committed to water
When we think about water for development we always think about digging wells, boreholes and latrines, constructing pipelines, dams and other engineering infrastructures. We never think about the “knowledge” with is behind these material achievements. To obtain a real improvement of the water sector in West Africa however, there is not only the need to build and implement efficient engineering works, but to be able to maintain and to monitor the efficiency of the facilities provided. In other words, the need for monitoring and checking the real efficiency of a system sometimes is even more important than the existence of the system itself. It is evident when we think about the Millennium Development Goals: they are the aim of all the UN activities and they are meant to be reached within 2015, but if no one monitors the progress toward the results, no on will know if we will ever reach these goals.
What do we need therefore? We need to improve “knowledge management” in the sector. UNESCO is the UN agency which is committed to knowledge in general and it has a great role to play in science and in the water sector. UNESCO is committed to improve knowledge management in the water sector and to help improve significantly the quality of data analysis and data sharing, as well as the monitoring activity in water and sanitation.
What is knowledge management?
Knowledge is the sum of what is known by an individual or organization or on a subject. Is a product of information, experience, skills and attitude. Knowledge ensures the desired multiplier effect in sector interventions and enables solutions to problems in one region to be replicated in the other.
Knowledge management is managing knowledge which is stored in the heads of people or otherwise, for instance in dat…
By Ms. Francesca Greco, UN volunteer, UNESCO Ghana.
Why UNESCO is committed to water
When we think about water for development we always think about digging wells, boreholes and latrines, constructing pipelines, dams and other engineering infrastructures. We never think about the “knowledge” with is behind these material achievements. To obtain a real improvement of the water sector in West Africa however, there is not only the need to build and implement efficient engineering works, but to be able to maintain and to monitor the efficiency of the facilities provided. In other words, the need for monitoring and checking the real efficiency of a system sometimes is even more important than the existence of the system itself. It is evident when we think about the Millennium Development Goals: they are the aim of all the UN activities and they are meant to be reached within 2015, but if no one monitors the progress toward the results, no on will know if we will ever reach these goals.
What do we need therefore? We need to improve “knowledge management” in the sector. UNESCO is the UN agency which is committed to knowledge in general and it has a great role to play in science and in the water sector. UNESCO is committed to improve knowledge management in the water sector and to help improve significantly the quality of data analysis and data sharing, as well as the monitoring activity in water and sanitation.
What is knowledge management?
Knowledge is the sum of what is known by an individual or organization or on a subject. Is a product of information, experience, skills and attitude. Knowledge ensures the desired multiplier effect in sector interventions and enables solutions to problems in one region to be replicated in the other.
Knowledge management is managing knowledge which is stored in the heads of people or otherwise, for instance in dat…
