Conference Planning

Planning for the conference began at the conclusion of the scoping study and report phase. Ideas and initial planning items were addressed from 2007-08. In January 2009, the date was reserved for the conference and a planning committee was established. The conference schedule included a reception on Tuesday night and the full-day conference to be held the following day. Sponsors were solicited to defray some of the hotel, meeting, and travel expenses for the conference and attendees. Several were generated and were noted on the conference brochure.

Weekly conference calls were implemented to allow for conference progress and feedback. Several press releases were submitted to generate interest and inform individuals about the conference. Initial project conversation included the implementation of prizes meant to recognize ongoing water and sanitation projects. Attendance was planned for around 50 participants.

Prizes were decided to be awarded based on project approach. Twenty-five thousand dollars were planned to be awarded. Initial planning included four projects with $5,000 in prizes and five projects with $1,000 prizes.

The judging criteria were:

• Water committee in place
• Local municipality cooperation
• Years of operation
• System monitoring program
• Volunteer/Community labor
• Community financial capital cost contributions (prior to implementation
• Water fees/rates in place
• Capital improvement plan in place (for future projects)
• Methods of discouraging unauthorized system taps
• Community education programs
• Community or individual taps

Judges were selected from Water Corps volunteers and Water For People staff. Prize requirements were set up to provide documentation of fund use by the different organizations or municipalities. Each prize winner was to submit a minimum of five color photos and a two- to three-paragraph write up for use by Water For People.

Implementation

The Santo Domingo Hilton Hotel provided a beautiful venue for the reception and conference. Approximately 45 attendees were available for both the reception and the conference. The 2- to 3-hour reception allowed attendees to mingle and discuss their work in different regions of the country.

On Wednesday, the conference began with a breakfast and introductions by Bob Adamski, who moderated the conference, to Water For People staff members Ned Breslin (acting CEO) and Diana Betancourt (Central American Regional Manager). Ned and Diana introduced the reason for the conference, vision, mission, and methodologies of Water For People. Ned stated that later on in 2009, he, Diana, and Bob will return to see results and start the process of establishing an in-country presence and strategic plan for Water For People in the Dominican Republic, with a focus on which regions within the Dominican Republic Water For People will target to increase coverage in these regions from low levels to high levels through Water For People’s technical and financial support. Diana discussed the functionality of the organization in country. She mentioned specifically that health and hygiene education is more important than infrastructure and that hygiene and infrastructure should be discussed together.

After Water For People’s introductions, 13 presentations from different organizations were given. Organizations ranged from religious-based, university programs (student and faculty), service clubs, manufacturers, and standard (NGOs). The presence of these NGOs and other groups combined to span more than 30 years in the country, affecting thousands of people with their work. Many of the organizations mentioned how their work overlapped and how they had worked together in the past. A number of the local organizations had support or sister organizations in the United States on whom they could call for additional technical or financial support.

A similar organizational model was used within each of the groups. They would utilize local community members and help them to provide as much of the support (labor, organization, funding, etc) as possible to increase the project’s likelihood for continued success. Two communities, Miches-Miramar and Quatro Caminos, brought in their water committees to discuss their particular projects. Each of these communities worked with a university-based Engineers Without Borders chapter.
Other presenters included Parroquia San Pedro Apostol, International Capstone Design, Miches-Miramar Water Committee (EWB), Healing Waters, Rotary Club, Hermandad, Batey Relief Alliance, Peace Corps, Virginia Tech, Quatro Caminos Water Committee (EWB), Los Toros Foundation, Vitamins for the World, and Aqua Pure. Universities represented were the University of South Florida, New York University – Polytechnic Institute, Stevens Institute, Columbia University (ESSEG), and Virginia Tech University.

The different organizations were encouraged to meet with several students who came to document different in-country project locations. Representatives from Engineers Without Borders chapters from the Polytechnic Institute of New York University and the Stevens Institute (New Jersey) used GIS/Google Earth software to provide overall coverage maps for geographic representation. Their work will formulate into a working document that will be updated and used to coordinateWater For People’s work in the Dominican Republic.

At the end of the presentations, each organization could meet based on geographical region to plan on how they can best help each other. The three regions were the southwest region (San Juan), northern region (Santiago), and eastern region (El Seibo). Comments from the groups showed how much they had gained from meeting together. Joe Simon, from Hermandad, stated that the collective mission of all participants is too important to not work together. Education is the key to change the culture, said Guillermo Montoya, of Agua Pure. He continued by saying that the communities don’t know the problem that faces them. The recommendations were for: continued communication, sharing technology and increase awareness of the problems.

The end of the conference was marked by the presentation of the awards. Three $5,000 prizes were awarded to the Miches Water Committee, Hermandad, and the Batey Relief Alliance. Four $2,000 prizes were awarded to the Quatro Caminos Water Committee, Los Toros Foundation, Tamayo Bateyes projects, and the Peace Corps (for four projects). One $1,000 prize was awarded to the Parroquia San Pedro Apostol.

Bob Adamski ended the conference by stating that this was the beginning of the work of Water For People in the Dominican Republic!

Conference Follow-up

Attendees bid farewell to the island and continued their work either within the country or supporting those who were. The prize awardees submitted their project information as required for prize fund distribution. Articles and other follow-up dialogue were published or distributed to various organizations. Most importantly, dialogues between organizations began occurring which allowed for a greater coverage of water and sanitation opportunities for Dominicans and Haitians alike.

The conference was a great success! More important, the process for Water For People’s implementation into the country received an impressive boost. One of the discouraging events from the comments was the lack of national government (INAPA, INVI) representation at the conference.

Conference Follow-up Trip

In December 2009 Diana Betancourt (Regional Coordinator for Central America) and Robert Adamski (World Water Corps Volunteer) traveled throughout the Dominican Republic visiting seven of the eight winners of prizes from Water For People’s April 2009 Conference. The trip was assisted by the Columbia University Center for Environment, Economy, and Society’s Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Economic Growth (CEES/ESSG) who provided a driver and made appointments with the groups to be visited. The winners represented many different kinds of programs from full community and government involvement to minimal involvement. They stretched geographically from the northeast (Miches) to the southwest (Barahona). (See attached map). They also met with a representative from INAPA (the government water and drainage provider) and from the Peace Corps.

Conclusion

The trip confirmed the World Water Corps’ determination that the ability to speak Spanish to work in the country and the need for an in-country partner are essential. Conversations were held with Columbia University’s CEES/ESSEG and Hermandad Dominicana to clarify the role a partner might play.

Going forward Water For People needs to complete an agreement for an in-country partner to demonstrate its presence, perform a diagnostic evaluation to recommend a strategic plan for a volunteer-led program that continues to engage the prize winners and others.

Written by: Robert E. Adamski, P.E., BCEE,
Gannett Fleming, Inc.