EU Water Initiative’s Communication and Information System (EUWI-CIS): Phase 1: Development of the EUWI-CIS, 03/2004 – 02/2005, Phase 2: Upgrading and consolidation of the EUWI-CIS, 04/2005 – 08/2006

Detailed project description:

Background:

EUWI-CIS is a web-based tool supporting communication between the participants of the EU Water Initiative, a multi-stakeholder initiative launched in 2002 to contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and WSSD targets for drinking water and sanitation. Since it went online in 2004 EUWI-CIS is being used in the first place by the EUWI community, in particular the regional and thematic EUWI Working Groups and the EUWI Secretariat. Besides, it also provides a portal for external communication and improved visibility.

EUWI-CIS is divided into three areas:

- Working group area, visible for the members of the different working groups only;

- Multi-stakeholder forum area, accessible for all registered participants of the EUWI;

- The public area, open for the general public

Objective:

Among the services currently provided by EUWI-CIS are:

- Announcement and administration of meetings and events

Management of shared documents and knowledge, publication workflows

- Messaging services (newsletters, mailing ...)

- Collaborative services as virtual supplement to meetings (forums, feedback, ...)

See www.euwi.net

Services:

HYDROPHIL was contracted to design, implement, further upgrade and consolidate the operational use of the EUWI-CIS communication and information system. The functionalities were tailor made to the specific needs of the EUWI steering group (EU member states and the EU Commission), thematic working groups (i.e. Financing WG, Water Supply and Sanitation WG, IWRM WG), regional working groups (i.e. Africa WG, ECA WG, MED WG, Latin America WG) as well as the EUWI Multi-stakeholder Forum (members: representatives from the private sector, NGOs and civil society organizations, EU member states, IFIs, ant the EU Commission - DG Environment, DG Development, DG Research and Technology Development, RELEX and Europe Aid). The results of an opinion poll among the many and diverse organization constituted the basis for the functionalities of the EUWI-CIS.

The operational management and hosting of EUWI-CIS was assumed by HYDROPHIL and its web-master over a period of ca. four years. Later the CIS been handed over to the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre in Ispra. The system is still in full operation.