Published on: 24/03/2014
For IRC, 2001 was a pivotal year. An indepth evaluation commissioned by the Dutch Government found substantial recognition and support for our key role as an international knowledge broker with strong partners in the developing world. The extensive and easily accessible information holding, the family of web sites, as well as SOURCE, the digest of sector news that we produce jointly with the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) are widely appreciated. The sector also looks to IRC as a leading low-cost publishing house and this is an area where the evaluation sees a need to reinforce the progress being achieved in electronic publishing and information communication technology. Another significant finding was the support for IRC's role in building the capacity of resource centres (RCs) in the South. These centres are very important for creating access to sector information and improving sector performance.
The Dutch Government has embraced the evaluation findings and the new Business Plan has a firm focus on knowledge sharing and capacity building. These core areas are now the basis of IRC's activities, both through the Dutch funding and in our work with other partners.