Expedition team preparing the steam drill for mass balance stake installation on Pir Yakh Glacier in the Kabul basin, Afghanistan, in 2019. Important activities such as the establishment of Pir Yakh Glacier as the first benchmark glacier for long-term monitoring are underpinned by remote collaborations among partners and stakeholders. (Photo: Mahboobullah Bariz/National Water Affairs Regulation Authority, Afghanistan)

With physical distancing and lockdown measures in place due to COVID-19, most of us have been forced to reckon with a heavily technology-based work modality. Face-to-face meetings and events have given way to entirely web-based communication. Although colleagues have had to adapt to this unexpected shift in working style in a very short time, a structured approach to using technology and communication can make our work, particularly work with partners, more effective, impactful, and resource efficient.

Since 2018, ICIMOD and the Government of Afghanistan joined hands to work on the Strengthening Water Resources Management in Afghanistan (SWaRMA) Initiative. ICIMOD and Afghan partners’ experience in this initiative provides some useful insights on collaborating remotely. This SWaRMA Initiative has been partnering remotely to enhance the capacity of water sector professionals and institutions, enable technology transfer, and establish monitoring of cryosphere and river basins. Although some trainings and meetings were organized, much of the work focused on a structured collaborative approach and communication through virtual platforms, including a series of online training sessions.

Clear communication lines

Starting from the inception of the project, we focused on building an environment of openness and trust in our partnerships, which led to a shared ownership of contribution. We discussed possible challenges, which included the possibility of a remote work environment. This was important because many of our project areas were in difficult-to-access locations only open to Afghan nationals. This would also entail fewer opportunities for regular trust-building with possibilities of misunderstanding. We considered the challenge of limited internet connectivity, which could hamper quality dialogue, impede timely task completion, and hinder spontaneous virtual meetings.

To overcome these challenges, we focused on a good governance mechanism ensuring that decisions are taken through discussions with the partners. We encouraged our partners to openly share their concerns and challenges. Focal persons nominated from partner organizations facilitated the communication process. All major communication and updates were regularly relayed among the partners through group emails and monthly updates, and necessary feedback and consent were received. We made use of online services like Google Drive and Dropbox to share documents. We created WhatsApp groups to keep our partners informed about ongoing activities. While using these technologies, we also took care to clarify the contributions and roles of each partner, keeping them motivated and avoiding conflict and confusion. A partnership document was jointly prepared, based on which a regular health check of the partners was conducted. We ensured that our partners’ needs were met while also pursuing our key milestones.

Continuing remote partnerships in a post-pandemic setting

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, we can envision a sustained remote partnership and collaboration modality to implement projects. We share here some of the key lessons from our engagement in Afghanistan, particularly for colleagues looking to manage projects remotely:

• Contextualizing: As we shift our approach, it is important for us to understand the environment in which partnerships operate. When the situation limits the scope of physical meetings, we need to focus on how the realities and complexities of each partner can be conveyed under a possibly unique or different context. It is also important to discuss how partners can continue to adjust and adapt in such changing or unforeseen contexts (such as the COVID-19 pandemic).
• Communicating: Constant and clear communication is critical for the functioning of remote partnerships. It is important to develop a shared understanding, define roles and responsibilities, and maintain a high level of engagement and trust among the partners. This is why we need to think beyond traditional communication approaches like emails and be more innovative and adaptive by using innovative audio-visual aids while communicating. For SWaRMA, the Afghanistan country office played an instrumental role in our remote partnership, and the placement of ICIMOD staff and interns at the leading ministry definitely contributed to the project by facilitating smooth communication with the partners.
• Utilizing collaborative platforms: With limitations on travel and face-to-face meetings, collaborative platforms become integral in ensuring co-development and co-implementation of the project among partners. These platforms could vary based on project needs, ranging from knowledge management tools like Google Docs and Dropbox; collaborative project management tools like Slack; shared decision-making tools like Loomio and GlassFrog; and social media platforms like WhatsApp, Viber, and Facebook. Platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Hangouts allow partners to work together virtually.
• Capacity strengthening: As some partners may share more responsibility in terms of implementation, they would need more support in terms of capacity strengthening. The remote partnership process could be aided by organizing online training courses to enhance management skills and creating an enabling learning environment for effective use of collaborative platforms.

The establishment of the first benchmark glacier monitoring station in Pir-Yakh glacier, wide adoption and application of the J2000 hydrological modeling in 16 sub-basins in Afghanistan, establishment of a science-based multi-stakeholder partnership platform, enhanced knowledge on multi-scale integrated river basin management, development of a roadmap for a water information system, and technology transfer of telemetry based flood monitoring system are some successful examples of SWaRMA project interventions.

Remote partnering has always been a challenge, and the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the need to define a structured remote partnership mechanism – which can guide post-pandemic collaboration. Making the best use of emerging opportunities, challenges, and experiences, we can open the door to opportunities for working together even when apart.

(Fayezurahman Azizi is Director, General Directorate of Water Resource, National Water Affairs Regulation Authority, Afghanistan)

Neera Shrestha Pradhan

Santosh Raj Pathak

Fayezurahman Azizi

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