Blue Deal Phase 2 - Accelerating our impact in the decade of action to reach SDG 6

In 2018, the Dutch water authorities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management joined forces to work with other organisations around the world to achieve SDG6 in a collaboration called the Blue Deal. The Blue Deal programme comprises 17 international partnerships in which water managers from the Netherlands and other countries work together to achieve the goal of helping 20 million people around the world to gain access to clean, sufficient and safe water by 2030.

Water managers enter into a 12-year partnership in which they work on long-term solutions for the region. Climate adaptation and social inclusion are structural to such solutions. The Blue Deal strengthens capacity building of water authorities in other countries so that they can implement long-term solutions. The focus is on governance and integrated water management. This means that partners work together to promote:
  1. adequate knowledge and expertise in the field of water management;
  2. strong institutions;
  3. collaboration with important stakeholders.

Important themes are the establishment of a well-functioning management and maintenance of water management and financial independence of the local partner. The programme is divided into two stages: 2019-2022 and 2023-2030. The programme started in 2019 with 17 instead of the planned 6 partnerships. The beginning of the first stage coincided with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic delayed results, but also provided valuable lessons on hybrid working and the value of strong local teams

In Phase 2, the Blue Deal will build on the partnerships from Phase 1, and their results and lessons learned. We will also use the recommendations of the Mid-term Review to further improve the design and approach of the programme. The change in Phase 2 entails the
following actions:

1. Accelerating to achieve our ambition
• The financial size of the programme will be increased from €16 million in Phase 1 (average of €5 million per year) to €80 million in Phase 2 (average €10 million per year).
• There will be even greater focus on the effectiveness of the partnerships.
• The water authorities abroad will be at the heart of the programme.
• The Blue Deal aims to leverage other investment programmes.
• We will make even better use of the networks, knowledge and experience of the Dutch ministries involved via the embassies and delta coordinators.
• Learning from each other and other stakeholders will become an important part of the programme, for example through Communities of Practice.
• We will retain approaches that proved effective during COVID-19: hybrid working, strong local teams and the deployment of Young Experts.
• Where possible, we will lobby for water governance to inspire other organisations and programmes through our approach.

2. More focus in our approach
• The Cross-Cutting Themes are social inclusion and climate adaptation (instead of 5 cross-cutting themes in Phase 1).
• We will continue to work worldwide, but working in 40 catchment areas is no longer an aim.
• We are working on a long-term vision (post-2030) within the partnerships.
• In addition to the main ambition, the Dutch partners have set three additional goals on: learning for the Netherlands, stimulating the development of our own employees and opportunities for the (Dutch) business community, NGO’s and knowledge institutes.

3. Programme governance will be simplified
• Phase 2 will be extended to 8 years in order to simplify the set-up of the programme and enhance long-term planning.
• We will simplify the organisation of the programme to increase agility.
• We will ensure that the M&E framework is simpler and more in line with the daily practice of our partners.
• We will clarify and improve the financial strategy.

Source: Blue Deal Framework Phase 2 dated on 7 June 2022.