WWF Mekong Increasing influence of fisheries and farmers communities in decision making processes in water governance of the Mekong rivers basins is high on the agenda of the Southeast Asia regional strategies as well as country strategies of the Mekong countries. Thereforein February 2012, ON South East Asia bureau in close consultation with Oxfam Australia as the lead of the water governance JRAS andWWF Greater Mekong Program, who has been identified as a key partner in this work by mid 2011,  submitted a concept note in response to the European Commission Call on Food Security Thematic Programme (FTSP). In this concept note, we have consulted three nationalrivers networks partners, two from the Mekong countries (CEPA in Cambodia as the representative of theRivers Coalition Cambodia andLao Water Resources Network/LWRN) and one partner from Myanmar, representing the Salween River, the Karen Rivers Watch (KRW), officially represented by KESAN. We were unfortunately not able to include Vietnam in the concept note as the Call was restricted to the least developed countries. However at a later stage, during the full proposal development, we are able to include activities and linking and learning with Vietnam, regional NGO actors and academicians, based in Vietnam, Thailand and researchers from China, i.e. International Rivers, Vietnam Rivers Network, Thai Peoples Mekong Network, TERRA, Burma Rivers Network, Salween Watch and Save the Mekong Coalition. The three national rivers networks partners are considered important in this proposal, both as the partners and direct target group of the proposed project. The EC proposal had a time period foreseen of 4 years, January 1, 2013  December 31, 2016.
The title of the Action: Community Engagement in Governance of Mekong and Salween River Basins (CEGOMAS).
The objective of the Action is as follows:
To contribute to an increased influence of 513,500 poor and vulnerable farmers and fishers on the Governance of the Water Resources in the Salween and Mekong River Basins that support their food security and nutrition.
The Specific objectives are:
Specific Objective 1 (SO1): Three networks and member organizations of farmers and fishers have the  organizational capacity and knowledge to address, while representing their constituency, national and regional needs for good governance and sustainable management of water resources;
Specific Objective 2 (SO2): Improved dialogue and policy influencing space of three networks of farmers and fishers at national and regional levels related to the development of water resources.





The one year support for the three national rivers network and WWF GMPO will cover the following areas, for the period of November 1, 2012 to October 31, 2013. This will be done in close coordination with Oxfam Australia:
1. Full fledged baseline of the partners influencing/advocacy and network capacities and skills to be able to engage in regional level dialogue/decision making processes.
2. Pilot work: this may slightly vary amongpartners, but in line to the activities proposed in the EC proposal/CEGOMAS (i.e. Xao Baan research, downstream impact research, RSAT inception/implementation workshop). The objective is to have one inspiring pilot activity or research successfully carried out and documented per country, to have a strong scale up component in our next proposal.
3. Some relevant but limited engagement at regional level (some activities of specific objective 2, such as attending international/regional conference, which ideally will be attended by the three rivers network partners).
4. (Four monthly) internal reflection session for each network and the members and a small program evaluation process. The internal reflection session will inform the small program evaluation process. Some of the objectives of having these reflection moments are to share: a) the progress of data gathering/research and influencing activities at national level; b) the needs and challenges of each network (internal and externally) and how to address these (the capacity needs of each network and the members, how effective/sensitive is the influencing work at national level and how to best scale this up at regionallevel); c) how the hydropower tools help the influencing work of each network.
5. Externalfunding activities: strengthening areas scoring low in our proposal submission, i.e. sustainability, impact, replication. It is the hope that each of the consortium members,the three national rivers networks including OAU, ON and WWF GMPO are proactively advocating our joint effort, however we also would like to make sure that a consultant will be committed to carry out this activities in collaboration with each partner, collating the baseline and progress to date and flagging potential external funding. A draft ToR for the consultant will be jointly developed at a later stage, and the consultant will be housed by WWF GMPO.



WWF Greater Mekong Programme (GMPO)
In the coming 12 month, WWF GMPO will deliver the following:
Outcome 1:
Expected result 1.1: The RSAT tool is used as a platform for engagement with local and central governments and private sector industry in selected (in cooperation with civil society networks) sub-basins throughout Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar

Activities:
1. Training workshop introduction to RSAT with representatives from CEPA/RCC, LWRN and KESAN;
2. Implement RSAT in sub-basin of Mekong in Cambodia, coordinated with MRC initiative on sustainable hydropower, selected in conjunction with CEPA.
Expected result 1.2: Civil Society representatives have a better understanding of the challenges and solutions associated with risks to the ecosystems and their implication to livelihoods.

Activities:
1. Two day training in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar on fish passage and sediment management in relation to hydropower. In each country will include max. 30 participants from each rivers network.
Expected result 1.3: An expert consultant will be hosted and contracted by WWF GMPO to carry out the following activities:
1. Develop an extensive baseline on capacity needs assessment of the three rivers network. Each network will facilitate the research/data collection and exchange between the members and the consultant;
2. Provide recommendations to WWF GMPO, and Oxfam on potential tailor made training for each rivers network. Specifically advise WWF GMPO on the progress-to-date of each river network related to the capacity on RSAT, fish passage and sediment management. This is to inform a tailor made training on the two topics aboveto be carried out by WWF GMPO in this one year program.
3. Develop a small program evaluation. The period subject to the evaluationwill be agreed upon with the three rivers networks, and will consider the possibility to synergize with externalfunding opportunities.
4. Develop a revised version of the EC CEGOMAS proposal, based on the baseline, and the small program evaluation (or internal reflection moments).