Content
Assessing and strengthening water governance is a central aim of InnWater. To support this, the project developed the Water Governance Assessment Tool: a digital, participatory instrument designed to reveal governance gaps, highlight strengths, and guide practical reforms in very different territorial contexts.
Rather than acting as a simple checklist, the tool provides a structured diagnostic framework rooted in internationally recognised references (notably the OECD Principles on Water Governance) and enriched by lessons from InnWater’s pilot sites. It is meant to be used by a wide range of actors (local authorities, basin organisations, policymakers, stakeholder groups, and citizens) to build a shared picture of “what works”, “what blocks progress”, and “what to improve first”.
Purpose and value
The tool helps stakeholders to:
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Identify strengths and weaknesses in governance arrangements (e.g., unclear responsibilities, limited engagement, weak monitoring).
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Prioritise improvements by making gaps visible and comparable.
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Support constructive dialogue between actors, using a shared set of indicators rather than opinions alone.
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Track progress over time, by repeating the assessment and comparing results.
What the tool assesses
The assessment goes beyond regulatory compliance. It looks at governance through four key, connected dimensions:
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Transparency: is information accessible, clear and usable for stakeholders
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Accountability: are roles well-defined, and are monitoring/reporting mechanisms in place?
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Participation: are relevant actors (including citizens, civil society, private sector) meaningfully involved?
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Efficiency: are resources used effectively, and can processes adapt to changing needs?
Depending on local priorities, additional criteria (e.g., resilience, sustainability, social inclusion) can also be integrated.
How it is used in practice
The tool is typically applied through self-assessment exercises, often embedded in workshops, stakeholder meetings, or policy review processes. Results are presented in a visual and easy-to-read format (e.g., radar charts or colour-coded dashboards), so that strengths and weaknesses can be spotted quickly and discussed openly.
Pilot examples illustrate the “assessment → action” pathway: in Figueres, the tool highlighted weak participation and supported the creation of new participatory forums; in La Réunion, it helped identify shortcomings in accountability and coordination, informing institutional adjustments; in the Middle Tisza, repeated use contributed to stronger adaptive management and progress tracking.
How it connects to the Learning Environment
On the platform, the assessment approach is reinforced through interactive learning elements, such as guided self-assessment and scenario-based exercises, helping users apply the indicators to real situations and develop tailored responses to their own governance challenges.