watercourses, both in terms of international cooperation and the management of shared watercourses. This includes the legislative and policy framework, water resources strategy formulation, administrative and financial arrangements, stakeholder participation, and technical and infrastructural resources. 9.3.2. Policy: Member States are encouraged to decentralise the management of water and the associated authority to the lowest appropriate level, while maintaining appropriate institutional arrangements for the management of shared watercourses. International experience indicates that the management of water resources should be decentralised to the catchment level (particularly catchment management organisations and irrigation associations), to promote efficient management, to enable effective coordination with other local sectors and to facilitate local stakeholder participation in decision making processes related to water resource development, utilisation and protection. While many Member States have adopted this approach in legislation and/or practice, this concept of subsidiarity should be encouraged for water resources management, taking account of national conditions and constraints. However, institutional mechanisms need to be created to facilitate the coherent management of shared watercourses where catchment level institutions have been established. This includes promoting cooperation between the catchment level organisations in different Member States, and with the SWCI, as well as creating organisational components for international waters within each of the Departments of Water. The institutions for the provision of water supply and sanitation services should cooperate with the catchment level organisations that manage water resources and should have a close relationship with the consumers they serve. This implies that they should operate at a local level 9.3.3 Policy: Member States shall develop and implement appropriate institutional arrangements to enhance the participation of NGOs and civil society organisations in planning and management of water resources at national and community levels. In most SADC countries there are a number of local and international NGOs and civil society organisations engaged in development activities in the water sector. They provide capital investment, operation and maintenance, capacity building and community empowerment, particularly of women and poor communities. In particular, their activities impact on poverty reduction. Member States shall make appropriate institutional arrangements to engage these NGOs and civil society organisations in decision-making in water resources planning and management. 9.4 Monitoring and Evaluation 9.4.1 Policy: The SADC Water Sector’s achievement of its development goals, objectives, strategies, programmes and institutional performance should - 48 -