The overall goal that this proposed AU-AIP multi-country GCF Readiness aims to achieve is that all participating countries have strengthened capacities for climate-resilient planning for the water sector specifically. This will be achieved by firstly enhancing country’s capacity for climate finance programming and Direct Access, focusing on institutions that can support water-sector related activities (Outcome 1.2 and 1.3 of the Readiness Programme), secondly enhancing strategic frameworks for climate- resilient investment planning for water management through the development of Water Investment Programmes aligned to the continental AIP and in line with GCF guidance on climate resilient water investments, GCF investment criteria and the new GCF strategy 2024-2027 (Outcome 2.1 of the Readiness Programme), thirdly advancing country pipelines through Concept Note Development (Outcome 4.3) and lastly by building a continental platform for knowledge management as part of the AIP international blended climate resilient investment facility that will ensure sustainability of the knowledge platform, through ongoing facilitation together with the AUC, of country engagement, mobilisation of co- finance, to advance projects from concept to full investment projects. The knowledge platform and AIP blended investment facility will serve as a “core investment platform" for countries in developing GCF project pipelines, enable sustainable capacity building on climate finance programming across the entire value chain of project preparation from concept to implementation. This will ensure sustainability of the platform as it will benefit from high level political commitment and support of the AIP’s International High-Level Panel of Heads of States and AU