Mind the Gap: East Asia - Pacific Human Resources Capacity in the Water and Sanitation sectors: Is there enough to meet future demands? Dr Regina Souter Dr Brian McIntosh

Presentation Heading Sri Lanka Philippines Papua New Guinea PDR Lao Project teams = IWC + local water and sanitation sector experts + IWA Approach: Engage stakeholders (esp. Nat gov, private sector and E&T institutions) Gather contextual information: institutional environment, E&T environment Collect data & information about shortages and gaps in HR Stakeholder review & recommendations Four East Asia & Pacific assessments

Existing HR capacity Input of HR to WASH sectors (existing education & training opportunities) Current and future demand of HR Shortage of HR required to meet the future needs Strategies to build required HR capacity Estimate of shortfall in HR and gap in quality Limitations: 1.HR types : Engineers; Technicians; Management & finance staff; Community mobilisers, hygiene promotion 2.Reference for Future demand: MDG targets, country targets, universal coverage Qualitative Gap: Quality (skills for task) of existing HR &

Some findings common to all 4 countries Rural HR needs -Reliance upon communities to participate in delivering WASH ( e.g. construction, O&M)  need for community mobilisers  need for technical back-stopping; -For many cultures, sanitation & hygiene promotion needed to improve practices and increase demand for WASH

…more common findings… Urban HR needs -Greatest requirement is for high(er)-tech HR for construction, O&M of infrastructure (“hardware- focussed”). -In informal areas especially, also need for community mobilisation, due to high reliance on on-site waste management

HR strategic planning Typically not obvious, but needed to align capacity development with government and investment plans E&T contributions to WASH -limited focus on producing HR for WASH sector, quantity or quality (  limited liaison between WASH sector organisations and E&T providers) Recruitment -Rarely competency-based, or quantum matched to sectoral needs …more common findings…

….But also many unique findings & recommendations Philippines: very complex governance and large population  very complex to assess HR needs Heavy reliance upon communities and volunteers (for construction, O&M, even for enforcement of regulation)  in rural areas, no shortage of engineers /technicians (enough to provide oversight and technical backstop) High participation rates in education, but poor graduation rates and very low job- readiness Very significant overseas deployment of skilled workers  failure to attract to WASH

….But also many unique findings & recommendations Lao: WASH governance capacity not strong (but building) O&M in rural areas: done by committees, lacking financial and technical capacity, and without technical backstopping Shortage of HR in rural areas (  difficulty in attracting professionals to rural areas) Existing HR capacity : government comprises only ~25% of the total HR (gov–owned water utilities=~half; NGOs ~quarter) Limited E&T relevant to WASH (e.g. 1 water supply and wastewater course, new in 2012)

Some of the critical (common) recommendations to improve WASH HR Improve HR management: Adoption of strategic, competency-based HR management (Recruitment of sufficient numbers of sufficiently skilled personnel to specific job roles and locations) Incentives to attract/retain personnel to locations needed Develop career pathways to attract HR to WASH (from other sectors) Strengthen WASH E&T: Collaboration between WASH organisations and E&T organisations (E&T aware of, and responsive to WASH needs) Improve WASH curriculums at E&T institutions to increase match between supply and demand of skills Improve short-term capacity (for WASH and E&T) through expatriates Acknowledge community as a critical source of HR: Need for more community mobilisers Need for training suited to community individuals Most important next step: a capacity development plan (devpmt led by country governments with support) to “action-ise” recommendations

…but need more a comprehensive view of WASH HR requirements Not addressed here: WASH governance and sustainable WASH service delivery  need also to assess HR needs for –Policy & planning (including water resource planning) –Regulatory development and enforcement –Finance and expenditure –Infrastructure planning –Operation and maintenance beyond MDG definition of water and sanitation service: e.g. collection, treatment and disposal of waste; water quality monitoring –Sanitation and hygiene promotion and behaviour change –Monitoring and evaluation