Developing Human Resources
Naomi Radke, seecon international GmbH
Developing Human Resources
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Depending on the initial situations and respective local circumstances, there is no guarantee that single measures described in the toolbox
will make the local water and sanitation system more sustainable. The main aim of the SSWM Toolbox is to be a reference tool to provide
ideas for improving the local water and sanitation situation in a sustainable manner. Results depend largely on the respective situation
and the implementation and combination of the measures described. An in-depth analysis of respective advantages and disadvantages and
the suitability of the measure is necessary in every single case. We do not assume any responsibility for and make no warranty with
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Developing Human Resources
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Contents
1. Introduction
2. Community Empowerment
3. Professional Education and Training
4. Institutional Staff Human Resources Development
5. Resource Centres
6. Applicability
7. Advantages and Disadvantages
8. References
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1. Introduction
Human Resources development as core of sustainable development
• People empowered with the necessary knowledge and skills will be
architects of their own development
• Challenge: developing human capacities at all levels (individual,
NGOs and CBOs, private sector, public institutions, governmental
organisations) for adequate, equitable and sustainable services
• Must include the capacity of the community and the organisations
that work with them
Human resources development within the
community is necessary for a sustainable
development of the local sanitation and water
sector. Source: SEECON
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2. Community Empowerment
Involving communities essential for sustainability
• Community people are the primary building blocks of sustainable
communities
• Sustainable sanitation and water management must be a multisectoral, interdisciplinary effort involving most aspects of a healthy
community e.g. Water, solid waste, agriculture, health, education,
employment generation, architecture, environment, watershed
management, etc.
Community involvement in planning for
sanitation. Source: KONRADIN (2007)
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2. Community Empowerment
Involving communities in sanitation and water decision making (1/2)
Communities have to be involved in the essential stages of decision
making
e.g. needs identification, selection of technical options, system design,
operation and maintenance
Their capacities and knowledge need to be developed!
Source: NETSSAF (2008)
Source: NETSSAF (2008)
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2. Community Empowerment
Involving communities in sanitation and water decision making (2/2)
Training process for community capacity development should:
• Include facilitation of a positive self-image, good communication and
organisational skills as well as technical skills to assure the necessary
monitoring and maintenance of the system
• Be highly participatory and inclusive from the beginning
• Later on focus more on the directive delivery of technical information
and skills
• Finally be more internally driven where users begin to assume their
roles in longer term operation, monitoring and sustainability of the
systems
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3. Professional Education and Training
Changing from top-down to experiential learning
Most water and sanitation sector professionals have acquired their
knowledge in a top-down academic education and try to pass it on in
the same manner
Challenge: transform HOW teaching is done into “experiential
learning”
• Learning from own experiences
• Field trips (talking to and learning from stakeholders)
Field trip.
Source: SEECON
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3. Professional Education and Training
Educational institutions should…
• Fully integrate the discourse and criteria for sustainability into
their curricula
• View the primary stakeholders (users and local communities) not as
objects but as partners for jointly developing sustainable sanitation
solutions
• Prepare students to think about wastewater as resources
• Make clear that health and healthy environment is a prerequisite for
human productivity and productivity determines human well-being
• Provide much greater time in the field for students to learn from
communities
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4. Institutional Staff Human Resources Development
Priorities of development institutions
• Development institutions themselves should identify the right people
for the jobs
• Not only according to their formal preparation but also their
experience and commitment
• They often look for overly qualified, minimising the value of local
people having often more field experience and commitment
Incentive structures should:
• Provide committed people with field experience with
complementary skills
• Get managers and technicians out in the field
• Recognition of highly qualified people who have opted to work
closer to the field; moving to the “urban” head office should not
be seen as the only reward and remuneration for good
performance
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5. Resource Centres
Their roles for HRD
• Provide relevant and accessible HRD and support services
• E.g. Information management and dissemination, integrated
training, applied research and consultancies
• Facilitating short courses in technical and social themes tailor-made
to the local general public
• Longer term training programs (e.g. diploma courses) with formal
accreditation in partnership with universities or formal training
institutes
• Due to their flexibility and closer proximity with field programs and
realities, they can play a strategic role in interpreting and
translating field needs and demands
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5. Resource Centres
Example: Longer-term training programme
Regional Resource Centres of the UN Water
Learning Centre (WLC) offer diploma courses in
Integrated Water Resources Management through
the UN University Institute for Water, Environment
and Health. Source: http://inweh.unu.edu/wlc/ [Accessed: 24.10.2013]
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6. Applicability
Many groups and organisations need training and orientation (1/2):
• Households: understand the implications of the options open to them
• Community-based organisations (CBO’s): training in technical and
financial matters, contract procedures, reporting
• NGO’s: develop communication, participatory training and other
social and technical capacities
• Local government authorities and technical personnel: acquiring a
better understanding of social, institutional, financial and technical
factors to be addressed
• Private providers: developing a range of skills in business
management, loan applications, analysis of market demands etc
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6. Applicability
Many groups and organisations need training and orientation (2/2):
 In all contexts, training approach should be learner-centred
(beginning at the level of experience and understanding of the group
of learners)
In order to build human resources, new
concepts and paradigms have to be
understood at all levels of society. SEECON
(2010)
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7. Advantages and Disadvantages
Human Resources Development
Disadvantages:
Advantages:
• Training different levels is
• Support long-term development
approach driven by beneficiaries
challenging and requires an
themselves
open mind and innovative
• Powerful tool for generating a
approaches
collective vision and building
• Participatory social processes
consensus
are time-consuming
• Promotes a common language in
• Educational establishments
the sector, shared knowledge of
have not kept up with changes
concepts/issues and challenges
and innovative trends in the
• Can improve the manner in which
water and sanitation sector
programs and people approach
community
• Inadequate investment in
social and HRD components
• Can facilitate improved
communication
• Lack of political will
• Improves information and
knowledge management
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8. References
NETSSAF (Editor) (2008): NETSSAF Participatory Planning Approach. A Tutorial for Sustainable
Sanitation. NETSSAF. URL: http://www.netssaftutorial.com/Participatory-planningapproac.494.0.html [Accessed: 23.20.2013]
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“Linking up Sustainable Sanitation,
Water Management & Agriculture”
SSWM is an
initiative
supported by:
Created
by:
Developing Human Resources
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