Human Resource Capacity Gaps study
Assessing the human resource requirements to achieve water and sanitation related MDG targets and full service coverage
In 2006, the WHO World Health Report estimated that 4.3 million additional health workers would be needed worldwide to achieve the health related Millennium Development Goals. Subsequently in 2008, UNESCO estimated that 18 million new teachers would be needed to meet the MDG of achieving universal primary education. In the water and sanitation sector, the human resource requirement to meet the MDG targets is relatively unknown and therefore there is a need to assess the constraints to meet the MDGs and to sustain services in relation to the numbers of staff, qualifications and their practical experience.
IWA's role in the HR capacity gaps study
The International Water Association has responded with developing a methodology to collect data on human resource gaps (skills) and shortages (number of workers) at the national level. The methodology was piloted in five countries in 2009, Mali, Zambia, South Africa, Bangladesh and Timor L’este in the Mind the gap study funded by DFID (2009). This resulted into five country case studies, summarised in five separate briefing notes and one synthesis report, which can be found on the right side.
IWA has afterwards improved the methodology by providing a more structured approach to obtain quantitative data, and developed a supporting excel based tool. This is currently used in the second phase of the project, funded by USAID, AusAid and DFID, that represents 7 in-country assessments (Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Mozambique PNG, Sri Lanka, Lao PDR and Philippines).
2012 and beyond
The current country assessments will be made available mid 2012, and will include aan additional 3 in-country assessments (Niger, Senegal, and Ghana) will start funded by USAID.
The outcome of these phase 2 assessments will be a professionally designed and illustrated ‘Atlas of Professional Capacity’, which will seek to illustrate by region the current national status of the human resources capacity shortage and highlight examples from those countries which have undergone assessment.
IWA will explore opportunities to embed and institutionalise the standalone methodology further. Partnerships with professional organisations will be sought, to institutionalise periodic assessments locally. There is an obvious need to provide training on the IWA methodology can be supported by IWA through development of training workshops of the methodology, together with national associations and/ capacity building institutes. Additionally, IWA will explore the opportunities to provide a global home for HR data.
Further information, contact Programmes officer Kirsten de Vette at kirsten.devette@iwahq.org
