RWSN Activities and Services

Networking, Connecting & Convening

The core, or backbone, of the network comprises the services that we provide to our members and the wider water, WASH, rural and international development sectors. All the activities of RWSN are only possible if this backbone is sufficiently resourced.

This must be underpinned by efficient and transparent management and governance. Because RWSN is not a legal entity, but a partnership, it is essential for the Secretariat to have sufficient resources to manage many relationships and foster a high-trust environment.

RWSN is committed to growing and sustaining a flourishing network that is relevant, effective, efficient, inclusive, transparent and able to attract sufficient resources to be able to carry out our Mission.

RWSN Services 

  • E-discussions and online communities
  • News, blogs and social media
  • Events, conferences and RWSN Forum Conference
  • Website and information curation
  • RWSN Publications
  • Lifelong Learning (training, mentoring)
  • Research and documentation
  • Other networking and knowledge brokering activities. 

RWSN Network Management, Governance and Development 

  • Planning, Management, Reporting, Audit
  • Management and coordination of Exec, Theme Leaders, Regions, Members and project partners.
  • RWSN Governance
  • Fundraising, revenue and in-kind support generation, and project acquisition.
  • Rural water/WASH sector coordination and collaboration building
  • Member and Member Organisation administration and query resolution.

Knowledge Brokering & Information Hub

The RWSN website is the go-to global knowledge hub for rural water supply, with over 20,000 document downloads per year from our online library. RWSN will continue to:

  • Curate relevant and high-quality resources on the RWSN website.
  • Provide a news service to help professionals stay informed about publications, events, programmes, research, and high priority and emerging priorities.

We act as knowledge brokers between practitioners, financiers, researchers and governments to encourage evidence-based decision-making in the rural water sector. Our role is to increase the likelihood and the reach of our activities and outputs to influence policy and practice. This can be done through the suite of RWSN online networking services, through our knowledge of who-is-who and matching researchers and research with individuals and organisations who are most likely to be motivated and able to use research outputs to drive positive change for rural water services and wider objectives.

Training, Guidelines & Standards

Standards and guidelines have a critical role to play in ensuring that good quality work is defined, achievable and enforceable. Despite the context sensitivity of many aspects of rural water supply, there are some principles that are largely universal that all rural water professionals should be aware of. In some cases, there are technologies or techniques that benefit from tight standardisation to ensure that replication is done well and can be done well.

RWSN will:

  • Identify important gaps and find partners and resources to address those needs.
  • Work with international standards organisations to develop and maintain relevant international standards and their translation into national standards.
  • Support awareness raising, interest, understanding and uptake of guidelines and standards.
  • Continue to support and update existing RWSN guidelines and standards, where resources allow

The rural water supply careers are often overlooked, but any progress is dependent on attracting and retaining a skilled and motivated workforce. Rural water supply represents a major job creation opportunity worldwide, in the areas where more employment is urgently needed. 

RWSN’s Mentoring Programme has been running since 2019, and proved popular and cost-effective. It continues to develop multiple benefits for the health and vibrancy of the network as a whole and therefore will continue to be a high priority activity.

All RWSN activities are focused on fostering learning and sharing. More specifically, where resources allow, RWSN will:

  • Provide a dedicated space for young rural water professionals to encourage networking to share opportunities for them.
  • Encourage inter-generational exchange on career advice and professional experiences through our platforms.
  • Continue and expand the RWSN Mentoring Scheme, with a focus on young professionals and women in the water sector.
  • Curate rural water supply knowledge assets as a resource for trainers and teaching institutions.
  • Support Theme Leaders to develop partnerships for creating and delivering thematically specialist learning resources and events.
  • Strengthen links with universities and vocational training colleges/centres to host regionally focused face-to-face and online training and mentoring opportunities for members.
  • Examine possibility of RWSN developing an accreditation or standards scheme for trainers, courses or content.

Supporting Diversity

RWSN’s focus is on water supplies to households in low- and middle-income countries. Therefore, networking activities, such as webinars and publications, should reflect the diversity of our membership and give voice to those most affected by the issues on a daily basis – Southern based professionals, women and young people – so that the leadership, expertise and contribution of Southern professionals is acknowledged and visible.

RWSN will continue to monitor and report on:

  • % webinar presenters/discussants/facilitators who are women
  • % webinar presenters/discussants/facilitators who are young professionals (<35)
  • webinar presenters/discussants/facilitators who are Southern (Low- and Middle-Income Countries).

Supporting Young Professionals

A “RWSN Young Professionals Engagement Strategy” was published in July 2018 after extensive consultation with members and partners. In summary: 

The objective of the RWSN Young Professionals’ Engagement Strategy is to guide the network in engaging with young people and to empower them to become agents of change, so that they become advocates and contribute actively to the achievement of the SDGs.

Activities are focused on four pillars:

  • Pillar 1: Defining and enlarging RWSN’s community of young professionals.
  • Pillar 2: Facilitating capacity building of young professionals, and knowledge exchange between junior and senior members (Mentoring).
  • Pillar 3: Young professional representation in RWSN’s activities.
  • Pillar 4: RWSN Young Professionals events. 

The Pillar 2 Mentoring has been successful and broadened to strengthen mentoring support for women professionals, who need stronger representation at mid-career and senior levels.