Journal of Global Resources
Volume 4
ISSN: 2395-3160 (Print), 2455-2445 (Online)

January 2017

Page 9-142
AQUADACTICS: LEARN TODAY, APPLY TOMORROW
Agnes Maenhout
Director of AquaDactics
Managing director of WorldWater Academy (Wateropleidingen)Nieuwegein, The Netherlands
Email: Agnes.Maenhout@wateropleidingen.nl

Abstract: The Trade mission accompanying MP Rutte in his visit to President Zuma ofSouth Africa in November 2015 hosted a huge number of institutions and companies ofwhich the majority were water organizations. The Netherlands has several cooperationagreements in water on business level as well as department level. Doing business andexchanging experiences were the two main topics. However the topic of capacitating,capacity building skills shortage often passed the floor. AquaDactics, a South African NPC,
is launched during this trade mission. AquaDactics trains trainers and supplies practicalcurricula to enable local professionals and local academies to improve the level ofexperiential knowledge of the water staff. Local trainers, localized programmes strengthned
the participant to learn today and to apply tomorrow.
Kew words: Water challanges, Water demand, Dutch learning, AquaDactics
Introduction
The challenges facing the South African water institutions are overwhelming though, withmillions of South Africans who have either no access to basic water supply, access towater that does not meet the basic services standard or coping with periods of droughts or
flooding. While there has been much analysis of the actual situation in the water sector,
along with regulatory frameworks and quality systems, much of the analyses remain
dispersed and fragmented. Policies do not result in taking actions. Initiatives likeassessments, green and blue drop regulations etcetera start as a crash action and usually
die before the initiatives are implemented fully and showresult.
Currently there are 35.000 staff employed in the South African water sector with anumber of vacancies at the ‘Technicians and Trade Workers’ level, resulting in increased
workload for those who are employed. The technical workforce is getting close to
retirement age with not enough qualified replacements.Although there are no figures
readily available and lack of compliance with regulatory provisions like green and blue drop
imply that the sector is not as effective as it could be. An overview of research in theeducation and training challenges in the water sector is described in the report Improving
Water Education and Training skills iWETs [4]. There is a mismatch between qualifications
and job requirements. Furthermore, due to regulations municipalities do not employ staff
that is not qualified according the standards.
How to Fulfill Water Demands
Water is a key factor in the development of a prosperous economy, a healthy society and asustainable natural environment. This implies constant availability of healthy drinking water,collection and treatment of waste water (sanitation) and finally water management to fulfill
agricultural (horticultural) and environmental water requirements. These demands are
fulfilled by four interconnected elements (see figure 1)

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1. A suitable and well-maintained
well maintained infrastructure of assets (water resource
management, drinking water treatment
treatment plants, distribution networks, seweragesystems, waste water treatment plants, etc.);
2. Professional governmental and non-governmental
nonorganizations
ations being responsible
for the delivery and regulation of water services to an appropriate level;
3. An overall-governing
governing structure which provides adequate and suitable policies onwater, public health and people empowerment. These policies contain water
standards, appropriate legislation, enforcement, education and deal with thefinancial aspects;
wledgeable and skilled water professionals, who successfully
4. A number of knowledgeable
completed water qualifications on vocational levels.
Figure 1: Four interconnected elements to fulfil water demands (4)The actual situation of poor service delivery in water arises from a complex set ofcircumstances ofwhich an important element seems to be the governance and thetechnical skills levels of the staff responsible for the operation and maintenance oftreatment plants.
Innovations andnd Implementation
Engineers are educated to design and develop. When problems arise, the first actions
action will
be analyses and research. The trigger to do research on innovations is to lower costs andimprove the output in the daily operational practice and routines. The South African waterw
sector, ever being front runner in treatment, is willing to implement new technologies. But isthe daily practice ready to implement these innovations? All of thee four interconnected
elements have to be fulfilled equally to create a fertile environment
environmen for innovations toflourish. An important factor is in the change of the daily practice and routines. However thehypothesis was that a well-balanced
well balanced attention between assets, organisations, governingand people is required, the ccases have shown that thethe attention for the people is a usp forthe success of the innovation. Assets and governance have shown to be enabling
elements and the people are the limiting factors. How can we change elements to improve
the ground for innovations..
Skilled Work Force
The water sector is a relatively small sector and there are no dedicated water andsanitation qualifications at vocational levels. The generic qualifications that offer some10

water-related
related modules do not produce graduates that are readily taken up in the waterwasector.The
The provision of young water professionals who are able to innovate and keep
abreast of changes brought by new technologies will accelerate the implementation
implementatio ofthese technologies. However only a few universities and Further Education and Training
Traincolleges offer qualifications that are able to provide the country with such young water
professionals. Besides the existing vacancies a brain-drain
brain drain is expected within themunicipalities, due to the retirement of highly experienced people. The short term
challenge for the sector, is to train and re-skill
reemployees to increase performance. The
figure indicates an average water institution. Especially the investment to train thegrassroot level on operating and maintenance is a challenge of big numbers. A severe
investment of the actual and retiring workforce is needed to train enough operators toreduce the scarce skills gap.
gap

Learning from the Dutch
What is the main difference with the Dutch situation?
Everybody knows the story of the water supply history when,, after the Middle Ages, theAmsterdam population, including babies and youth drank beer instead of water: the water
was too polluted. The awareness of pollution and the political need for a solution has grownsince the ninteenth century. The policy
policy of water supply and watermanagement resulted in
the Clean Water Act of 1970, when the pollution of the rivers was visible by dead fish.
Waste water treatmentplants were built and water treatment
t eatment and distribution systems wereexpanded. Some universities started a division of water treatment and thet association ofwater engineers was aware of the important role of operation and maintenance. They
immediately started to train the operators and superintendents. Until today really dedicatededucation at vocational level lacks. In fact the water sector is a relatively small industrial
sector with specific know how and requirements. The idea of exchanging experiential
knowledge resulted in the establishmente tablishment of an independent not for profit company
compWateropleidingenleidingen that organises the programs and assures quality of the programs and thediplomas.
Continued Professional Development and Lifelong Learning
Water professionals determine and contribute to the quality of the economy, public health,empowerment
werment and society in this respect. Assetmanagement emphasises to the hardware:
the treatment plants and the organization
organias the emphasizes on the software, the humanand capacity aspects are of equal importance.The days are long gone when initialqualifications and certification were seen as final preparation for a career. Today diplomas
can be regarded as a platform on which further or continued professional development
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must be built. Ideally everyone starts with an education, broad fundamental basic
baknowledge and skills as per the NQF. On completion, the education career is rewarded
with a diploma, or with a degree. However nobody reaches his/her pensionable age without
continuously learning by doing, training, mentoring, experiencing or just by making
mmistakes. Water
ater professionals have to incorporate innovations and new technologies, so a
system of lifelong learning has to be developed, implemented and maintained.
Figure 2: Life long learning

All over the world professionals continuously improve their skills and knowledge tostay up to date. Innovation, automation, communication and digital working procedures aremain reasons that the work at the present time will change from what it was previously andfrom what it will look like in the future.
future. In this respect, the water sector follows movements
in society. However, water is a common commodity and not a booming business. Thewater sector is a relatively small sector, and the number of water educational opportunities
does not meet the demand,demand especially for operational level.
Vision of Aquadactics foror Training Design and Support
The sector skills plans of SouthAfrica and onther assessments
assessments show a scarcity in the actual
operating and maintenance skills. Well knowledgeable and well skilled staff
stis the mainprerequisite to operate and maintain assets sustainably. Further investments are foreseenin the water provision and the proper sanitation for all. Parallel
Parallel to the capital investments
for water (supply, wastewater and management), the development of the skillset for
operation and maintenance of these precious assets needs to be addressed. There will be
an increasing need for practical, well organised, quality training. AquaDactics will contributein saving, structuring, sharing and spreading the experiential knowledge to improve theperformance needed at grass roots level. Effective sharing of best practices will be best
achieved by stimulating training“fortraining
professionals, by professionals”.
AquaDactics designs and supports the development of practical curricula of waterskills. The trainers are trained
trainand supported by dedicated curricula. TheT
practical
knowledge is saved, stored, structured and selected.
selecteModern teaching methods toexchange are added. Water
ater skills development tools are designed and developed foreverybody who wants to be, is, or was employed within the water sector. New customisedand practicalractical training programs will be based on pedagogical and didactical knowledge.
knowledge
The experienced and passionate water professionals are coached to develop their trainer
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skills. A wide range of courses is available and courses are already customised anddedicated to South Africa. AquaDactics is a local NPO (Not for Profit Organization). As astart up, AquaDactics is a virtual, cost efficient organization without office, equipment andstaff. We are backed and actively supported by the World Water Academy (in Dutch
Wateropleidingen), who has a long-lasting experience in The Netherlands.
A Training of Trainers was delivered to 20 professionals of Ethekwini Water andSanitation June 2015. The Training of Trainers was new for the participants. Theinteractivity of the training created a lively and open atmosphere and a lot of exchange ofknow how between the participants took place. Besides learning from the trainer theyshared a lot of their own knowledge and experiences. For instance more understanding
has grown between the engineers and the superintendents.The participants expressed thatthey have learned a lot in giving structure, enthusiasm, motivation, practical and inspiration.
They liked theapplicability of the trainingand that they felt motivated to continue this form oflearning. They all expressed that they want to have more trainings like this.
Some quotes of the participants about the Training of Trainers:• ‘I learned so many things and different methods of presenting the lessons.
How to involve the audience and I learned different styles of teaching andtraining’• ‘Constructive criticism from everyone to learn and improve’• ‘Gives me strength and power’• ‘Made me an effective trainer’• ‘The course was very good. Especially the trainers, they were superstars’• ‘I found the course interesting and would like to have more trainings likethat’
The Way Forward
The topic of capacitating, capacity building and skills shortage often passes the floor inmeeting South African water professionals. The human factor on grass root level is often
regarded as being a limiting factor. The knowledge is available, however the mechanism ofexchanging the experiential knowledge and know how to a wider audience often lacks. The
education of colleges and universities is very important in providing a firm fundament, but
the dedicated and experiential knowledge is so specific that lifelong learning is crucial.
AquaDactics, a South African NPC, intends to fill in this gap as an accredited organisation.
AquaDactics trains trainers and supplies practical curricula to enable local professionals
and local academies to improve the level of experiential knowledge of the water staff.
Practical courses will be co-developed in water treatment, wastewater treatment andwatermanagement, dedicated to the local situation and made available in licensing
constructions.
AquaDactics will succeed if the policy of developing the water staff is put into action.
The awareness that innovation may accelerate if operation and maintenance is effectiveand efficient. In addition, this important task will raise the interest in working in the watersector.The approach requires a long term vision in investing in staff and inenablingknowledgable engineers to spend time in being trainer. As stated before, aprofessional trainer will make the difference in lifelong learning: motivating and inspiring
their peers in learning today, applying tomorrow.
References
1. South African Water Research Committee (2013) Water@work.
2. Maenhout (2013)Didactical skills as the plus for a Water Operation Partnerships(WOPs).
3. Maenhout & Oost (2013): ‘Let's train local practitioners better - World Water
Academy: an innovative approach for sustainable capacity building', 5th Delft
134.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Symposium on Water Sector Capacity Development (Session 23), UNESCO-IHE,Delft 29-31 May 2013.
Maenhout, A.M.A.T., D. Grobler and K.I. Jacobs (2012) iWETs: Improving Water
Education and Training skills in South Africa.
Maenhout & Oost (2012) Where water and didactics meet - Capacity building in theSA WATSAN sector, Water&Sanitation Africa magazine (JAN/FEB 2012, p 52 - 53).
EWSETA Sector Skills Plan 2011-2016 (2011) EWSETA (Energy and Water Sector
Education and Training Authority, Republic of South Africa).
www.worldwateracademy.nl
www.aquadactics.org.za

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