This	  document	  is	  intended	  to	  provide	  guidance	  to	  ECHN	  and	  IAH	  members	  who	  hope	  to	  formalise	  a	  local	  or	  national	  ECHN	  Branch	  in	  their	  country	  or	  region.	  
-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐	  So	  you	  want	  to	  set	  up	  a	  local	  Early	  Career	  Hyrdogeologists’	  Network	  (ECHN)	  Branch	  in	  your	  area?	  
First	  of	  all,	  thanks!	  The	  International	  Association	  of	  Hydrogeologists	  (IAH),	   including	   the	   ECH	   Network,	   prides	   itself	   on	   being	   a	   forward	  thinking	   and	   proactive	   organisation	   -­‐	   so	   it	   sounds	   like	   you	   already	   fit	  the	  bill.	  Good	  work!	  
To	  help	  you	  get	  your	  branch	  started	  we	  have	  compiled	  a	  set	  of	  guidelines	  to	  assist	  you	  along	  the	  way.	  	  These	  steps	  may	  not	  necessarily	  apply	  in	  this	  particular	  order	  and	  some,	  perhaps,	  not	  even	  at	  all	  but	  we	  hope	  they	  provide	  a	  useful	  reference.	  	  	  By	   accessing	   this	   document,	   it	   is	   likely	   you	   may	   have	   already	   been	   in	   touch	   –	   but	   if	   not,	  please	  be	  sure	  to	  lodge	  your	  group	  by	  emailing	  Gillian	  at	  echn.iah@gmail.com	  	  This	  brings	  us	  nicely	  to	  step	  1	  of	  the	  ‘how-­‐to’	  ECHN	  guide…	  1. Contact	  ECHN	  	  To	   make	   sure	   the	   message	   and	   support	   of	   the	   IAH	   and	   ECHN	   remains	   consistent	   and	  accurate,	   it	   is	   important	   that	   you	   keep	   us	   informed	   of	   any	   branch	   you	   set	   up	   under	   the	  ECHN	   and	   IAH	   name.	   	   It	   also	   means	   we	   can	   put	   you	   in	   touch	   with	   other	   interested	   ECHN	  members	  in	  your	  area	  or	  existing	  ECHN	  activity	  which	  may	  be	  underway.	  

2. Contact	  your	  national	  and	  local	  IAH	  Chapter	  (if	  present	  in	  your	  region)	  	  …and	  even	  better,	  why	  not	  volunteer	  for	  a	  position	  on	  your	  local	  IAH	  Committee?!	  Do	  they	  have	   an	   ECHN	   representative	   yet?	   	   Contact	   details	   of	   the	   IAH	   National	   Chapters	   can	   be	  found	   at:	   http://iah.org/groups/national-­‐chapters.	   Your	   local	   or	   National	   Chapter	   will	   be	   a	  great	  source	  of	  knowledge	  of	  activity	  in	  your	  area	  and	  can	  also	  make	  you	  mindful	  of	  existing	  partnerships	  with	  organisations	  or	  companies	  your	  branch	  could	  work	  with.	  	  Attending	  local	  IAH	   Chapter	   meetings	   will	   offer	   you	   the	   chance	   to	   put	   forward	   your	   ideas	   and	   potentially	  obtain	  support	  from	  IAH	  Members	  and	  their	  links	  to	  the	  wider	  community.	  	  	  FEB	  2014.	  Doc	  Control:	  1	  Gillian	  Hurding	  	  	  3. 	  Consider	   the	   needs	   of	   your	   region	   and	   community	   of	   early	   career	  hydrogeologists.	  
Just	  as	  the	  hydrogeology	  of	  one	  region	  can	  be	  very	  different	  to	  the	  next,	  so	  can	  the	  resulting	  industries,	  environmental	  concerns,	  politics	  and	  economics	  of	  your	  area.	  	  So	  what	  support	  do	   your	   early-­‐career	   hydrogeologists	   need?	   	   Is	   it	   better	   to	   links	   with	   industry	   for	   career	  development?	  Is	  there	  a	  social	  role	  you	  could	  provide	  for	  international	  hydros	  working	  in	  a	  particular	   area?	   	   Is	   there	   a	   specific	   environmental	   concern	   that	   you	   would	   like	   to	   address	  collectively?	  Whatever	  initial	  focus	  has	  driven	  your	  group,	  why	  not	  define	  it	  and	  formalise	  some	  activities	  or	  discussion	  around	  it.	  	  	  4. Collaborate	  with	  local	  groups,	  organisations	  and/or	  industry.	  
Connecting	   to	   your	   local	   network	   may	   offer	   a	   number	   of	   beneficial	   rewards.	   	   Businesses	  may	   be	   able	   to	   offer	   sponsorship	   or	   venues	   for	   events	   and	   keep	   you	   informed	   of	   suitable	  vacancies.	   	   Academic	   departments	   may	   have	   students	   who	   would	   love	   to	   hear	   from	   you.	  	  	  There	   are	   plenty	   of	   opportunities	   out	   there	   and	   the	   ability	   to	   approach	   such	   stakeholders	  under	  the	  ‘IAH	  umbrella’	  will	  hopefully	  give	  you	  a	  stronger	  voice	  to	  make	  such	  connections	  –	  keep	  us	  informed	  of	  your	  progress!	  	  	  	  	  5. Formally	  launch	  your	  national	  ECHN	  Branch.	  	  To	   inform	   your	   local	   network	   of	   your	   existence	   and	   to	   encourage	   members	   you	   might	   want	  to	  set	  up	  a	  little	  bit	  of	  infrastructure.	  	  	  a. Set	  up	  a	  means	  of	  communication	  with	  your	  Branch.	  
Perhaps	  a	  new	  email	  account	  (with	  multiple	  administrator	  access)	  that	  can	  be	  used	  post	  any	  particular	  member’s	  involvement	  in	  the	  group.	  	  b. Formalise	  the	  roles	  of	  your	  Branch	  members	  or	  committee.	  
This	  suggestion	  will	  be	  tailored	  for	  your	  region,	  but	  having	  an	  agreed	  committee	  with	  clear	  tasks	  may	  help	  you	  stay	  on	  top	  of	  running	  events	  or	  researching	  project	  areas.	  	  If	  ticket	  sales	  or	  sponsorship	  are	  involved	  someone	  with	  a	  good	  head	  for	  figures	  could	  be	  beneficial	  for	  example.	  

FEB	  2014.	  Doc	  Control:	  1	  Gillian	  Hurding	  	  	  c. 	  Know	  your	  history.	  
In	  the	  course	  of	  advertising	  your	  network	  you	  may	  have	  to	  give	  a	  brief	  introduction	  of	  the	  IAH	  and	  when	  or	  why	  the	  ECHN	  came	  in	  to	  being.	  	  You	  can	  find	  all	  the	  information	  you	  need	  to	  know	  about	  the	  IAH	  at:	  www.iah.org/about	  And	  as	  for	  the	  ECHN…	  In	  2011,	  the	  Early	  Career	  Hydrogeologists’	  Network	  or	  ECHN	  was	  formally	  acknowledged	  as	  a	   Network	   of	   the	   International	   Association	   of	   Hydrogeologists	   (IAH).	   	   The	   main	   aim	   of	   the	  Network	   is	   to	   assist	   hydrogeologists	   at	   the	   start	   of	   their	  professional	   or	   academic	   careers	   by	  providing	  support	  in	  information	  sharing,	  networking	  and	  strengthening	  the	  status	  of	  early	  career	  hydrogeologists	  within	  the	  IAH.	  	  6. Be	  active	  on	  our	  LinkedIN	  and	  Facebook	  pages.	  
The	   ECHN	   LinkedIn	   and	   Facebook	   pages	   are	   one	   of	   the	   forums	   we	   use	   for	   information	  sharing	   via	   the	   international	   network.	   All	   hydrogeologists	   who	   are	   members	   of	   IAH	   are	  welcome	  to	  join	  the	  LinkedIn	  page	  to	  get	  involved	  and	  benefit	  from	  the	  network’s	  activities.	  	  	  Our	  Facebook	  page	  is	  open	  to	  non-­‐members	  who	  may	  wish	  to	  take	  a	  look	  at	  the	  types	  of	  activities	   and	   events	   the	   ECHN	   incorporates	   before	   deciding	   to	   join.	   	   Please	   encourage	   your	  group	  and	  members	  to	  join	  each	  page	  so	  we	  can	  keep	  our	  online	  forums	  thriving	  and	  better	  share	  ideas.	  
We	  will	  also	  keep	  you	  updated	  with	  future	  international	  events	  like	  the	  IAH	  Annual	  Congress	  so	  be	  sure	  to	  keep	  an	  eye	  out	  for	  posts	  at:	   	  https://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=3717583&trk=hb_side_g	  	  	  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Early-­‐Career-­‐Hydrogeologists-­‐Network-­‐of-­‐IAH/1444009612478680?ref=hl	  	  7. Encourage	  new	  membership.	  
IAH	  members	  receive	  a	  number	  of	  benefits	  in	  addition	  to	  accessing	  the	  LinkedIN	  community	  and	  forums.	  	  If	  you	  know	  potential	  members	  interested	  in	  signing	  up	  to	  IAH	  they	  can	  find	  a	  full	  list	  of	  annual	  fees	  and	  exactly	  what’s	  included	  at:	  http://iah.org/join-­‐us	  	  And	  it’s	  never	  been	  a	  better	  time	  to	  join...	  
The	   41st	   International	   Congress	   of	   the	   IAH	   will	   be	   hosted	   in	   Marrakech	   in	   September.	  	  Themed	   ‘Groundwater:	   Challenges	   and	   Strategies’	   the	   2014	   Congress	   will	   provide	  a	  showcase	  for	  the	  international	  groundwater	  industry.	  	  Please	  see	  www.iahcongress2014.org	  	  for	  more	  details.	  	  	  FEB	  2014.	  Doc	  Control:	  1	  Gillian	  Hurding	  	  8. Good	  luck	  and	  keep	  in	  touch!	  
Please	   be	   sure	   to	   take	   pictures	   and	   share	   the	   news	   of	   your	   Branch	   as	   you	   progress.	  
Ultimately,	  the	  sky’s	  the	  limit	  if	  you	  have	  the	  time	  and	  enthusiasm.	  	  We	  know	  you	  will	  do	  well!	  	  	  	  Have	  fun	  and	  good	  luck!	  
Viviana,	  Matthys	  and	  Gillian	  ECHN	  2013/14	  FEB	  2014.	  Doc	  Control:	  1	  Gillian	  Hurding