PhD researcher Department of Integrated Water Systems and Governance (m/f), Netherlands

The UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education offers graduate education in Delft, The Netherlands, and carries out research and capacity building projects all over the world. The mission of UNESCO-IHE is to contribute to the education and training of professionals and to build the capacity of sector organizations, knowledge centres and other institutions active in the fields of water, the environment and infrastructure in developing countries and countries in transition.

UNESCO-IHE has a permanent staff of 180, of which 90 are scientific staff, while about 250 guest- lecturers from academia and industry contribute to the educational programme. Each year 750 participants (incl. about 200 new MSc students per year and 140 PhD fellows) from all over the world attend the various regular and short courses at UNESCO-IHE. The institute has an international staff & student community with English as working language

The Department of Integrated Water Systems and Governance provides post-graduate education and training in the area of water management. Within this Department the Water Services Management Group (WSM) focuses on management and governance of water supply and sanitation provisioning, particularly in developing countries. The WSM Group is a partner in the Performance Enhancement of Water utilities in Kenya through benchmarking, col lective l earning and innovative financing (PEWAK) project. In the context of this project the WSM Group has the following vacancy

PhD Researcher (m/f)

In Kenya, more than 8 million people live in (peri)urban low-income areas with low access to safe drinking water (39%) and appropriate sanitation (47%). Water and Sanitation Providers (WSPs) are the principle supplier of water and sanitation services to these areas. However, their poor commercial and financial performance hinders their possibility of sustainably investing in infrastructure expansion. This lack of service expansion is especially visible in underserved areas, where little investment takes place.

Partners in PEWAK project will work closely together with selected local WSPs to break this vicious circle. The project will develop three programs in parallel. First of all, WSPs will develop NRW (non- revenue water) reduction programs as it is believed to be a key intervention to improve the providers' commercial viability. In parallel, and in cooperation with the national regulator, the project will rollout benchmarking processes in the sector. The benchmarking offers a starting point for utilities to assess the situation, learn from each other and define strategies to improve their performance. Last, the project will explore and develop innovative formulas of blended financing to enhance the possibilities of utilities to access funds for infrastructure development.

As part of the PEWAK project, the PhD researcher will specifically analyze the strategies of WSPs to provide water services to the underserved urban poor. In particular, the PhD researcher will investigate how benchmarking and collective learning influence and impact the ability of WSPs to provide services to the urban poor. As part of this research, the researcher will

• Indentify and analyze strategies followed by WSPs for service provisioning to the urban poor
• Develop a benchmarking approach with specific focus on service provisioning to the urban poor
• Analyze the application of this approach in selected WSPs in Kenya through action research.

The research will be developed jointly and in coordination with WSUP (local NGO) and in consultation with WASPA (water utilities association), WASREB (Water and sanitation Regulatory Board) and the WSTF (Water Services Trust Fund).

Responsibilities

• Initiate, develop and implement the PhD research project in the context of the PEWAK project;
• Co-supervise MSc research related to the candidate's PhD research;
• Disseminate research results through academic and non-academic fora;

Requirements

The candidate:

• has recently obtained a MSc degree related to water services governance or water services management.
• has a demonstrable interest in pro-poor water services provisioning.
• has a keen interest in conducting interdisciplinary research;
• is motivated to work in a multidisciplinary and multicultural environment;
• has affinity with, and preferably working experience, water services in sub-Saharan African countries (particularly Kenya).
• Proven good command of English

Terms

This position is, in principle, a four year full time fellowship-based appointment. The PhD researcher will be based at UNESCO-IHE in Delft, the Netherlands. The fellowship concerns a monthly net- allowance of Euro 1190. Other costs that will be covered include insurance, residence permit, tuition fees, research-related costs. Information and appli cati on Additional information can be obtained from Ms. Mireia Tutusaus (m.tutusaus@unesco-ihe.org) Applications (in English), should respond specifically to the requirements, and can be sent until May 8, 2015 (closing date) including curriculum vitae, motivation letter and the names and contact details of two contactable referees (as one PDF file with your family name as the filename), to Mireia Tutusaus (m.tutusaus@unesco-ihe.org). The short-listed candidates will be asked to send in certified copies of their Bachelor and Master diplomas and transcripts. After the assessment of these documents the final selection will be made.