After a ten year career at IRC, covering various leadership functions and being member of the IRC Management Team, Erma established herself as an independent consultant in 2015. Erma continues her collaboration with IRC as an associate consultant.
Erma strongly believes in country leadership - national governments leading the development of a common vision, policy priorities and targets for the sector; National governments coordinating and directing all actors and interventions towards achievement of the commonly agreed vision and targets, monitoring progress and facilitating learning processes to adjust sector policies and practices when needed. Without national governments taking leadership and being backed by a strong sector system, achievement of WASH services for all and forever will remain an utopia and resources will remain being wasted.
Working with governments, at national and decentralised level, in facilitating sector-broad and multi-actor change processes towards strengthened sector capacities for sustained WASH service delivery, is Erma's passion.
Erma thinks that championing knowledge development, innovation and policy influencing for country- leadership is an exciting challenge. This gives her an excellent opportunity to capatalise on both her passion and on a solid professional background anchored in her work for a diversity of employers (national governments, bi-lateral donor and multi-lateral agencies) in different parts of the world.
Después de una carrera de diez años en el IRC, Erma se estableció como un consultor independiente a partir de 2015. Erma continúa su colaboración con IRC como consultor asociado.
Erma Uytewaal es una profesional internacional altamente respetada en el sector del agua potable y saneamiento, particularmente en las áreas de asesoramiento en la formulación e implementación de políticas, desarrollo de estrategias y desarrollo institucional y organizacional.
Ella es una ferviente defensora de la visión de IRC que propugna pasar de intervenciones de corto plazo hacia la definición e implementación de políticas sectoriales que posibiliten la prestación de servicios sostenibles en el largo plazo. Ella cree que el liderazgo de los gobiernos es esencial y es el único camino hacia el cambio en el sector para lograr que los sistemas de agua y saneamiento presten servicios para que todos, en todas partes y siempre puedan disfrutar de su derecho humano al agua potable y al saneamiento.
Erma sabe cómo dirigir el cambio institucional y organizacional. Con perseverancia, trabajo duro y una actitud positiva facilita el diálogo, la negociación y la coordinación de programas y procesos y complejos con la participación de múltiples actores.
En su trabajo es pragmática, motiva la innovación y se enfoca en los resultados. En sus interacciones es de mente abierta y directa. Emprendedora, responsable, pero sobre todo, profesional.
Erma puede visualizar e implementar acciones de una forma integral: abarcando la política y la práctica, las habilidades técnicas y sociales. Su formación y experiencia incluye trabajos previos en varias regiones del mundo incluyendo con las Naciones Unidas, organizaciones de cooperación bilaterales, gobiernos nacionales y gobiernos locales y ONGs, trabajando en todos los niveles de interacción (personal, organizacional e institucional).
A novel Empowerment in WASH Index is presented, which was piloted in Banfora, Burkina Faso. Findings show importance of household- and community-... Read more...
This guide covers steps required for engaging effectively with decision-makers; increasing the impact beyond programmatic solutions; and influencing... Read more...
Government should take the lead in making sure WASH services are empowering; NGOs should support government in monitoring empowerment in WASH... Read more...
There is a gap between what organisations have formulated in their strategies and programmatic approaches regarding social inclusion and the actual... Read more...
Basic facts about the epidemic, the linkages between HIV/AIDS and WASH, the impact of HIV/AIDS on water and sanitation organizations and services,... Read more...
Presentations from the WASH Learning Theme 5 - Systems change and collective action session of the All Systems Connect International Symposium 2023. Read more...
The Transform WASH Activity in Ethiopia has significantly contributed to advancing market-based sanitation approaches and promoting gender equality... Read more...
Gender, equity, and social inclusion (GESI) policy recommendations for government officials working in the WASH sector at national and woreda (... Read more...
Informing Local Government Institutes about the strategy and how to adopt action plans for the implementation of the strategy. Read more...
This learning note is focused on the gender dynamics in WASH business and it informs action points to enhance women's roles in the sector. Read more...
Unsafely managed sanitation, especially in rural areas, remains a challenge in developing countries as a result of population growth, climate change... Read more...
This working document provides insights into current practice relating to social inclusion in integrated water resources management (IWRM) programmes... Read more...
While the importance of hygiene is increasingly being recognized, far less consideration has been given to the role of the complete WASH package in... Read more...
Paper presented at the South Asia Hygiene Practitioners Workshop, Dhaka, Bangladesh, 1 to 4 February 2010 Read more...