Stef Smits is a senior programme officer and Co-director of IRC's Growth Hub. He has 20 years of professional experience in water supply and sanitation in over 25 countries in Europe, Latin America, Southern Africa, and South Asia. His main thematic expertise includes: institutional models for water supply, sustainability and enabling environment, monitoring, costing and financing of services and integrated water resources management.
Stef has led numerous projects on these topics, and published about them. In addition, he has ample management expertise: from consultancy assignments to multi-annual programmes, and units within an organisation. He has worked for a range of clients including bilateral donors, development banks, research funders and NGOs. Stef holds an MSc degree in Irrigation and Water Engineering from Wageningen University, The Netherlands.
Even in the worst case scenario, the benefits of mutliple use water services outweigh the costs at both household and system levels Read more...
Multiple-use services can be scaled up, through a stronger focus on accountability towards users' needs Read more...
This book analyses and explains the success factors of MUS, using a framework of accountability for public service delivery, and examines why there... Read more...
Two weeks ago, the “management and support” working group of the RWSN had its first meeting. This meeting focused specifically on management models and support arrangements for piped water supply in small towns. Read more...
Various case studies confirm that multiple-use of water is a common practice in rural communities in Honduras. IRC and FHIS developed a guideline to support consideration for these uses in the design and management of rural water supplies. This guideline was applied in a number of communities in... Read more...
The multiple-use water services (MUS) approach considers the multiple needs of (poor) water users and communities' own priorities as the starting... Read more...
The relationship between multiple use of water and sustainability in service provision is still a thorny issue. Read more...
A question from the floor at a Rockefeller Foundation meeting raised some interesting thoughts about MUS vs MDGs. Read more...
Assessing the relative costs, benefits and poverty impacts of multiple-use approaches (MUS) over single-use approaches and evaluating the potential... Read more...
Lessons and recommendations drawn from case evidence collected in eight countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Read more...