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.
More emphasis is needed on building and strengthening the work of multi-stakeholder platforms in WASH at the national level. Read more...
Inspirational stories about how ordinary women in India and Kenya have converted the challenges posed by COVID-19 into an opportunity to promote good... Read more...
A guide for implementing WASH in schools initiatives, based on a compilation of best practices in WASH from 15 prize winning schools in Odisha state... Read more...
Despite reduced funding for market systems development (MSD) in sanitation, Water For People (WFP) has been able to grow and expand its approach. Read more...
The water sector in South Africa should focus more on the needs of HIV positive individuals and strengthen multi-sectoral initiatives. Read more...
Pour changer les systèmes, il faut un «Conteur, un Expert et un Homme Politique». Histoires d'acteurs du changement au Malawi, au Honduras, en... Read more...
Para cambiar los sistemas se necesita un "narrador de historias, un experto y un político". Historias de agentes de cambio en Malawi, Honduras,... Read more...
It takes a 'Story Teller, an Expert, and a Politician' to make systems change happen. Stories from change makers in Malawi, Honduras, Uganda,... Read more...
While household toilets are necessary, they alone are not sufficient for improved sanitation. Read more...
This case study highlights how an organisation can identify potential threats to institutional sustainability common in an extremely low resource... Read more...
A photo story about the construction of five community latrines by the HYSAWA Fund in Bangladesh. Read more...
Everyone in Digambarpur has access to a basic level of water service thanks to support model that allows w ater committees to outsource technical... Read more...
Case study on rapid assessment to identify supply chain challenges. Read more...
Triple-S country study Thailand. Read more...
Water For People adopted the "Everyone, Forever" approach. Read the case study to learn lessons on scaling-up rural water and sanitation services. Read more...
Small-scale informal entrepreneurs can provide a valuable and financially viable urban sanitation service for consumers without a sewerage connection... Read more...