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.
Interventions that ensure women have access to private facilities with water for Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) and that educate women about... Read more...
A conceptual framework for social inclusion In WASH programmes and the dilemmas and challenges involved in ensuring that no one is left behind are... Read more...
Many countries are developing or reviewing their water sector monitoring systems to see whether they are SDG-proof. A recurring question in this is the extent to which these should use household-level data of JMP-defined access to limited, basic or safely managed water. We argue that caution should... Read more...
This brief presents the lessons learnt and advocacy messages from this e-discussion for influencing sector discourse on this topic and ensuring that... Read more...
Water-related emotional distress is predominantly associated with the 'cost of water' and the 'size of household'. Read more...
The motto of the Sustainable Development Goals is "leaving no one behind". For water and sanitation this implies that all people – including those families who live in the last house on top of the mountain - must have access to water and sanitation services. Water For People and IRC in Honduras... Read more...
Helping WASH organisations become more inclusive both in their interventions and within their organisation. Read more...
How can organisations become more reflective of and responsive to the needs of people they serve. Read more...
El lema de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible es "no dejar a nadie atrás". Para el objetivo de agua y saneamiento implica que todas las personas – hasta las que viven en la casa más alejada, en la cima de una montaña – deben de tener acceso a dichos servicios. El proyecto "modelos de... Read more...
Since not everyone can be served by sewerage systems in the near future, septage management is one of available options to achieve sanitation for all... Read more...
Supply and demand for water and sanitation services in dispersed rural areas of Honduras Read more...
This concept note provides an action plan for cost recovery in the Indian water sector based on an analysis of the existing institutional... Read more...
This concept note proposes a phase-wise approach to cost recovery in the Indian water sector starting with a focus on blended finance through an... Read more...
Strengthening and clarifying the capacity of local government institutions is critical to the success of SDG6 (Water) and contributes to SDG16 (... Read more...
This case study highlights how an organisation can identify potential threats to institutional sustainability common in an extremely low resource... Read more...
How can blended finance can close the financial gap needed to meet Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6? Read more...
This document describes how the principles and practice of the global movement, Agenda for Change (A4C), can be applied at district level, following... Read more...