Transformative Water Leadership Who, What, Where, When, Why and How

PROBLEM: Water sector utilities need transformative leadership, at all levels, right away! This assertion may seem overly dramatic, but the signs are everywhere to the perceptive observer. WaterNow Alliance states on its website: 'Between aging infrastructure and the growing effects of climate change, our communities are in dire need of a water revolution.' (1) From the Water Utility Climate Alliance website: 'While water managers continually strive to maintain [a] supply-and-demand balance through long-term water resource planning and demand management, new challenges exist due to the impacts of climate change, putting the world's water resources at risk.' (2) In August 2021, AWWA's Transformative Issue Symposium series ' kick[ed] off with an overview and exploration of the environmental, social, and governance risk assessment methodology, before launching into a conversation addressing water affordability and access. The financial impacts of the global pandemic have highlighted challenges to water affordability and inequities in access to safe water . The evolution of a long-term solution to this challenge requires collaboration, communication, and community engagement.' (3) The water sector also urgently needs more diverse leadership, as a 2018 Brookings Institution report points out: 'As the U.S. economy continues to grow, many communities are struggling to translate this growth into more equitable and inclusive employment opportunities. Simultaneously, many of the nation's water infrastructure assets are in urgent need of repair, maintenance, and restoration. Yet the workers capable of carrying out these efforts are in short supply due to an aging workforce eligible for retirement and the lack of a pipeline for new talent. Women make up only a fraction of employment in some of the largest water occupations and there is a particularly low share of black and Asian workers employed in the water sector.' (4) A changing climate, demands for environmental justice, the necessity of equity and inclusion for all people, an aging and changing workforce, security threats, rising costs necessitating rate increases-the list of challenges is long. For the water sector, adaptation to change is critically important and urgently needed. Change requires local leadership−'transformative leadership'−to meet new demands. ANSWER: The Transformative Water Leadership Academy (TWLA) was designed for this purpose. Its mission: Develop and nurture diverse, emerging leaders to guide water utilities in support of just, resilient, and sustainable communities.' This 10-month leadership training program launches in Fall, 2022. Holistic Program: Diversity, Inclusion and Social Equity Concepts TWLA views diversity in the water sector workforce as valuable and intentionally recruits for a diversity of race and ethnicity, gender, age, geography and culture reflective of an increasingly diverse America and beyond. TWLA embeds the values of diversity, inclusion, and social equity throughout the curriculum. Finally, alliance with influential international, national, and regional organizations serve as a resource for the program to bring better understanding of biases and inequities. TWLA prepares graduates for leadership within the water sector and equips them to build sustainable communities and address the substantial change within utilities. The curriculum and 'hosted' group discussions guide participants to consider and balance social, environmental, equity, managerial, technical and financial matters, distinguishing this program from others. TWLA also recruits a diverse participant pool across geographic, racial, occupational, and economic groups to build a cohort of water leaders able to meet their communities' challenges. TWLA pursues five primary strategies: 1)Diversity: Increase the leadership skills and actions of emerging water leaders at any level of their organizations, with an emphasis on underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, and nontraditional education and experience. 2) Commitment: Through long-term interactions with these emerging leaders, cultivate a commitment to the practices of communication and collaboration supporting resilient organizations for a healthy environment and a wholesome, just community. 3)Action: Support participants in finding and defining their leadership objective and help them put it to use so that they can become community leaders with purpose. 4)Structure: Strengthen communities through direct involvement of academy participants. The participants will be in a better position following the program to advocate for improved programming and policy within their communities. This will have direct implications for communities and better enable them to contribute to the betterment of public health. 5)Network: Build connections for participants and the program through the Community Cooperative Alliance whose organizations and networks have unique abilities to interact with affected communities, react quickly to community needs and issues and engage with affected groups. Innovative Method: Experiential Learning The program incorporates experiential learning methods, connecting class work and theories to real experience so participants better grasp concepts, use their creativity, and fully engage in learning. A consensus of researchers on learning theory finds the most effective adult learning occurs on the job, and through rapid application of new knowledge or skills. (5) TWLA emphasizes the application of leadership skills and personal agency using acquired knowledge and skills on-the-job and in the community. Additionally, participants will be required to complete a 'Capstone' project chosen to address a specific problem in their utility, community, or a larger region. A project could address issues of affordability, stakeholder communication, resilience to climate change, source water protection, or other challenges utilities face. Participants share information about their projects, the results, and the lessons learned at a conference or community event. AWWA and WaterNow Alliance−A Creative Partnership The American Water Works Association (AWWA) and WaterNow Alliance (WNA), two nonprofit organizations with national and international reach form the partnership at the center of the Transformative Water Leadership Academy. These partners also enlist other organizations to extend program outreach for diversity, and for sharing results to a wider audience. WNA is a network of, and forum for local water leaders supporting environmentally sustainable, affordable, equitable and climate resilient water strategies. As partners in TWLA, these organizations complement each other's strengths and core audience. Whereas AWWA reaches about every occupation within the water utility, WNA focuses on the employee leaders of water sector organizations, as well as elected and appointed council, commission, and board members. The combination creates a target audience for the TWLA program that includes emerging leaders employed by water utilities across the nation and beyond, and also the emerging leaders in policy and decision-making bodies. A Significant Difference, Positive Outcomes Results will be shown through several means. The orientation of the Academy to develop individual agency and active leadership skills means participants will have communication assignments during the course. Upon completion, graduates will also be challenged to exercise their communication leadership in at least one of two ways: (a) make an oral presentation on how to lead within one's utility and occupational position; and (b) write an account of how the Transformative Water Leadership Academy experience affected their understanding of the impact individual and utility leadership can make for positive change. The full positive outcomes of the Academy will be revealed over time, as successive cohorts move into new and higher positions of leadership in the water sector. Outcomes for Participants will include: - Recognition for their accomplishment within their utility/place of employment. - Assignment of new responsibility and/or a new opportunity to demonstrate leadership. - Advancement by way of promotion to a higher position. Outcomes for Utilities will include: - Opportunity to empower Academy participants to exercise leadership in areas to improve their utility in some meaningful way. - Innovative approaches from Academy participants to solving problems in the community. Outcomes for Communities will include: - Increases in the resilience and sustainability of their utility systems. -Improvements in the relationship between residents and the utility organization serving them. - Better management and protection of water and environmental resources.