Middle Management of the Modern Water and Wastewater Utility: A Training Needs Assessment

This study explored the gap between the expressed training needs of the water and wastewater industry and current training programs available. The training needs identified by industry leaders were in the areas of leadership and management, with an emphasis on the ability to see across the organization's departments and understand the organization's function and role in its community. The training programs identified do not provide adequate training mechanisms for these areas, or the leadership and management training does not focus on the water/wastewater industry. Furthermore, there is no single recognized leader (i.e. organization or institution), program or certification process that provides leadership training to the industry's mid-level managers, nor is there any recognized training program or certification process. This institutional gap provides an opportunity for training organizations to take a leadership role in developing training programs marketed towards water/wastewater utility middle management.