Specialist groups are made up of all STC members who are not part of the Strategic Council. They are structured according to sector specialties.

AfWASA gives African professionals and experts in the water and sanitation sector the opportunity to come together voluntarily, in Specialist Groups, and form a think-tank around a particular issue identified by the group itself.

To set up a Specialist Group, a written request must be sent to AfWASA Executive Office. The request must indicate : The name of the new Specialist Group.

• A clear description of the subject to be covered.

• A description of the expected results and the activities planned to achieve these results.

• An action plan and timetable for the next year or 2, together with deliverables.

The request will be forwarded to the Strategic Council, which will assess the appropriateness of creating the Specialist Group. Following approval by the Strategic Council and confirmation by the Executive Board, the new Specialist Group will be published and interested AfWASA members will be invited to join.

A single person can initiate the formation of the Specialist Group, but subject to the nomination of 4 other people to complete the group prior to Strategic Council endorsement.

Members of Specialist Groups must be AfWASA members, either individually or through their member company, and must be officially approved by AfWASA to participate in the Specialist Group. An AfWASA member may belong to a maximum of 2 Specialist Groups at any one time. There is no limit to the number of members in a Specialist Group.

General objectives of the Specialist Groups

The Specialist Groups have the following objectives:

• Provide a platform for multidisciplinary knowledge development.

• Bridging the gap between research and practice

• Ensure effective professional development of researchers in their respective fields to address emerging challenges and propose solutions.

• Enable researchers and practitioners to improve the solutions proposed to address the major challenges facing the water and sanitation sector.

• Serve as a catalyst for capacity-building among young professionals

• Strengthen networks with international specialists

• Generate revenue through conferences, publications and other events

• Create and disseminate content and ensure consumption by targeted groups

Work

In order to consolidate knowledge of the water and sanitation professions, the Specialist Groups thus formed will:

• Organize periodic conferences, mini-congresses and exhibitions.

• Publish articles for technical journals and best practice manuals.

• Propose ideas for projects or programs, as well as capacity-building activities (Master Classes or other) on specific themes related to their issues.

• Publish newsletters to keep you informed of the progress of their work.

• Produce brochures on topics of interest.

• Organize information and study trips to one of the Group’s members to share case studies.

• Organize Conferences, Side-Events, and other types of sessions during AfWASA Congresses to share the results of their work.

• Take part in major international meetings and exhibitions to which AfWASA is invited, and may also organize conferences and technical sessions.

• Contribute articles and publications to the AfWASA knowledge-sharing platform and website.

• Pilot or participate in long-term projects undertaken by AfWASA and funded by development institutions.

Functioning of the Specialist Groups

The Specialist Groups will be bilingual, and may, if necessary, include French-speaking and English-speaking sub-groups to facilitate discussions. French-speaking and English-speaking sub-groups of the same Specialist Group may meet separately to carry out their discussions, and joint meetings of the 2 sub-groups may also be organized on a regular basis, to share the progress of discussions, with simultaneous translation provided by the Executive Management.
At the start of each mandate, a clear and precise definition of the objectives to be achieved is proposed by the Specialist Groups, and action plans are drawn up, to be validated by the Strategic Council and monitored and coordinated by the Executive Management.
The Specialist Committees are required to hold regular meetings, either face-to-face or virtual, 2 to 4 times a year, depending on the activities planned within the group, to exchange information between members and to carry out their activities and deliverables.
When the Specialist Group is set up, two leaders (Group Leaders) are elected by all Group members for a period of 2 years, renewable once. These 2 leaders are responsible for leading the Group towards its objectives. These 2 leaders are supported in their mission by a coordinator at Executive Management level, whose particular mission will be to facilitate the organization of meetings, conferences, study and exploration missions, the production of publications, and the sharing and editing of documents (brochures, best practice guides, etc.).

At AfWASA, we remain convinced that operating in this way will help us to respond more effectively to the needs and concerns of our members and the sector, and to make a significant contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals for Africa.

Are you interested in a specialist group ? Please, send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.