IWA Partnership for Young Water Professionals

Context and objective

The Grundfos and IWA partnership for YWPs will mobilize twelve (12) young water professionals (YWPs) from all corners of the globe, to actively participate in the UN 2023 Water Conference. After the conference, the selected YWPs will work together with Grundfos staff and IWA to co-develop a publication that provides insights into the critical role young people have in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The publication will focus on how the water sector can maximize the benefits of integrating young professionals to achieve sustainable development.

The joint Grundfos-IWA publication will be launched during a three-day gathering at the Grundfos HQ, in Denmark (date to be defined, after March 2023), when the twelve selected YWPs will have the possibility to present their key learnings from the UN 2023 Water Conference to Grundfos.

All financial support for the twelve participants will be provided through this partnership.

Following IWA’s vision and strategic goals to promote and create a gender and geographically-balanced water sector, the selection of the YWPs will consider regional and country representation and gender diversity. A maximum of two YWPs can be selected per region (Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, and Oceania). The selection will also ensure at least six (6) participants are coming from low-income countries, and at least six (6) are women.

Please, note that IWA uses a high- and low-income country (HIC and LIC) classification for its membership. The HIC/LIC classification is based on the country of residence and not on the country of origin. The IWA Country Classification table can be found here.

The selected individuals must join online training sessions on the current challenges to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) before the conference (date and detailed content to be confirmed), organized by the IWA Secretariat prior to the UN 2023 Water Conference. These sessions' topics will also be related to key areas identified by the IWA Secretariat and the IWA YWP Steering Committee (e.g., intergenerational dialogues, entrepreneurship, and science communication).

IWA will endeavor efforts to ensure the YWP delegation can participate in panels, workshops, round tables, and other activities related to the Conference. These sessions will provide them the opportunity to meet world leaders, interact, learn, and network.

After the conference, in addition to the publication previously mentioned, the selected candidates are expected to participate in an IWA webinar series and an IWA YWP Global Coordination Call (organized by the IWA Secretariat and the IWA YWP Steering Committee), to share their learnings from the UN 2023 Water Conference, as well as key decisions and commitments made during the event.

Application

The application period will be open until 25 November 2022. Applications will be accepted in English and will be done via this form. Candidates must fill out this form, send the necessary documents and accept the terms of the selection process. It is recommended that the candidates provide as many details as possible to support their application. Candidates must provide:

Curriculum Vitae (maximum 2 pages);
Motivation letter (maximum 1 page);
Letter of reference from an IWA member (maximum 1 letter);
1-page writing sample about the water topic that the candidate wants to contribute to the publication and cover during the UN Water Conference;
1-page project proposal about the candidates' contribution to the publication.

All documents must be compiled and saved in a single pdf file. It is recommended that the candidates follow the order stated above.

The applications will be reviewed by the IWA Secretariat, which will perform a preliminary assessment. Following, shortlisted candidates will be interviewed by a representative from Grundfos, the IWA Secretariat, the IWA YWP Steering Committee, and a fourth party. Interviews will run during the last week of November 2022 and the selected candidates will be notified by mid-December 2022.

Eligibility
The applicants are required to meet the following eligibility requirements:

Be between 18 and 35 years old on the date of the UN 2023 Water Conference (22 to 24 March 2023);
Be an active IWA member– membership status will be verified by IWA Secretariat;
Show evidence of commitment to delivering positive change in the water sector;
Demonstrate leadership capacity;
Be addressing key local and/or global issues in their current work;
Have a track record of generating impactful and innovative ideas in the water sector;
Have a working knowledge of English.

Funding
Travel costs will cover:

Airline tickets in economy class to and from New York and Billund;
Accommodation in a hotel (single occupancy, 5 nights in New York, 4 nights in Billund);
Ground transportation from and to the airport and from the hotel to the venue (5 days in New York, 4 days in Billund);
Subsistence (breakfast, lunch, and dinner – 5 days in New York, 4 days in Billund);
Travel insurance;
Visa application fees.

IWA Secretariat will be responsible for booking airline tickets and accommodation, as well as travel insurance on behalf of the selected candidates. The selected individuals will be responsible for applying for their USA and Schengen area visa in their countries.

In case you wish to withdraw or edit your submission, please contact the IWA Secretariat at ywp@iwahq.org.