Bali Coalition: measuring training impact in the Water sector

Launching of a new phase of the international survey on training impact in the Water sector 

Launched at the 10th World Water Forum in Bali (2024), the Bali Coalition positions vocational and professional training as a strategic productive investment essential to the sustainable improvement of drinking water, sanitation services, and basin water resources management. The Coalition directly supports SDG 6 by establishing human capacity development as an indispensable precondition for the success and durability of infrastructure funding.

Despite substantial investments worldwide in physical infrastructure, service performance often declines prematurely due to recurring deficits in operational skills, management, and governance. To resolve this paradox, 120 partner organizations, including 20 core partners across 50 countries, have joined forces to:

• Strengthen skills across all operational, technical, and managerial tiers;
• Integrate training into public policies, investment programs, and tariff structures;
• Develop dedicated funding mechanisms (such as dedicating a percentage of the wage bill or water tariff);
• Enhance the appeal of careers in the water sector for youth and women;
• Promote active knowledge-sharing and peer-to-peer cooperation among global basin and utility networks.

Building upon the first phase of diagnostic, this new phase shifts toward an analytical, return-on-investment framework.

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In-depth analysis of the impact of training

The second phase of the survey will be launched on November Monday 2nd 2026 and shifts toward a focus on measuring the return on investment from training. The aim is to identify concrete, qualitative and quantitative indicators to assess the effects of training (e.g. improved operational performance, more in-depth monitoring of technical indicators such as water quality…). 

• Sample questions : Have you ever invested in training? Have you ever assessed the results achieved following training? What were the results based on qualitative or quantitative indicators that changed positively before or after the training?

Participate in the phase on measuring training impact!

• Approximately 15 minutes
• 7 sections and around 40 questions 
• Content and objectives:
  • Provide concrete examples of tangile impacts of training investissments by sharing :
    • Your training habits : learning formats offered or undertaken 
    • Your training evaluation framework: frequency, monitoring, methods to assess learning outcomes (workplace practices, operational performance etc.)
    • Your challenges and evidence of impact: obstacles faced to measure results.

Targeted audience

The targeted audience are all beneficiaries of water sector training. It encompasses any water professional who has received training and is positioned to evaluate its impacts, effectiveness and outcomes. This includes operators and engineers at municipal sanitation departments, maintenance staff at public and private water utilities, water professional of the agricultural sector, staff at industrial treatment plants, professionals of basin management in charge of planning IWRM, national and local public administration in charge of water management alongside the Human Resources and Training departments that oversee their professional development. To reach this diverse group, we have developled a scalable survey designed for easy distribution through professional associations, utility networks, industries and basin organizations, ensuring robust and representative data collection. With this objective to cover both the “small water cycle” and “big water cycle”.

The aim is to identify and produce exemplary case studies that tangibly demonstrate the value of the training for water services and, ultimately, extract quantifiable indicators that demonstrate the impact of skills development on a service’s performance.

Strengthening international advocacy and milestones

The case studies and empirical indicators collected will directly inform high-level global advocacy. The first key results of the second inquiry in December at the 2026 United Nations Water Conference in Abu Dhabi. 

In addition, the Coalition will organize a dedicated session during the 11th World Water Forum to present the final results and progress of the Coalition. This will send a strong message on the need to integrate training into sectoral funding and policies.