Sustainable Water Management: Achieving A Culture of Change

This paper presents one of the key outcomes and findings from the 2005 Brian Robinson Foundation inaugural Fellowship – “Sustainable Urban Water Management – Transforming Principles to Practice (Principles to Practice)”. Principles to Practice focused on the role of change agents in the water industry. It examined the factors determining a change agent’s ability to influence how the principles (found in policy, guidelines, technical manuals, etc.) are translated into practice (such as water sensitive urban design, water recycling or stormwater reuse).1 Working with identified change agents, the project identified key attributes of change agents, and developed a pilot model for ‘capacity building’. This model was designed to improve the transfer of scientific knowledge and expertise in sustainable urban water management (principles) into on-ground implementation (practice). The project took eight young water industry professionals on an international study tour to speak with influential leaders of the water industry across Victoria, North America and Canada, to review best practice in sustainable urban water management, and to assess social and institutional issues associated with successful change. The project investigated ways for the water industry to support the development of a group of committed and experienced change agents who understand interpersonal and organisational perspectives as well as the technical aspects of sustainable urban water management. This paper will focus on the role and impact of change agents based on the key attributes identified. 

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