Deadline: 25-Jul-23

The Water Research Foundation (WRF) is seeking proposals for Preparing the Water Sector to Embrace Technology: Skillsets and Enterprise Management Approaches for the Digital Age.

This project is funded by The Water Research Foundation (WRF) as part of WRF’s Research Priority Program.

To address issues and barriers to digital transformation across their enterprises, utilities need to understand what functions and roles will be required moving forward and adapt their workforces and cultures accordingly. They need to implement new procurement strategies/language, management approaches, recruiting and retention strategies, and best-in-class training programs that support digital transformation based on short- and long-term implementation strategies.

Project Objectives

• Introduce new skillsets, training opportunities, processes, procedures, or methodologies that would enable the digital transformation of the water sector and its workforce.
• Develop practical guidance and/or frameworks to help a diverse set of utility sizes (large, medium, and small) with specific business needs navigate the implementation of digital transformation.

Funding Information

• Applicants may request up to $150,000 in WRF funds for this project.
• Project Duration: The anticipated period of performance for this project is 18 months from the contract start date.

Desired Outcomes

• Demonstrate the commitment of the water sector to the adoption of digital tools by modernizing the processes necessary to procure and leverage digital tools and technology.
• Identify key function/functional areas, skillsets, training, development strategies, and hiring approaches needed to support digital technology and digital outputs to optimize utility processes and decision making.
• Encourage partnering with consultants/vendors while still procuring and championing efforts within the utility to enable affordable talent solutions.
• Build confidence for the people and organizations that need digital solutions to solve the complex challenges they are facing.
• Understand utilities’ digital transformation levels of maturity to help utilities identify a list of shortand long-term actions and pass the test of time.

Research Approach

• For the proposing team to be successful, a strong and diverse team of partners including workforce organizations, utilities, federal agencies, academics, organizations outside the water sector, technology vendors, etc., is strongly encouraged. Equal consideration from large, medium, and small utilitiesis recommended. The team will be tasked with developing a framework and matrices focusing on the business needs, including functions, roles, and maturity levels for varying sizes of utilities.
• The proposal must include the following elements in the research approach:
  • Clarity around digital transformation definition and potential levels of maturity, building upon recent work. This should leverage and complement similar WRF studies, including projects 4663, 5039, and 4797.
  • Explore the evolving and emerging digital skills required to support the water sector, by business function within the utility, including how traditional “IT” paradigms are changing (e.g., shadow IT and/or low-code solutions will break apart the traditional IT structure).
  • Research ideas to attract, retain, and/or outsource the required talent. This should include research on relevant best practices to retain and engage a digital workforce, including recommendations for managing hybrid teams.
  • List general skillsets and positions that have equivalent salaries needed to attract the talent to the water sector, particularly within utilities, to champion digital transformation.
  • Describe service delivery models available to the sector, exploring their applicability, where appropriate, to utilities of all sizes.
  • Include change management needs and approaches, including specific human resource procedures to attract skilled staff.
  • Develop or harness available training resources/categories (online training, webinars, conferences, etc.) and approaches to support skillsets needed (upskilling, on the job training by doing, etc.).

Eligibility Criteria

• Proposals will be accepted from domestic or international entities, including educational institutions, research organizations, governmental agencies, and consultants or other for-profit entities
• WRF’s Board of Directors has established a Timeliness Policy that addresses researcher adherence to the project schedule. Researchers who are late on any ongoing WRF-sponsored studies without approved no-cost extensions are not eligible to be named participants in any proposals.

For more information, visit The Water Research Foundation.