When Tamene Hailu (PhD), Director General of Ethiopia's Water Technology Institute (EWTI), approached Riva to help transform the organisation’s training, it set in motion a broader shift towards institutional strengthening across the country. The result is a partnership that helps people to learn, test innovations, share experiences, and apply what they know so that institutions can grow and respond to real world challenges.
Together, we developed a joint action plan, a Training of Trainers course on systems strengthening; and an adaption of our Systems Academy online foundational course on systems strengthening for the Ethiopian context (including translating into Amharic and Afan Oromo). There’s also been a series of blended (online and face-to-face) trainings, taught by Ethiopian trainers, for professionals in universities and regional institutions
We believe strong nations are built on institutions that can keep teaching themselves long after any grant, project, or partnership has ended. That belief shaped everything that followed. EWTI wanted something that outlasted any one grant or partner – and that meant owning not just the training, but the right to keep changing it.
Jeske Verhoeven, who leads Riva’s Systems Academy, says: "Localisation matters and can truly change learning outcomes. User feedback told us that to be effective, we had to let go of a fixed curriculum and let EWTI shape it."
Dr. Tamene describes the shift in his own institution's ambition: "We are transforming from a conventional training provider into a regional centre of excellence," he says. "By integrating a digital, systems-based curriculum, we're changing how water sector professionals in Ethiopia are trained."
Zewdu Seifu, a national consultant at EWTI, says completing the Academy's courses changed how he does his job: "It has made me more strategic, reflective and collaborative. I now apply a systems-thinking mindset so my work leads to more sustainable outcomes."
Ajele Getu head of South Ari's Water and Energy Office says two courses were enough to change how he runs his daily work: "I completed two courses from the Systems Academy and got certified. These courses, WASH Systems Strengthening: The Basics; and Financing for Sustainable WASH, enhanced my understanding of systems strengthening, which I now apply in our daily activities."
Today, experts and leaders across Ethiopia are increasingly familiar with the Systems Academy. It’s being mentioned during workshops and sector events, reflecting its growing recognition and credibility. And the model has also resurfaced somewhere nobody at Riva planned for: inside one of Germany’s largest non-governmental, non-denominational international development organisations Welthungerhilfe's management information system for its work in the Oromia region of Ethiopia.
Dr. Tamene is candid about why this matters most: fewer external consultants brought in to solve problems EWTI's own staff can now solve themselves. He also commented: “By integrating the Academy's digital and systems-based curriculum, EWTI is modernising the way water sector professionals in Ethiopia are trained.''
Strengthening institutional capacity across a country rarely happens through a single course, or a single institution. It happens systematically – translated, localised, and reaching universities, regional offices and government departments alike. It's a model we're keen to test elsewhere. If your institution is asking how to do the same, we'd like to hear from you.