This interview is the first in a series, Path to DAI: The faces of DAI’s WSSH workforce
Alifah Lestari leads the USAID-funded Indonesia Urban Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (IUWASH) Tangguh project, a five-year activity that works closely with the Government of Indonesia, donors, private sector, NGOs, utility providers, and communities to improve the performance of water utilities across 39 municipalities in Indonesia and increase access to urban water and sanitation services.
With a background in agriculture, Alifah joined her first USAID-funded, DAI-managed project in 2005 as a seconded monitoring and evaluation specialist. She was then hired directly by DAI and went on to support three consecutive USAID-funded urban WSSH projects where she honed her technical and managerial skills. She has held increasingly challenging roles and has become a true leader for her team of 165. “I enjoy this work” she said. “It is always a new challenge for me. It allows me to continuously learn about how to do this job better.”
1. What has your career trajectory with DAI looked like?
I have truly grown up with DAI throughout my career. In my first DAI project on the USAID Environmental Services Program (ESP), I started off as a specialist learning about monitoring and evaluation from my then COP and DCOP who became mentors to me.
In my next two DAI projects with USAID’s IUWASH and IUWASH PLUS, my role expanded to managing progressively larger technical teams, which required me to broaden my expertise.
Presently in USAID IUWASH Tangguh, while still within the WSSH sector, the technical focus shifted significantly. My main challenge is to guide the team in adapting ingrained approaches to more directly target vulnerable and unserved urban populations to improve access to safely managed drinking water and sanitation services.
We are also developing strategies to effectively integrate Water Resource Management (WRM) with climate-resilient water and sanitation services. This integration of sectors and stakeholders to improve urban resiliency and access to services is a new challenge for me.
2. What do you see as your core technical expertise, and do you feel you picked it, or it picked you?
Honestly, I didn’t specifically aim for my current expertise. When I join a project, I focus on that work, learn as I go, and adapt to the situation— “it’s a fluid process, much like water guiding me along”. I never imagined I would end up working in the WSSH sector and for so long.
3. How would you describe your project’s final impact goal when it concludes in 2027?
Our primary goal is to contribute to the Indonesian government’s targets for increasing access to safely managed drinking water and sanitation for millions. This goes beyond simply providing services. It involves increasing climate resilience and strengthening sector governance and financing.
We’re also focused on ensuring that gender equity and social inclusion (GESI) elements are mainstreamed into our drinking water and sanitation services. It’s essential that our team understands GESI isn’t just an add-on; it’s an integral part of our support. We aim to enable women and people with disabilities to benefit from the increased access to safely managed drinking water and sanitation services.
This vision should also be mainstreamed in the WSSH operators. For example, one success story involves a female technical staff member of PDAM, the water utility, who confidently responded to a customer’s issue with a leaking supply pipe, breaking stereotypes about women in technical roles. At first, the customer thought there had been a mistake. After she completed the work, he said “I’m so sorry, because I thought the technical staff of the water utility are always men, but now I can see that women can do that.” Her professional experience highlighted the importance of gender awareness within our team, within the utilities’ teams, and among their customer bases, reinforcing the idea that expertise, regardless of gender, is what truly matters. Focusing on capacity and not gender, that is really mainstreaming.
4. How have project impacts inspired you as a WSSH professional?
Seeing firsthand the significant impact of our support really inspires me. For instance, beneficiaries have told us how the Master Meter communal water supply system we introduced helped them save money, which they could then invest in improving their homes.
One local government planning head expressed enthusiasm for replicating community leaders as health and hygiene promoters, showing a commitment to enhancing their development programs. It’s rewarding to witness our support helping them think more strategically about their city or district’s future. I often encourage my team to identify best practices to establish a foundation for sustainability, as this will be our legacy.
Training community members to become health promoters or local leaders creates a ripple effect. When local governments adopt these practices, they can plan more effectively based on real data from beneficiaries, leading to tangible improvements in service delivery. A recent visit to Jayapura showcased the development of a GIS system that we supported since the early days of ESP decades ago, culminating in a command center that significantly enhances their operational capabilities.
5. Were there technical innovations on this project that you think should be spread to a wider audience?
Yes, several innovations are worth disseminating, particularly those tailored to the needs of the sector. For example, the GIS system we promoted is crucial for managing water utilities. It allows for efficient monitoring and rapid response to issues, like leaks. Similarly, the Master Meter System helps unserved communities to be able to receive services from water utilities. This system combines community-based and institutional systems. We’re looking to spread this technology across more utilities.
We’re also introducing new tools to help water companies manage their physical assets and infrastructure involved in delivering water utility services. We are doing this through the mWater platform. It’s a free and open source technology for data-driven management. It helps PDAM to visualize and track the performance of their utilities and wastewater operators.
6. How have you seen the WSSH sector change over the years and how do you keep up with the latest trends and innovations?
The WSSH sector has evolved significantly. I think it’s growing in terms of the willingness of on-the-ground partners to adopt new technologies and methodologies in response to old and new challenges in the WSSH sector. As the institution that regulates these policies, the central government is focusing on the quality of support in response to population growth and its commitment to increasing its emerging middle-income country status, which requires concrete planning and actions to achieve these goals.
How do I keep up? I think staying open as a professional helps me. If we are open to see the change and try to adapt to the change, we can try to help improve things.
Also, working as a team (internally and externally) is important to me and my ability to build my professional skills. Every success is not done by myself, it is a team effort.
7. What advice would you have for young WSSH professionals, especially women professionals just entering the sector?
My advice is just keep trying to learn something new. You need an open mind to think out of the box. Let’s not trap ourselves within our own perspective. My advice is to commit to continuous learning. Embracing new ideas and experiences will empower young professionals, especially women, to thrive in the WSSH sector.
8. What’s next for you? What are your career aspirations or new technical skill sets you would like to pursue?
Looking ahead, I see significant challenges and opportunities within Indonesia, particularly in integrating water resource management with the WSSH sector. I recognize the need to deepen my understanding in several areas, especially governance and financing.
• Governance is crucial, as it involves how systems integrate and support one another. With Indonesia’s decentralization, local governments make key decisions, yet they still require support from the national government.
• Financing is another area I want to explore further. Understanding innovative financing mechanisms will be vital for sustaining WSSH services and ensuring equitable access.
I aim to learn more about WSSH practices in other countries. Given Indonesia’s size and complexity, insights from different contexts can inform our approaches and methodologies, potentially leading to more effective solutions tailored to our unique challenges.
Overall, my goal is to continuously enhance my technical skills and knowledge to contribute meaningfully to the evolving WSSH landscape.
