The aim of this course is to prepare participants for positions of leadership in water sector and utility management.

Learning objectives

Upon completion of the course, the participants will be able to:

understand the need for commercial accounting and the components of standard financial statements in irrigation, water and sanitation entities;
assess the financial position of a water organisation through an analysis of financial statements;
have an contextual overview of financial issues in the water and sanitation sector worldwide;
undertake a tariff analysis for water and sanitation services.

Course content

Syllabus: Finance for urban water supply, sewerage and irrigation: types of costs; cost and fixed asset accounting; financial statements -balance sheet and income and expenses statement; profitability and financial ratio analysis; demand assessment; affordability and willingness to pay; direct and contingent valuation; vendors; Economics: supply and demand curves; marginal costing, price and income elasticity; tariffs: average historical costs, long run marginal costing; metering, billing and collection; budgeting, zero and priority based budgeting; asset management plans; sources of finance for capital investment; bond markets; development banks; project finance; retained earnings. Case studies in financial management.

Examination

It is possible to take part in the examination of this short course. If you obtain a passing mark for this examination and return to UNESCO-IHE within four years after completion of the short course to follow a full MSc programme, you will receive exemption for this short course/module. The costs for this exam are €250 extra and should be borne by yourself. Taking part in the examination is not compulsory.