Anna, Chargée d’interventions “International Cooperation,” AERM, France

In September 2023, the six French Water Agencies launched the 2nd edition of a Call for Projects to support improving access to drinking water and sanitation in developing countries. Under the supervision of the AERM’s International Solidarity Officer, my role is to coordinate, animate, and assist the six Agencies in the deployment of this Call. As such, I organize and follow up on the activities of the inter-agency group, accompany the project leaders in their application process, and inform and communicate on the Call for Projects. I produced a harmonized evaluation matrix and made a preliminary assessment of projects. The Water Agencies being seated all over France, I am led to move as part of my job.

Although abroad field missions remain beyond my terms of reference, overseeing the application process, and in particular exchanging with candidates and studying their projects, still allows me to be close to the reality of the field. Being it the first time I have integrated a French funding public body, I am also learning quite a lot about related fund granting dynamics and the specific context of the French official development aid. Since the position I occupy is inherently at the intersection (e.g., between Water Agencies, project holders and funding partners), the number and variety of actors I am brought to deal with is very rich. The spectrum of geographies I can touch upon is also very wide.

Ever since I attended Critical Political Ecology of Water, I have wished to work on water issues. This class was the first class I attended at PSIA and was revelatory in many aspects. Sciences Po’s extensive curriculum allowed me to further my understanding and appreciation of this subject all throughout my Master’s. During my third semester, I accompanied the Naval Fire Bataillon of Marseille and the WaterCov research consortium in developing their wastewater surveillance capacity-building process. My Gap Year at Doctors Without Borders also contributed much to the position I hold today. As In Charge of the Operational Information, I developed a certain ease in ensuring the circulation of critical information. I became familiar with the dynamics that typify WaSH projects in developing countries and the ecosystem of actors gravitating around them during my field mission for the Emergency Cell in the south of Madagascar.

When looking for what’s next, do not foreclose the research by focusing only on familiar lands. If many professions, employers, and job opportunities are well-known, plenty of them are to discover. It is fine and can be rewarding even, when the direction is identified, but the precise destination remains vague. More will be unclosed to us if we stay open and curious.