Michael Roberts Email & Phone Number

Gobal

Responsible for nurturing, developing, and delivering a pipeline of innovative ideas and initiatives with the potential to achieve impact at scale in line with the iDE mission. Provide mentoring, technical support, and backstopping to 50+ innovation projects across 10 iDE countries. So far, these innovations have opened up opportunities for iDE in new sectors and contributed to $30M+ in new funding.

Global

This Fellowship was undertaken during a sabbatical year and provided a unique space for self-directed exploration of new opportunities and innovation within iDE.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Developed core programs in agriculture, livelihoods, water supply, sanitation, and ‘human-centered design’ with a strong emphasis on innovation, market-based sustainability, impact measurement, and achieving a high return on donor investment. Collectively, these programs delivered tangible benefits to hundreds of thousands of people each year and garnered nine international awards for innovation and impact. Annual program revenues increased by a factor of 16 in ten years. Built strong systems for financial accountability, project operations, and staff management (300 local and 9 expatriate personnel). Also acted as Regional Director for SE Asia for one year with oversight of similar programs in Vietnam, China, and Myanmar.

Canada

Established the IDE-Canada office. Oversight role for market-based livelihoods projects in Zambia, India, and China. Responsible for strategic planning, program conceptualization and implementation, fundraising, public relations, proposal writing, and donor relations.

Cambodia

Cambodia

Oversaw the transition of a ceramic water filter operation from a donor-funded NGO project to an award-winning commercial enterprise with clear financial and social/environmental goals. Oversaw business plan development, the introduction of professional sales management skills, a doubling of production capacity, a successful application to the Gold Standard certifying body for carbon credits, and the development of innovative customer finance solutions. Hydrologic achievements include attracting $450k in debt financing and winning numerous international awards, including the 2011 IMPACT Business Award sponsored by the German government, the prestigious Ashden Award in 2012, and the Unilever Global Development Award in 2018. Approximately 8% of Cambodia's population currently use Hydrologic water filters. Since inception, these filters have created US$130 million of financial benefit for users.

Canada

Consulting engineer on water resources projects for government and private-sector clients in the petroleum, mining, transportation, housing, and tourism industries. Projects included water management planning, environmental impact assessment, hydrologic monitoring, hydrologic and hydraulic analyses, hydraulic structure design, and field surveys. Work scope encompassed needs assessment, project management, training and capacity building, technical design, public participation, permitting, and construction supervision.

Usa & Cambodia

Designed and implemented research on the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of pumping groundwater for irrigation in the Cambodian Mekong delta. Conducted groundwater investigations and modeling, 850 questionnaire interviews across four provinces and Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) of irrigated farming systems in three case-study villages. The research predicted that declining water tables would begin to impact rural populations within 10 years. 10 years later this was proved correct and Michael was contracted by the Cambodian government to undertake more detailed numerical modeling to enable better groundwater management and mitigation. Results of this work have been incorporated into iDE’s rural development programs.

Cambodia

Technical advisor to the Prey Veng Provincial Hydrology Bureau. Assessed staff and institutional development needs to improve local capabilities in small-scale irrigation development. Supervised the planning, design and construction of five small-scale irrigation systems. Initiated the Farmer Participation in Irrigation Development (FPID) program to increase community-level capacity to plan, construct, operate, and maintain small-scale irrigation systems. Transferred program management to local personnel after two years. An independent evaluation three years after project hand-over called the FPID program “one of the most successful small-scale irrigation programs in Cambodia” and recommended it as model for other irrigation development projects. The program was still active in 2012.

Canada

Consulting engineer on water resources projects (similar to Hydroconsult, 1997-2001, above).

Canada

Developed database of historical records from stream flow gauging stations across the province of Alberta.

M.S., Agricultural Engineering - Water Resources

B.Sc., Civil Engineering