WASH Services That Last in Mozambique – from cases to changes

Alana Potter

IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre

Learning from innovation..

• Under IRC’s terms of reference with PRONASAR, the MoU enabled IRC and UNICEF to collaborate to produce four cases learning from innovation in the One Million programme

• These cases distil lessons and from rural water and sanitation activities in Sofala, Tete and Manica provinces in central Mozambique.

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WASH Services That Last

• Triple-S (Sustainable Services at Scale) is a six-year, multi-country learning initiative to improve water supply and sanitation services to the rural poor.

• Work is underway in Ghana, Uganda, Burkina Faso (full programmes) Mozambique, Ethiopia and Honduras

• Lessons learned from work in countries feeds up to the international level where Triple-S is promoting a re-appraisal of how development assistance to the rural water supply sector is designed and implemented.

http://www.waterservicesthatlast.org/Monitoring Sustainable WASH Service Delivery Symposium

WASH Services That Last

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WASH Services That LastHow do we change the picture?•Shift our aim from building systems to building services – with attention to long-term sustainability and post-construction support, e.g. training for staff, availability of spare parts and supply chains and markets for rural water supply goods and services.•Shift our focus from projects for ‘communities’ at village level to services for populations within larger administrative units such as districts, which are much more effective for scaling up important service delivery functions (e..g monitoring, technical support).•Improve coordination and harmonisation within government-led processes, so that everyone is following the same rules and working towards the same goals.

Monitoring Sustainable WASH Service Delivery Symposium

WASH Services That Last

At the country level, work with local partners to:•Diagnose and socialise the problem – to see what’s working and what’s not in terms of policies and practices. Come to common agreement and definitions.•Develop, test and implement new solutions (and cost them) at the district level with links to national policy. •Scale-up successful models.•Strengthen sector learning and knowledge management.

Monitoring Sustainable WASH Service Delivery Symposium

WASH Services That Last

Monitoring Sustainable WASH Service Delivery Symposium

WASH Services That Last

What makes Triple-S different?•Understanding that rural water is a complex issue requiring systemic but realistic approaches: Creating water services that last requires coordinated changes at multiple levels. •Focus on learning: The approach goes beyond just fixing current problems to build a stronger rural water sector that can learn and adapt to new challenges.•Emphasis on legacy: Conventional methods of technical assistance have limits in terms of ownership, and once the project ends so too do the benefits. Triple-S does not operate like a ‘project’ rather it is attempting to catalyse a movement, working with existing platforms and initiatives and building on processes, energy and interest that is already there. Monitoring Sustainable WASH Service Delivery Symposium

Ambitious questions..

1. What can we learn from these innovations to scale up more effective WASH implementation approaches and practices?

2. What are the gaps to be addressed in order to achieve sustainable service delivery consistent with the RWSS policy and strategy framework in Mozambique?

3. What is needed: (i) to improve effective implementation, and (ii) to bridge the gap to programmatic service delivery in rural water supply and sanitation (RWSS)?

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Work in progress..

Aim: to ensure IRC built on existing initiatives and supported sustainable WASH services that last

1.Triple S scoping – all roads led to PRONASAR

2.Complemented WSP DPOPH case study initiative

3.Negotiated Terms of Reference with PRONASAR and agreed on criteria and study sites

4.Collaboration with UNICEF through MoU

5.Agreed framework for analysis

6.Collaborated on drafts through various iterations

7.Now for the next, most important steps..

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Next steps..

• Finalise and publish the cases in keeping with feedback from DNA, and undertake a combined launch in Mozambique.

• Discuss and debate in sector forums – what recommendations fit; how can they best be operationalised within contextual opportunities and constraints; generate political support for adaptations to WASH service delivery approaches; how best to facilitate capacity support at decentralised levels.. and more..

• Revise sector guidelines• Test, implement, monitor, document and learn..

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Cases to changes: discussion

• Many sector organisations aim to contribute to sustainable WASH service delivery approaches.

• What strategies to you employ? Are case studies a good entry point? If so, what needs to be in place?

• Closing the loop from learning to policy to practice takes time, the right partnerships and political support.

• Partnering directly with government is key and collaborating with development partners and international NGOs remains essential. What experiences and lessons have you learnt about formal and informal partnerships for change?

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Learning so far..

• Relationships..• Evidence..• Relevance.. • Presence..• Flexibility...

Monitoring Sustainable WASH Service Delivery Symposium