Our 7th annual breakfast during World Water Week, held at Citykonferensen Ingenjörshuset in Stockholm
On Monday, August 21st, the Agenda for Change collaboration hosted its 7th annual breakfast meeting and marked the beginning of World Water Week in Stockholm. Bethlehem Mengistu, Global Coordinator of Agenda for Change welcomed participants. She conveyed that members are collectively working to accelerate progress to SDG 6 through systems strengthening. She also shared key updates on the collaboration’s governance shift, new global strategy and team structure. An integral part of the governance shift is the prominence of country collaboration representation; Agenda for Change is now country-led, and we identity as a practitioner’s space close to implementation and real-time learning on systems strengthening. In line with this, the breakfast meeting agenda was planned to showcase practical examples from members on making systems strengthening happen in their countries, and the required enablers.
The collaboration’s achievements from the past few years were shared by Alec Shannon, Deputy Coordinator of Agenda for Change. She highlighted the country collaboration catalytic funding and the Women in WASH mentorship program, both of which are flagship projects for the Global Hub.
The four panelists (from L to R): Jane Nabunnya Mulumba, Kate Harawa, Irene Gai, and Tara Bartnik (Photo by Dennis Lupenga)
Helen Pankhurst, Senior Advisor at CARE and member representative on the General Assembly, introduced the panel of presenters:
- Collective advocacy for the development of a climate-resilient WASH financing strategy in Malawi, presented by Kettie Harawa, Director of Influence and Scale for Water For People in Malawi, the country collaboration lead and global Chair for Agenda for Change. The Malawi collaboration was able to collectively influence a shift in the planning, finance and regulation building blocks which resulted in the development of a climate-resilient financing strategy for the Malawian WASH sector.
- Ensuring effective collaboration with government at the helm: consolidating sector monitoring tools in Uganda, presented by Jane Nabunnya Mulumba, Country Director for IRC Uganda and the country collaboration lead for Agenda for Change in Uganda. The Uganda collaboration was able to collectively influence a shift in the monitoring building blocks which resulted in a sector-wide consensus to develop a national WASH monitoring (MIS) system.
- Journeys on Institutionalising systems strengthening: Welthungerhilfe, presented by Irene Gai, WASH Systems Strengthening Coordinator at Welthungerhilfe. Welthungerhilfe’s journey highlighted key milestones, the enablers, the learning acquired during travel, and recommendations for fellow systems practitioners.
- Journeys on Institutionalising Systems strengthening: WaterAid, presented by Tara Bartnik, Programme Support Advisor at WaterAid UK. WaterAid’s journey highlighted the core steps they took as an organization to institutionalize a systems strengthening approach. (e.g., the cultural shift it entails, and the leadership commitment required to get it, etc.), including as a core part of their current Global Strategy.
Read more on the national stories of collective systems change here.
Read more on the institutional systems strengthening journeys of members here.
We welcomed 5 new members: Living Water, PSI, Self Help Africa, Max Foundation and Action Against Hunger
With the launch of the Global Strategy earlier this year, 5 new members were invited to join the collaboration and add to our strategic growth including Living Water International, PSI, Self Help Africa, Max Foundation, and Action Against Hunger. Each presented a brief introduction to their organisational mission and what they hope to gain from engaging in collective action for WASH systems strengthening.
