The Systems Learning Exchange is a peer learning program for Agenda for Change members, with opportunities to explore different themes related to strengthening water, sanitation, and hygiene systems. The objective is to encourage conversation and sharing among a broad range of Member representatives and countries.

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Theme 1

WASH Systems and Emergency Response

Speakers will explore and discuss how they have applied a systems approach in fragile contexts or emergency states. Key questions include:

  • What can we learn from the immediate and near-term response to COVID-19?
  • Who is making the case for long-term attention to WASH systems strengthening?
  • What examples are there of what’s working? Where are the gaps?
  • How can we build resilience for future emergencies?

Key Dates

June 17, 2020

Videos posted

June 24, 2020

Live discussion

July 20, 2020

Theme summary posted

Speakers and Presentations

See a recording of the live discussion from 24 June 2020 here.

Strengthening WASH systems for long-term service provision in Democratic Republic of the Congo

Presented by Gian Melloni, DRC WASH Consortium

The DRC WASH Consortium (2013-2019) was a rural WASH project by Concern Worldwide in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, funded by UK-aid. At the heart of the Consortium was a consistent commitment towards sustainable WASH systems, by adapting the life-cycle costs approach to the difficult context of rural DRC. The Consortium showed that development actors, even in fragile contexts, can successfully design and implement WASH interventions to focus on longer-term services.

Watch video (15 mins 36 sec)

Systems strengthening and emergency responses: Helvetas’ experience in Burkina Faso and Niger

Presented by Ben Blumenthal & Agnes Montangero, Helvetas

We are used to applying a system-wide approach to WASH in our development work – but can we use the same systemic methods in emergency situations? This presentation looks at several concrete examples from Burkina Faso and Niger, where Helvetas intervenes both in long-term systems strengthening projects and in humanitarian responses (protracted humanitarian crisis, COVID-19 response). We will identify key principles that guide us in “squaring the circle”: providing immediate relief while also strengthening systems in emergency situations.

Watch video (8 mins 25 sec)

Working on WASH systems amid conflict, fragility, and humanitarian action in the Central African Republic

Presented by Farel Ndango & David De Armey, Water for Good

The last 20 years of WASH investments in the Central African Republic (CAR) have been largely short-term, project-based, and focused on addressing people’s urgent and basic needs. Within this context, Water for Good operates as a proxy-private water services provider, aiming to strengthen the water systems at scale. This approach to building private sector service delivery capacity has had success in catalyzing systems-building in CAR, amidst conflict, fragility, and humanitarian action.

Watch video (8 mins 37 sec)

Resources

Do you have resources, reports, or case studies related to this theme? Email us.

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WASHPRO en bref HELVETAS Burkina Faso (FR)

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Plaquette LAAFIA HELVETAS Burkina Faso (FR)

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WASH Systems and Emergency Response – Theme 1 Summary (EN)

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Systèmes WASH et l’intervention d’urgence – Résumé du Thème 1 (FR)

Blog Post

HELVETAS Niger blog (FR)

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DRC WASH Consortium: experiences and learning (EN)

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Sistemas de APSH y la Respuesta de Emergencia – Resumen del Tema 1 (ES)

Theme 2

Strengthening WASH Systems: The New Normal

Speakers will explore and discuss how they are continuing to strengthen systems in the mid-term COVID-19 response. Key questions include:

  • How are we bringing in systems strengthening as we start to go back to more normal kinds of work?
  • What needs to change?
  • What are some examples of strong collaborations with government and/or among NGOs?
  • What are examples of a collaborative response that provided some resilience to COVID-19?

Key Dates

July 22, 2020

Videos posted

July 29, 2020

Live discussion

August 10, 2020

Theme summary posted

Speakers and Presentations

See a recording of the live discussion from 29 July 2020 here.

Promoting the WASH systems approach for sustainable, inclusive services alongside COVID-19 in Madagascar

Presented by Avo Ratoarijaona, CARE & Rodolphe Rakoto-Harisoa, WaterAid

RANO WASH is a 5-year project funded by USAID and implemented by CARE, WaterAid, Catholic Relief Services, Sandandrano and Bushproof, which aims to strengthen the WASH system to ensure universal and sustainable access to services. Confronting COVID-19 confirmed that a strong WASH system would have strengthened the capacity of governments and sector actors to better organize for community resilience. Also, emergencies push actors to adopt behaviours that a strong system requires.

Watch video (11 mins 30 sec)

WASH System Strengthening alongside COVID-19 Response in Nepal

Presented by Yogesh Pant, Helvetas 

Helvetas Nepal supports WASH initiatives in some selected areas in the country. System strengthening is one of its working approaches.  It works simultaneously on various interacting components that comprise the whole WASH service delivery system. Helvetas is continuing its WASH initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic as well. It is now focusing more on COVID-19 response. The experiences are important to adapt its working modality to the changed context as ‘ the new normal’ in the days ahead.

Watch video (9 min 31 sec)

Networking approach: the trigger for the WASH response to COVID-19 in Honduras

Presented by Martín Rivera, Para Todos Por Siempre (PTPS)

The prevention and control of COVID-19 depends on the level of response of the actors in the WASH sector, so collaborative and coordinated work is the best strategy to achieve the desired results in an effective and timely manner. The networking approach facilitated by PTPS in Honduras allowed the development and monitoring of a coordinated response plan to the emergency and the articulation of the different actors.

Watch video (9 mins 27 sec)

The role of stakeholder coordination in addressing emerging WASH problems: Kamwenge District COVID-19 response in Uganda

Presented by Cate Nimanya, Water For People

Kamwenge District Local Government has effectively coordinated and collaborated with various institutions and stakeholders to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Having already engaged effectively on WASH services for Everyone Forever, the District has demonstrated exemplary leadership.  The outcome of the effective coordination has seen Kamwenge seize the outcomes of improved WASH in some villages, respond to case identification, and quarantine of suspected cases amidst challenges of inadequate health care infrastructure.

Watch video (9 mins 20 sec)

Resources

Do you have resources, reports, or case studies related to this theme? Email us.

Presentation

IRC Uganda’s COVID-19 support to Kabarole district (EN)

Presentation

Promouvoir l’approche système pour des services WASH inclusifs pérennes et le nouveau normal avec COVID-19 (FR)

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Strengthening WASH Systems: The New Normal – Theme 2 Summary (EN)

Presentation

WASH systems collaboration in Madagascar (EN)

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Fortaleciendo los Sistemas de APSH: La Nueva Normalidad – Resumen del Tema 2 (ES)

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Renforcer les systèmes EHA : La Nouvelle Normalité – Résumé du Thème 2 (FR)

Theme 3

Recasting our WASH systems boundaries post COVID-19

Speakers will explore and discuss how this pandemic will recast our systems boundaries going forward. Key questions include:

  • How do we make the case for systems strengthening outside the WASH sector?
  • How do we bring in health systems perspectives?
  • How do we bring in climate change and resilience planning?

Key Dates

August 26, 2020

Videos posted

September 2, 2020

Live discussion

September 23, 2020

Theme summary posted

Speakers and Presentations

See a recording of the live discussion from 2 September 2020 here.

Systems strengthening and strategic exit strategies: WaterSHED’s experience in Cambodia

Presented by Sovattha Neou and Geoff Revell, WaterSHED

In strengthening a local system, who should do what and with what resources? For WaterSHED, a local NGO in Cambodia, seeking answers to this question led to the development of a unique government leadership program called Civic Champions. The resulting success over the last 8 years is allowing WaterSHED to implement a strategic exit from its work and to hand over key elements of the program to the Cambodian national government for nationwide replication.

Watch video (11 mins 3 sec)

Working with government on WASH systems strengthening post COVID-19 in Kolkata, India

Presented by Dora Chaudhuri, Splash

The pandemic makes Project WISE (“WASH in Schools for Everyone”) interventions even more relevant than before; however, Splash’s intervention faces challenges. In the current environment, there are conflicting priorities for the government, and Splash and it’s partners face renewed infrastructure and supply challenges as they prepare to embrace the new normal of social distancing in schools.

Watch video (10 mins 50 sec)

Achieving improvements in WASH in health care facilities in DRC and Madagascar

Presented by Francois Kangela and Bezout Ratsimbazafy, CRS

CRS recognizes that the efforts of governments and others managing health facilities often focus on clinical aspects, and that maintenance of WASH systems often do not receive adequate attention or ownership by staff. The speakers will be demonstrating how they are stimulating the will power and motivation of actors to take ownership of the WASH system to sustainably support the quality of care and safety in the healthcare settings by implementing the Clean Clinic Method (CCM).

Watch video (9 mins 58 sec)

Resources

Do you have resources, reports, or case studies related to this theme? Email us.

PDF Download

Achieving improvements in water, sanitation and hygiene in health care facilities in DRC and Madagascar (EN)

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Project WISE Overview | Splash (EN)

Blog Post

Building the market for sanitation with planned obsolescence (EN)

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A Clean Clinic Model for Faith-Based Organizations (EN)

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Recasting our WASH Systems boundaries Post COVID-19 – Theme 3 Summary (EN)

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Amélioration de l’eau, de l’assainissement et de l’hygiène dans les établissements de santé en RDC et à Madagascar (FR)

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Strengthening the sanitation market system: WaterSHED’s Hands-Off experience (EN)

Blog Post

Evolving Metrics for Monitoring Sanitation Market Systems (EN)

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Refondre les limites de nos systèmes WASH après la COVID-19 – Résumé du Thème 3 (FR)

Blog Post

Reformulando nuestros límites de los sistemas WASH después de COVID-19 – Resumen del Tema 3 (ES)

Language
Systems Learning Exchange

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