Knowledge Management and Learning, Uganda WA

The Ministry of Water and Environment has taken tremendous steps towards the sector Wide Approach (SWAP) in ensuring water, sanitation and hygiene service delivery in Uganda. It’s for this reason that the government is supporting public and private partnerships, so as to ensure effective participation of non state actors in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) service delivery as well as enhance their contribution to the Water and Environment strategy implementation and oversight.

Current status

A mapping and consultation has been done in the Northern Region of Uganda. A knowledge Assessment and Practice survey report available
Two District level start up workshops have been carried out
A national level learning platform has been done and a learning agenda developed for national partners

Multi-stakeholder learning platforms and events
1.1 carry out inception visits and carry out stakeholder mapping in each project district and region
1.1.2 develop MOUs with partner NGOs and DWSCC to enable smooth operations in the different localities
1.1.3 introduce to regions and key stakeholders learning concept and develop the learning agenda; carry out stakeholder analysis and Knowledge Attitude and Practice survey
1.1.4 facilitate regular leaning events (2 or 3) per year in the at the region, between regions, and at the national levels
1.1.5 evaluate and improve the functioning of the learning platforms

1.2 Assess present perceptions and attitudes towards WASH developments in terms of strategies, with the key stakeholders in each project district
1.2.1Conduct sessions on identified issues
1.2.2 Monitor and evaluate the perceptions and attitudes among the participants of the learning sessions

1.3 Organise District start up workshols and come up with a common learning agenda among the alliance members and the district personnel
1.3.1 Discuss and agree on strategies, approaches and methodologies plus technologies for harmonization and coordination
1.3.2 Follow up on agreed issues in the sessions
1.3.3 Assist in the documentation of good practices and processes

1.4 Identify knowledge gaps on WASH among the alliance members, district / regional stakeholders as related to harmonised strategies, approaches and methodologies
1.4.1 include capacity building components related to the identified gaps
1.4.2 provide relevant, context-specific information products supporting the capacity development
1.4.3 Link capacity development with action- research for practical learning
1.4.4 Create inter-regional platforms for exchanging lessons learned across regions
1.4.5 prepare follow up actions

Documentation and dissemination
Report on a quarterly basis to the sector working group, sanitation functionality working group, tehmatic working group, good governance working group on the achievements and challenges as they arise
share all project products from the district and regions with sector working groups
document the learning process in Ruwenzori and Northern Uganda and share widely for replication
document 4 cases of best practices tools or methodologies in ruwenzori and northern regions

To reduce poverty and improve water supply, sanitation and hygiene conditions by empowering Uganda's women and marginalized groups in Ruwenzori and Northern region through Knowledge sharing and enhancing Harmonization and coordination of WASH service providers; this will increase the sustainable access to and use of WASH and sanitation services plus improved hygiene practices.

Goals

• enable relevant service providers to respond to need for sustainable accessible WASH services
• provide DWA and WASH stakeholders members with timely knowledge and information on the WASH sector

NETWAS U through the DWA programe will contribute to the overall DWA sustainability strategy FIETS with special focus on the financial and institutional sustainability.

Financial sustainability
NETWAS has experience in testing and promoting the following approaches that are aimed at not only improving service delivery but lead to investment in water and sanitation. NETWAS can provide training and technical support to DWA country partners on the following sustainable approaches;

a) Use of rights based approaches. NETWAS implemented a governance project in Wobulenzi with support from the World Bank Institute which aimed at improving transparency, social accountability and communication amongst stakeholders. Through use of community score card and baseline surveys, NETWAS increased funding in the Wobulenzi town council and in turn there were improvements in the service provision. communities were empowered to express their needs and demands through use of these tools at the same time the service providers were able to point out their challenges. improvements in water supply in the town were as a result of both parties using their own resources within a specified time frame. NETWAS facilitated this whole process. you can visit the blog on http://social-accountability-on-water-netwas.blogspot.com/

b) Institutional and Household level WATSAN investments: Social Marketing Approach. NETWAS has been investing in providing low cost, environmentally friendly technologies to schools and households through a number of programmes in West Nile, Central, Eastern, Ruwenzori and Northern Uganda. The technologies include Ferro cement rain water harvesting tanks, fossa alerna, and arbaloo toilets. the approaches used are as follows;
- creating demand for the facilities through targeting already mobilized groups like women groups, partnering with local NGOs (JESE in Kamwenge, COWESER in Rakai and UMRDA in BugiriDistrict)
- strengthening supply through putting up demonstrations in strategic homes and schools where others can learn, adopt and scale up. Although slow uptake is evident in many areas, we have observed uptake of abaloos in West Nile region. These sites can be used as learning sites for the alliance. A lot of knowledge has been created in the region which is availavle for the alliance members. In the last year, NETWAS has been looking at self supply in water
- Support the market mechanisms; NETWAS has carried out research on market mechanisms on re-use of waste in Uganda, carried out action research on sustainable sanitation through piloting technologies of compost latrines, these documents can be available for alliance members and can be used during baseline surveys
- self supply; NETWAS has documented cases on self supply from different parts of Uganda. The cases are also available for sharing

c) Capacity building of private water operators, water board members and town council. NETWAS has access to training packages developed by IHE, SNV and NETWAS International. we are trainers in partnership with NETWAS international. These packages can be available to the alliance members on demand

Institutionial sustainability
The project interventions focus on the interactions between between institutions and organisations in the WASH sector on policies, strategies, sector planning, coordination platforms, harmonization of approaches, monitoring framework and financing mechanisms.
To enhance the sustainability of these institutions, the project will promote knowledge sharing which is meant for learning amongst other partners, sector stakeholders and the beneficiaries, as a means of facilitating the inter-agency and organisation interaction. Existing regional alliances like UWASNET regional coordination platform, District Water Sanitation Coordiantion Committee(DWSCC) structures will be strengthened

Environmental sustainability
The provision of WASH services is affected by several factors like climate change and poor sanitation, NETWAS interventions will also seek to promote environment sustainability by building capacity in the approaches that improve household sanitation and hygiene and in the adoption of ecologically sound WASH technologies like Ecosan and rain water harvesting technologies, the learning platforms will be an opportunity to reflect on the environment consequences of the actions of the actors in the sector. Since NETWAS deals in Knowledge sharing and documentation, NETWAS will also provide relevant information on sound and environmentally appropriate technologies and practices that preserve the environment and protect the ecosystems

Technological sustainability
Technology sustainability will be facilitated through a number of approaches but the main role NETWAS will play is to share information on the appropriate technologies to support various processed in WASH delivery. To date NETWAS is promoting the low cost ecosan systems which have been promoted in the Ruwenzori region and West Nile. DWA partners will also be implementing sustainable facilities. In relation to WASH technology two imprtant inputs of NETWAS will be to link the on going research to the implementation process in the programme lifetime on a number of technology issues using the findings of the appropriate technology center. WASHTECH will develop a technology assessment framework which can also support partners in making critical decisions about what technologies are sustainable in Uganda