Centralising information: Designing Chad’s national WASH data system

As part of the global Programme Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between Akvo and UNICEF, a collaborative initiative was launched in Chad to support the Ministry of Water and Energy (MEE) and the Centre de Documentation et d'Information Géographique (CDIG) to establish a centralised, digital data system. By moving beyond fragmented, paper-based reporting ecosystem, we are creating a unified, digital single source of truth' that supports the government's ambition to provide universal water and sanitation access to 11 million additional people by 2030.


Partners

UNICEF Chad

Ministry of Water and Energy (MEE)

Centre de Documentation et d'Information Géographique (CDIG)


Location

Chad


Sector

WASH


Services

Data system assessment Stakeholder mapping

Data strategy

Capacity building

Data management

Impact strategy

Data analysis & insights

MIS design & deployment

Challenge: Fragmented silos and paper-based delays

Chad’s current WASH data ecosystem faces significant structural hurdles that hinder effective planning:

  • Extreme fragmentation: Data is scattered across multiple ministries (Health, Education, Agriculture) and parallel systems (DHIS2, StatEduc) that do not communicate with one another.
  • Weak governance: There is no harmonised national framework or defined institutional roles, leaving the CDIG without a legal mandate to enforce data submission.
  • Manual inefficiencies: Data collection remains largely manual or Excel-based, resulting in unreliable quality, particularly in historical databases like SITEAU/SIRE which contain numerous georeferencing errors.
  • Decision gaps: A dependence on paper reports leads to critical delays in monitoring the performance of construction firms and progress toward the SDGs.

Together, these gaps leave the government without reliable, real-time visibility into water access - slowing progress toward universal coverage and making it harder to hold construction firms and service providers accountable.

Co-designing Chad’s national WASH data system

Akvo, UNICEF, and CDIG conducted the following steps together:

  • Ecosystem diagnostics: Conducted a comprehensive assessment of 95 identified stakeholders to map data flows, bottlenecks, and institutional maturity.
  • Indicator harmonisation: Collaborated with technical directorates to agree on standard national definitions for water, hygiene, and sanitation indicators.
  • Governance co-design: Developed a robust governance framework and a RACI matrix to define strict responsibilities for data entry, validation, and certification.
  • Data system co-design: Designed an interoperable architecture that links the new data system with the existing systems  for long-term strategic knowledge management.

The Akvo methodology: Co-creating with stakeholders for sustainable data use

A key advantage of this engagement is its design-oriented scope. Rather than rushing into software deployment, the project prioritised understanding institutional workflows and data flows. This ensures that when a digital system is eventually launched, it is built on a validated data framework and a clear governance model, maximising the chances of long-term government ownership and utility.

Once complete, this system will give the government, and the communities it serves, a clearer, faster way to track where water access is falling short and direct the next wave of investment accordingly.