Strengthening water, sanitation, and hygiene systems : concepts, examples, and experiences

This paper describes the concepts and framework that Agenda for Change (A4C) members use for analysing water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) systems and expanding on how they use these tools in specific contexts to identify potential entry points to influence and strengthen systems. It also provides practical examples of systems strengthening efforts in different contexts; and discusses the journeys that A4C members have gone through in progressively embracing systems strengthening approaches.

This report is organised as follows: Chapter 1 describes the A4C collaboration and provides background information. Chapter 2 provides a rationale for systems strengthening and presents the broad conceptual framework for systems used by A4C collaboration. Chapter 3 outlines approaches used by members to analyse and understand the state of a WASH system and how it works, how this analysis process helps to build a common vision among stakeholders, and how it helps to define potential entry points for strengthening the system. Chapter 4 provides concrete examples of actions that have been undertaken by various members to strengthen the eight 'building blocks' of the WASH system and includes links to further resources on these topics. Chapter 5 provides examples and reflections on the organisational journeys that members have taken as they progressively shift their ways of working, programming, and organisational focus towards systems approaches. It also includes some commonly mentioned challenges they have faced in this shift and provides examples of how they have been able to overcome them. Chapter 6 concludes by looking forward and calling on sector actors to continue to apply and share experiences in WASH systems strengthening.

An annex includes seven case studies from Agenda for Change members working in Bolivia, the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Myanmar, Nepal and Rwanda.