Themes
IRC and partners have identified a number of areas where they believe the existing information is insufficient and that there is a need to generate new knowledge. This is done through collaborative work such as literature reviews, advocacy meetings, publications and information sharing workshops.
Learning for Change
The thematic area ‘Learning for Change’ has emerged from IRC’s work and past experience on a range of concepts and approaches to support learning in the WASH sector. This theme helps provide focus for reflection and learning about the effectiveness of our approaches and tools to promote change in projects and programmes.
Learning for Change draws on our work on ‘Learning Alliances’, ‘Resource Centre Development’ and ‘Sector Learning’ and builds on IRC’s experience in supporting our partners to facilitate innovation, knowledge sharing and collaboration. Together with the conceptual and practical work on capacity development and knowledge management this experience contributes to our emerging understanding of how to support and promote a learning sector for WASH services at scale that are equitable and sustainable.
Aid Effectiveness
Aid effectiveness is about the effectiveness of development aid in achieving economic and social development. It aims to improve the quality of aid and its impact on development. IRC is contributing to this through membership of Sanitation and Water for All, supporting the African Working Group of the European Water Initiative and providing support in analyses and syntheses to UN-Water GLAAS report. One of the ultimate aims of IRC is to ensure more effective use of all available resources in the sector towards universal and sustainable WASH services in accordance with national norms and standards.
Sanitation
Sanitation refers to issues around human excreta: disposal, collection, treatment, transfer and re-use in whatever form. Safe sanitation refers to the secure and effective management of human excreta, including treatment and re-use, and widespread usage of safe toilets. On this page you will find news updates on sanitation, as well as information on:
- Sanitation for the Urban Poor: IRC Symposium 2008
- Learning and Sharing Workshops
- IRC Track Record on Sanitation
- Projects
- Publications
- Hygiene Promotion
The promotion of better hygiene, alone, or in combination with better water supply and/or sanitation, can have a major impact on reducing disease prevalence and public and private health costs.
- WASH in Schools
These IRC thematic pages deal with Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in schools, until recently called SSHE: school sanitation and hygiene education. This information is related to activities IRC is involved in. More information on global WASH in Schools activities can be found on the WASH in Schools web site.
Local Governance
Local governance for improved WASH services requires transformation at local level with the active support of institutions and policy makers at regional / provincial and national level. This includes the establishment of an enabling and supportive framework with resources and responsibilities devolved to local government so that it has the authority and the capacity to provide sustainable services. With stakeholder participation at local level and support from the broader water and sanitation sector, decentralised WASH services stand a fighting chance of success.
Transparency and Accountability
IRC has a programme that supports improved transparency and accountability to reduce sector corruption through activities including advocacy, action research, dissemination of publications, events and training and advice.
IRC is also a founder member of the Water Integrity Network.
Innovative communication
Effective information exchange and two-way communication at all levels is essential for sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene.
Local IWRM
Under this theme, we look at the interface between Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services delivery and integrated water resources management (IWRM), particularly at the local level. Two entry points are taken: 1) ensuring access of the poor to an equitable share of water resources at catchment level, and 2) the promotion of water and sanitation for multiple uses at household level, to support people's livelihoods.
Financing and Cost Recovery
Few countries have realistic policies, operational strategies or plans for cost recovery and financing for sustainable water supply services, particularly for the poor. In fact most of the strategies for cost recovery are short sighted and address only part of the issue of sustainability, resulting in system degradation. Governments, development agencies and communities all over the world are struggling with this. This focus area needs to be addressed urgently.
What's new here?
- The Uganda WASH in Schools Framework for Action
- Twelve smile school score card
- What does 'sector learning' mean?
- Joint learning about improving the WASH sector
- Beitbridge case study - Maxwell Karenyi, UCLGA Zimbabwe
- Information management and learning in Nepal
- Learning for change factsheet
- Myanmar - photo essay: Searching for better WASH results for...
- Sanitation in small towns in Mozambique - Bertha Macheve, Reg...
- Lusaka Learning & Sharing Workshop Video Report
