Overview - Resource Centre Programme in Nepal
Updated - Friday 23 September 2005
- Introduction
- When did IRC start the RCD activities in Nepal?
- Which nodal and other organisations are involved?
- What has happened so far?
- Major successes so far
- Contacts
Despite forty years of effort in the water supply and sanitation sector, Nepal is still identified as one of the countries where people have least access to water and sanitation facilities. There are many reasons for this, including the geographical situation and consistently high levels of poverty. But poor co-ordination and communication between the different groups involved in the sector makes things worse. This problem became clear through a mapping exercise that was carried out by Water Aid Nepal in 2001. It showed that a series of studies were carried out by various sector agencies around water and sanitation within a year of each other, and yet many of these agencies were unaware of what the others were doing. In addition, information and knowledge is poorly shared within the sector and is not very accessible either to the main players or to the communities who need and use the information. This results in a waste of financial and human resources, and hampers service delivery.
Nepal Water for Health (NEWAH) recognised these problems, and was therefore, enthusiastic about participating in the IRC Resource Centre Development (RCD) programme, which started in Nepal in February 2002. For the year 2002-2003, NEWAH decided that the focus of the RCD project would be on developing its own organisation into a Resource Centre. During the year, the focus changed to NEWAH acting as a facilitator that stimulates and gives direction to information processes in the sector.
When did IRC start the RCD activities in Nepal?
Collaboration between NEWAH and IRC dates back to 1994, with the start of the international action research project on community management of rural water supply. Collaboration in various training and research projects continued from there, culminating in NEWAH becoming a partner in the RCD programme in 2002.
Which nodal and other organisations are involved?
NEWAH acts as the lead organisation in the RCD process. It plays an important facilitating role in a network of organisations interested in the improvement of information flows within the sector. In this network we find, amongst others, government agencies such as the Department of Water Supply and Sewerage and the Central Human Resources Development Unit, semi government agencies such as the Rural Water Supply and Sanitatation Fund Board, and NGO's like WaterAid and UNICEF, the Integrated Development Society-Nepal, and the Environmental Public Health Organization. From among the organisations in the network, a Resource Centre Committee has been formed, made up of those keen to play an active role in developing the RCD process further.
The main activities carried out in first year of the NEWAH/RCD programme focused on:
- Creating an understanding of how information can help solve sector problems through workshops among own staff and staff of other sector agencies;
- Drawing up a review of the Nepal water and sanitation sector;
- Making an inventory of information sources and information flows;
- Analysing information needs at the community and district levels;
- Assessing the capacity to address information needs;
- Planning the improvement of information services.
The inventory of information sources showed that a wealth of information already exists. The challenge is improving the access to information by using formats and channels that are appropriate to the users. At the district level the main challenge is to ensure that information is shared about which agency is doing what in the district and about implementation approaches. This type of information is crucial for the District Water Supply Office to be able to plan and provide support to communities. At the community level the information needs focus largely around issues related to maintenance and management of water supply systems. Information sharing at the national level has to be made more effective, and special efforts will have to go into making the information easy for the various groups to use.
The major success so far is that various agencies are now discussing together how information flows can be improved and that they have recognised the need for a Resource Centre, which does not necessarily have to be a single organisation. They are prepared to put in some resources to jointly develop a proposal for submission to a donor.
For more information please contact: NEWAH or Eveline Bolt at IRC.
