Performance Improvement through Learning in Sanitation Uganda (PILS) till 2012
Performance Improvement through Learning in Sanitation (PILS) is a two year project funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA). This initiative aims at improving local level management and the provision of sanitation services in three districts in Northern Uganda. Referred to as ADA PILS, the project was launched in October 2009 and is jointly managed and implemented by IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre (IRC), NETWAS Uganda and Caritas Gulu in close collaboration with district and sub-county government and local NGOs. ADA PILS covers 2 sub-counties in each of the districts of Gulu, Pader and Kitgum. With the overall goal of improving sanitation and hygiene behaviour in rural households and schools, the approach is based on facilitated district and sub-county level multi-stakeholder learning through action research. The project builds on experiences and lessons from the LeaPPs programme carried out in the north-western part of Uganda and runs till 2012.
Action-Research manuals and guidelines
03 Apr 12
Action-research activities implemented under the PILS project were double-pronged and looked at the following broad issues:
- Improvement of sanitation coverage and hygiene behaviour through the promotion of low-cost appropriate sanitation technologies, in this case Ecological sanitation (Ecosan), as well as Community-Based Total Sanitation (CLTS).
The action-research activities on Ecosan consisted in the piloting of arbour loo and fossa alterna latrines in households, together with the promotion of improved operation and maintenance of other existing Ecosan toilets at institutions. This component included capacity building of local masons on Ecosan technologies.
This action-research was supported by the development or updating, translation (when relevant) in local language, Luo, and dissemination of guides and manuals for various audiences (households, local masons, local government and NGOs staff). Where such guides had been developed under other initiatives and considered as already meeting the needs of the stakeholders engaged in PILS, these were simply translated (when relevant) and distributed. These existing materials can be found on the website of the EcoSanRes (Ecological Sanitation Research) Knowledge Node for Uganda (http://www.ecosanres.org/node_Uganda.htm).
- Strengthening of local structures, be they community-based structures (e.g. Village Health Teams, WASH committees, Community Health Clubs, School Health Clubs, School Management Committees, etc.) or coordinating committees such as the District and Sub-County Water and Sanitation Coordinating Committees. Guides on these institutional aspects include a Field guide for the formation and strengthening of school health clubs and a Reference document on roles and responsibilities of district and sub-county staff in the promotion of sanitation and hygiene.
Project briefs and lessons learnt
02 Apr 12
The learning approach adopted for the PILS project generated a number of lessons that have been documented in various briefing notes. The project briefs contained in this folder present the results to which the PILS initiative contributed, challenges met, as well as lessons learnt and some proposed recommendations for improving/sustaining learning on sanitation and hygiene in Northern Uganda.
Documentation of good practices
02 Nov 11
One of the components of the PILS project is the documentation of good practices from local government, village and school levels. The documented cases covered a wide range of subjects, which can be categorised into 3 main themes:
- Good practices at local government level, such as strengthening of human resources at district and sub-county level, monitoring and accountability mechanisms in sanitation and hygiene;
- Good implementation practices for improving sanitation coverage and hygiene behaviour, ranging from the active promotion of sanitation and hygiene by local leaders, strengthening of Villages Health Teams, the application of Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS), to the use of community radio for promoting sanitation and hygiene;
- Experiences with Ecological Sanitation (Ecosan) in households and schools.
Most of these cases were documented/co-authored by local stakeholders, be they local government staff (from districts and sub-counties), school teachers or local NGO staff, with the support of the project partners (CARITAS, IRC and NETWAS).
PILS Newsletters and reports
10 May 11
Newsletters and reports about inter-district, district and sub-county learning events under the Performance Improvement through Learning in Sanitation (PILS) project in Northern Uganda. The objectives of these learning events are:
- Review and strengthen coordination and communication for sanitation;
- Review and share practices and lessons among stakeholders;
- Share experiences and lessons from action research at all levels.
Newsletters are shared at local, district, regional and national levels and through this website with WASH practioners in general.
PILS project information sheet - March 2010
25 May 10
In March 2010 the convenors of the Austrian Development Agency – Performance Improvement through Learning in Sanitation (ADA PILS) project released an information sheet/project brief that:
- provides a brief narrative of the context in which the ADA PILS initiative is being implemented; and
- introduces the envisaged deliverables of the ADA PILS initiative.
Focussed on the areas of sanitation and hygiene (S&H), ADA PILS supports in the re-integration process of internally displaced peoples (IDPs) in three post-conflict areas most severely affected by the North Ugandan conflict (i.e. Pader, Gulu and Kitgum).
The ADA PILS project is institutionally anchored in the District Water and Sanitation Coordination Committee (DWSCC) of Uganda and is a collaborative initiative spearheaded by IRC, NETWAS Uganda and Caritas Gulu.
More information on this initiative may be drawn from the ADA PILS Project Brief of March 2010.
ADA project brief.pdf (254.3 kB)
Introduction visits to ADA PILS districts
03 Mar 10
In February 2010, introduction visits were carried out to Gulu, Kitgum and Pader districts to introduce the Learning for Improvement in Sanitation (ADA PILS) project and to create ownership. Read more on the outcomes and the reports of these visits.
