Learning brief 3: Reaching the vulnerable and working in fragile contexts

This brief shares reflections from the 3 suppliers on the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Results Programme

From:
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Published
20 October 2020
Document Type:
Lessons Learned
Theme:
Water and Sanitation
Authors:
e-Pact

Abstract

The global commitment to ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all means paying particular attention to reaching the potentially most vulnerable people in society; those who, due to their location or characteristics, might be denied access to services. Equity is a key dimension of sustainable WASH. This brief shares reflections from the 3 suppliers on the WASH Results Programme, SWIFT, SAWRP and SNV, about some of the approaches they used to reach the potentially vulnerable with sustainable WASH services, including when reaching them means working in fragile contexts.

Key lessons from programme suppliers:

  • SNV: Planning and resourcing for reaching the potentially vulnerable needs to be factored in at the outset. Research is needed to understand who ‘the last mile’ are, and monitor progress towards reaching them.

  • SWIFT: Programming in fragile contexts comes with its own set of challenges; leaning into risk rather than away from it can generate positive results.

  • SAWRP: There are advantages and drawbacks from taking a community-based approach to identifying and reaching the most vulnerable.

Cross-cutting themes explored were:

  • The importance of local adaptation driven by formative research

  • Approaches to supporting local adaptation in large programmes

  • Use of subsidies in reaching the most vulnerable

  • Monitoring progress in reaching and sustaining access for the most vulnerable

Learning Briefs series

This is one in a short series of learning briefs exploring the WASH Results Programme’s achievements in delivering sustainable WASH outcomes and lessons about programme design. The full series is:

  1. Outcome achievements in the WASH Results Programme: data and insights

  2. Setting and monitoring outcome targets in WASH programmes

  3. Reaching the vulnerable and those in fragile contexts with WASH services

  4. Experiences in WASH systems strengthening

Citation

E-Pact (2020) Reaching the vulnerable and working in fragile contexts: Learning brief #3

Learning brief #3: Reaching the vulnerable and working in fragile contexts

Published 20 October 2020
Contents

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