Improved WASH monitoring at country level in 12 countries in West and Central Africa

Narrative description of project: Launched in December 2016 as a regional partnership between UNICEF, WASH ministries and Akvo, the aim of this multi-year, multi-country project was to improve WASH asset management, service delivery and support decentralisation of WASH services in twelve West and Central African countries.
These countries face severe challenges when it comes to maintaining and building new WASH infrastructure, in response to both current water challenges in these fragile operational contexts, as well as adapting systems and increasing resilience to climate change. With no baseline information available or tools to help facilitate decision making, coordination efforts between governments and partners are hampered, risk-mitigation efforts are not based on robust data and critically WASH services and infrastructures cannot be built and maintained where they are most needed.
There was a critical need to increase the knowledge and ecosystem mapping of the WASH infrastructure across these countries in order to sustain timely service delivery to people that need it the most and help adapt their fragile infrastructure systems to climate change.
Akvo will support this initiative by generating evidence from the field, improving data management in National monitoring systems as well as in program management. Akvo’s objective is to support UNICEF in digital monitoring and data solutions for WASH programs. Akvo’s role is to develop digital monitoring and data solutions for WASH programs at national levels, to help ensure WASH services delivery, sustainable water resources management and climate change adaptation.

Description of actual services provided by your staff within the assignment: Following activities have been undertaken by Akvo in the program: \

• Develop digital monitoring and data solutions for WASH programs at national levels, to ensure WASH services delivery, sustainable water resources management and climate change adaptation for 12 countries\
• Participatory assessment of national WASH monitoring systems and availability of data for climate change adaptation\
• Design and set up M&E systems for countries including decentralised data management\
• Training and support countries to implement and use the systems including set up of routine monitoring
  -Develop program monitoring and field data visualisation
  -Develop modules to support decision making and provide technical support