Participants explore issues of sustainability by constructing
a tower at the workshop in Goma
English
Participants suggest appropriate indicators of
environmental sustainability
Tearfund’s WASH advisor Frank Greaves presents certificates
to participants at the end of the workshop
Twenty-three enthusiastic representatives of Oxfam, Tearfund, CEPROSSAN, Hyfro and PPSSP took part in a sustainability workshop held in Goma in September, which provided a chance for SWIFT’s DRC partners to explore the different dimensions of sustainability and refine their approaches to ensuring programme activities will achieve lasting change.
The workshop, which was facilitated by SWIFT’s global WASH advisor Cheryl McDonald, provided partners with a chance to share their plans for achieving sustainability, and discuss what risks they face and how these can be mitigated. Participants also discussed how sustainability will be measured and which indicators would be most relevant to their work.
At the end of the workshop, all partners submitted lists of the sustainability indicators they propose to use, and these will be consolidated to create a sustainability plan for DRC. Cheryl also discussed with partners the forms that will be used to submit evidence on sustainability to the third-party monitoring and verification body, e-Pact, during the second phase of the SWIFT programme.
Translating outputs into outcomes
From 2016-2018, the SWIFT Consortium will focus on building capacity among stakeholders to ensure that outputs are translated into outcomes; i.e. the sustained use of water points and latrines, and sustained hygiene behaviour change. Checks will be carried out by e-Pact in 2017 and 2018, and if the outcomes targets are not met, the consortium will not receive payment in full.
Partners will be carefully targeting their efforts to achieve the five dimensions of WASH sustainability: institutional, functional, environmental and financial, along with equity – ensuring that vulnerable groups benefit from activities, and understanding whether there is any exclusion. You can find out more about how SWIFT is working to ensure sustainability here.
Water safety planning
The sustainability event in Goma was immediately preceded by a workshop on water safety planning, which was led by Tearfund’s WASH advisor Frank Greaves. The workshop included sessions on refining the use of SWIFT’s environmental sustainability assessment tool, and on standardising systems of describing and analysing a water supply system; establishing a regime of monitoring and preventative maintenance; and drafting development and emergency plans.
As part of the workshop, participants conducted a practical exercise in the field, in which they facilitated the development of water safety plans with local communities.
