Large Scale Water and Sanitation Projects

2014 ROTARY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION

Large Scale Water & Sanitation Programs: The Uganda Rotary Water Plus Program (URWP) Model

PDG Chris Mutalya (URWP Team Leader) (D9200)PDG Ron Denham, Chair Emeritus, Wasrag (D7070)PDG Emmanuel Katangole (D9211)

UGANDA

• 1.0 Background• 2.0 URWP Model and progress to-

date• 3.o Achievements and lessons

learned• 4.0 Conclusions• 5.0 Our appeal

Agenda

1.0 BACKGROUND

The Uganda Rotary Water Plus Program– TRF’s Future Vision Plan called for larger and

more sustainable projects/programs– WASH initiatives in Uganda were not having a

significant impact on life and livelihood– Deteriorating water quality/quantity as

population increases– Need for significant Ugandan Rotary WASH

projects and enhance Rotary’s visibility

1.O Background

THE VISION:• To foster and promote effective service delivery

to the remoter, rural communities of Uganda.

OUR MISSION:• To promote effective/sustainable systems by

consolidating and increasing clean water supply and basic sanitation in rural Uganda.

1.O Background

• In a unique and broad sweeping program, every Rotary Club in Uganda (74 of them!) responded by uniting to establish the URWP Committee.

• The program was launched by the Ugandan Minister for Water and Environment in August 2011.

• This is a Public-Private-Partnership in which Rotary Clubs involve ALL stakeholders.

• The ultimate goal: Providing sustainable, safe water and adequate sanitation for all Ugandans.

1.O Background

THERE ARE MANY WASH CHALLENGES:

Some of the most significant are:

• Insufficient infrastructure investment in the WASH sector.

• 20% of water facilities in rural areas are non-functional.

• Limited professional and technical capacity.

• Lack of coordination.

• Complexities of budget allocation, release and utilization.

• Community participation – essential for a successful program – is ignored.

1.O Background

2.0 The URWP Model

2.O THE URWP Model

Critical Factors:

– Rotary club(s) must build strong relationships with the community(s).

– Develop a Needs Assessment.

– The Rotary club identifies partners:- Local/international Rotary Clubs- NGOs/CSOs/CBOs- Business community and local authorities- TRF/Other funding agencies

– Project is defined showing technologies, gender issues, facilitation, skills/know-how, environmental issues.

– All programs/projects should be multi-dimensional to address ALL of six of Future Vision’s Areas of Focus

– Submit the project to URWP for review.

2.O THE URWP Model

Guidelines:

– Water alone can’t transform a community. That “PLUS” in URWP includes all areas of focus – Education, Literacy, Health and Peace.

– Sanitation and hygiene interventions are impossible without behaviour change. A typical program needs 2-5 years of community involvement.

– Feminize hygiene must be addressed to empower the young women and girls.

– Engage all parties. All the relevant NGOs, CBOs and appropriate levels of government must be involved from the Needs Assessment up.

2.O THE URWP Model

• Accepted projects are displayedon the Wasrag, District 9211 and URWP websites.

• Wasrag helps to market accepted projects

• URWP visits Rotary Clubs country-wide to help develop WASH projects.

• RI/TRF – PEP was piloted in Uganda (2012-13)

2.O THE URWP Model

Project Requirements

1. Create project teams

2. Understand community needs

3. Estimate lifecycle costs, affordability

4. Select technologies (design/plan project)

5. Prepare capacity building plan

6. Build, construct, implement

2.O THE URWP Model

Project Requirements

7. Establish links to commercial channels

8. Develop management systems

9. Set up micro-banking facilities

10. Hire key members/resources

11. Sign agreements with stakeholders

2.O THE URWP Model

Expected Outputs

• 70-80% functionality of WASH facilities (quality & performance measures)

• Agreement on tariff structures (no handouts!)

• WASH management structure

• Communications protocols

• Resources flowing

• Core people trained, empowered and accepting responsibility

• Viable business enterprise for sustainable WASH facilities

2.O THE URWP Model

Expected Outcomes

• Communities changing for thebetter

• Engaging women to create economic value

• Improved attendance at schools, especially girls

• New economic/ commercial activities

• Developing local industry

• Disease declining (e.g. diarrhoea)

• Report to other initiatives

• Platform to advocacy for change

2.O THE URWP Model

URWP Desired Impact

• Entire community is lifted up

• Basis for other programs (education, health, blood bank, etc.)

• Improved life & livelihood

• Reduction of poverty

• Food security

• Reduced conflict

• Improved health and well being

• Enhanced economic value for the region.

3.0 Achievements and Lessons Learned

3.O ACHIEVEMENTS AND LESSONS LEARNED

Achievements to-date

• Rotarians with WASH related classifications and PDG Ron Denham drafted a program proposal.

• Proposal presented to Rotary leadership in Uganda in early 2011, approved setting up URWP and recommended to all clubs.

• All 74 Ugandan clubs endorsed and established the URWP Committee.

• Launched by the Minister for Water and Environment in August 2011.

3.O ACHIEVEMENTS AND LESSONS LEARNED

Achievements to-date

• Raised awareness of URWP activities via country-wide training, developing holistic projects to embrace all Areas of Focus.

• Developing URWP’s strategic and action plans.

• Working with NGOs in the WASH sector to develop cooperation in different parts of Uganda.

3.O ACHIEVEMENTS AND LESSONS LEARNED

Achievements to-date

• 31 large projects ($6-$7 million); 22 now at grant application stage and seeking partners

• Facilitated RI/TRF PEP process for piloting in Uganda.

• Non Rotarians in the WASH area contributing as Paul Harris Fellows

• Networking globally with Wasrag members to promote URWP

3.O ACHIEVEMENTS AND LESSONS LEARNED

Achievements to-date

• Promoted URWP at RI conventions in Thailand, Lisbon and Sydney

• Recruiting WASH professionals to take part in RI/TRF/PEP activities targeting 7 countries globally.

• Developing a national “Hand Washing With Soap” campaign to be launched later in 2014.

3.O ACHIEVEMENTS AND LESSONS LEARNED

Lessons Learned

• Need for diverse Needs Assessment expertise for large integrated projects. Program has benefitted from TRF/PEP/PPP pilot program, but much more is needed.

• Dealing with the challenges of securing international partners.

• Large projects don’t fit with some international partners’ tight budgets.

• Some projects are split into smaller packages that can be implemented in phases.

3.O ACHIEVEMENTS AND LESSONS LEARNED

Lessons Learned

• Behavioural change is a slow process. Community engagement in sanitation hygiene programs takes time.

• Coordinating WASH sector stakeholders (e.g. WaterAid) and ensuring the 4-Way Test is met

• The importance of champions! The URWP Team and back-up from Wasrag (PRIP Bill Boyd, PDG Ron Denham, etc.)

3.O ACHIEVEMENTS AND LESSONS LEARNED

Lessons Learned

• Understand the needs

• Affordability/cost effectiveness

• Need for public finance in the WASH sector

• Building capacity for Rotary clubs in WASH projects/ programs

• Operations and maintenance are critical

• Ensuring sustainability via the WASH supply chain

4.0 Conclusions

4.O CONCLUSIONS

• Rotarians initiate, coordinate and often implement the URWP projects, but some will be offered to other organizations (e.g. WaterAid) to implement.

• We need international Partner Club who will support URWP and leverage grants with outside funding. To make this easier some projects are being split into smaller “bit-size” chunks.

4.O CONCLUSIONS

• URWP has united some 4000 Ugandan Rotarians, 3000+ Rotaractors and several Rotary Community Corps (RCCs) on countrywide WASH initiatives

• Meeting the TRF challenge to create and implement larger, sustainable projects and programs for Global Grants.

OUR APPEAL

1. URWP seeks international partnerships with Rotary & Non-Rotary organizations to support Rotary initiatives to address the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene challenges in Uganda.

2. Information is available at: www.urwp.org, www.district9211.org and www.wasrag.org

3. Contact PDG Chris Mutalya: mutalya@gmail.com orinfo@wasrag.org

5.0 Our Appeal