Skip to main content

Concern Worldwide Water Sanitation and Hygiene Strategy 2021 - 2025

Countries
World
Sources
Concern
Publication date
Origin
View original

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This strategy sets out Concern Worldwide's goal, objectives and core interventions for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) from 2021-2025. Building on the previous WASH strategy, it reflects internal changes in how Concern positions itself and the priorities it sets and external changes in how the WASH sector has evolved over the last five years. It sets out an ambitious agenda of how Concern can use its core strengths - a humanitarian organisation working to eliminate extreme poverty in some of the world's poorest countries -to contribute towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG6) for water and sanitation: Ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

This WASH strategy (see Figure 1) is based around the strategic goal 'To contribute to the achievement of health and wellbeing for the extreme poor within the context of the water, sanitation and hygiene related Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 6).' To achieve this goal Concern has set out five strategic objectives:

  • Strategic Objective I Achieve lasting improvements in access to sustainable basic WASH services for those living in extreme poverty.

  • Strategic Objective 2 Implement WASH programmes which are gender transformative.

  • Strategic Objective 3 Work towards strengthening the enabling environment for WASH by helping to build strong systems at a district and national level.

  • Strategic Objective 4 Contribute towards the climate resilience of those living in extreme poverty and ensure that WASH programmes do not have a negative environmental impact.

  • Strategic Objective 5 To improve the capacity of Concern and partners to achieve the strategic objectives for WASH.

This strategy marks an evolution of Concern's strategy for WASH rather than a radical departure. In some areas — the provision of basic water, sanitation and hygiene services —Concern's programming will continue, with an unrelenting focus on reaching those living in extreme poverty and implementing high-quality interventions. Work in the areas of gender, systems strengthening and capacity building is not new for Concern's WASH programming, but this strategy sets out increased ambition in this area reflecting shifts in the sector and a recognition that business as usual is not enough. Whilst the inclusion of an objective specifically on climate-resilient WASH is new for this strategy, it represents a continuation of Concern's historical strength of integrating risk analysis and risk reduction into WASH programming

These objectives will guide programming design and implementation for WASH in all Concern WASH programmes, drawing upon a core set of WASH interventions - based on Concern's experience and expertise and WASH sector best-practice — which set out what Concern WASH programmes should look like on the ground, and what makes Concern's WASH programming distinctive.

Each Country programme will identify the WASH interventions which are best suited to the local context. Concern's long history of leading humanitarian WASH responses will mean that emergency WASH interventions are a feature in many contexts. Whether working in humanitarian or development setting Concern will implement WASH programmes which are centred on beneficiary needs and involve communities and individuals in all steps of the process. Participatory methodologies — including CLTS and PHAST — will form a key component of many country WASH programmes, complemented by methodologies involving the private sector (such as sanitation marketing) where appropriate. Underpinning the strategy is a commitment to ensuring that all WASH programming is delivered to the highest possible quality.