Improved monitoring framework for local planning in the water, sanitation and hygiene sector: From data to decision-making

Today, a vast proportion of people still lack a simple pit latrine and a source of safe drinking water. To help end this appalling state of affairs, there is a pressing need to provide policymakers with evidences which may be the basis of effective planning, targeting and prioritization. Two major challenges often hinder this process: i) lack of reliable data to identify which areas are most in need; and ii) inadequate instruments for decision-making support. In tackling previous shortcomings, this paper proposes a monitoring framework to compile, analyze, interpret and disseminate water, sanitation and hygiene information. In an era of decentralization, where decision-making moves to local governments, we apply such framework at the local level. The ultimate goal is to develop appropriate tools for decentralized planning support. To this end, the study first implements a methodology for primary data collection, which combines the household and the waterpoint as information sources. In doing so, we provide a complete picture of the context in which domestic WASH services are delivered. Second, the collected data are analyzed to underline the emerging development challenges. The use of simple planning indicators serves as the basis to i) reveal which areas require policy attention, and to ii) identify the neediest. Third, a classification process is proposed to prioritize among various populations. Three different case studies from East and Southern African countries are presented. Results indicate that accurate and comprehensive data, if adequately exploited through simple instruments, may be the basis of effective targeting and prioritization, which are central to sector planning. The application of the proposed framework in the real world, however, is to a certain extent elusive; and we point out to conclude two specific challenges that remain unaddressed, namely the upgrade of existing decision-making processes to enhance transparency and inclusiveness, and the development of data updating mechanisms. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.