3.4 Multi-sectoral WASH integration and coordination
breaking down sectoral silos
The WASH sector is a critical requirement for other sectoral interventions in emergencies, including health, nutrition, protection, shelter and education. WASH also addresses key humanitarian principles and cross-cutting themes that play a vital role in human rights, protection, safety and dignity, gender and age sensitivity and inclusive programming. Despite the recognition of the core contributions and inter-dependency of WASH interventions with other sectors, there are no formal coordination mechanisms that can be activated in a simple and effective way.
Tools as humanitarian WASH plans or objectives aligned with those of other sectors are missing -the only multisectoral integrations are bilateral, in silos between WASH and Education, Protection, Shelter, Food security and Livelihood respectively.
With this initiative, the WASH Humanitarian sector aims to ‘position’ itself within other sectors to maximize more significant results and break down sectoral silos by exploring venues for effective integrated responses in the future. In concrete terms, this means that WASH's systematic integration across key response multi-sectors is promoted, structured, operationalized, measured, and evaluated, positioning WASH as the binding sector within other sectors’ ways of working.
To achieve this objective, we are aiming to develop new and/or strengthen existing, inter-sector and inter-cluster collaborations, coordination and partnerships, which could be translated into a new operational model. This could be embodied in new resources as joint integrated SOP’s, and reinforced with integrated technical guidelines, joint technical tools (checklists, integrated quality frameworks, multisector Matrix etc.), joint Roadmaps, ad-hoc multi-sectoral capacity building, global and national inter-cluster strategic partnerships, global or regional advocacy campaigns, intersectoral funding mechanisms etc.
With these reinforced and renovated processes, the humanitarian WASH sector will have a structured impact to contribute to the achievements of other sectors’ outcomes or to contribute holistically to the solution of global challenges for coordination and integration- this is particularly true with public health considerations, which depend at least in part on sufficient quantity and quality of water, and adequate sanitation.
To really go beyond traditional bilateral collaboration and to make the most of these integrated responses, the WASH sector should strategically identify thematic and cross-thematic areas with common grounds and that is of interest to other sectors. Cross-sectoral global humanitarian challenges should be explored, disentangled, and proposed to others sectors/clusters to trigger engagements as new normal for multi-sectoral partnerships in addressing current and future global threats. The thematics considered are for example urbanization and humanitarian crises, resilience, adaptation of communities and infrastructures to climate change, protection, fighting epidemics and environmental health interventions in emergencies.
Tools as humanitarian WASH plans or objectives aligned with those of other sectors are missing -the only multisectoral integrations are bilateral, in silos between WASH and Education, Protection, Shelter, Food security and Livelihood respectively.
With this initiative, the WASH Humanitarian sector aims to ‘position’ itself within other sectors to maximize more significant results and break down sectoral silos by exploring venues for effective integrated responses in the future. In concrete terms, this means that WASH's systematic integration across key response multi-sectors is promoted, structured, operationalized, measured, and evaluated, positioning WASH as the binding sector within other sectors’ ways of working.
To achieve this objective, we are aiming to develop new and/or strengthen existing, inter-sector and inter-cluster collaborations, coordination and partnerships, which could be translated into a new operational model. This could be embodied in new resources as joint integrated SOP’s, and reinforced with integrated technical guidelines, joint technical tools (checklists, integrated quality frameworks, multisector Matrix etc.), joint Roadmaps, ad-hoc multi-sectoral capacity building, global and national inter-cluster strategic partnerships, global or regional advocacy campaigns, intersectoral funding mechanisms etc.
With these reinforced and renovated processes, the humanitarian WASH sector will have a structured impact to contribute to the achievements of other sectors’ outcomes or to contribute holistically to the solution of global challenges for coordination and integration- this is particularly true with public health considerations, which depend at least in part on sufficient quantity and quality of water, and adequate sanitation.
To really go beyond traditional bilateral collaboration and to make the most of these integrated responses, the WASH sector should strategically identify thematic and cross-thematic areas with common grounds and that is of interest to other sectors. Cross-sectoral global humanitarian challenges should be explored, disentangled, and proposed to others sectors/clusters to trigger engagements as new normal for multi-sectoral partnerships in addressing current and future global threats. The thematics considered are for example urbanization and humanitarian crises, resilience, adaptation of communities and infrastructures to climate change, protection, fighting epidemics and environmental health interventions in emergencies.
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LED BY:
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PARTICIPANTS:
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Global WASH Cluster, Action Against Hunger, German WASH Network, Norwegian Refugee Council, UN High Commissionner for Refugees, UN International Children Emergency Fund, World Vision
CONTRIBUTORS: German WASH Network, International Committee of the Red Cross, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine |
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