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Blogs

IRC experts, guest bloggers, WASH sector colleagues share their ideas, observations and expertise through these informal blogs filtered by topic, projects and more.

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Expose the System

Promoting the system

Published on: 14/05/2019
Bringing effective and decisive political leadership to bear on WASH requires that we expose the system; making it visible and actionable to those with power. IRC's new campaign aims to do just that.

EU parliament elections

To my fellow Dutchmen: what can you do for SDG 6 on 23 May?

Published on: 10/05/2019
Ahead of the European elections of 23 May. What can you do for water and sanitation for all, forever in Europe and beyond?

IRC symposium merchandise including water bottles and umbrellas

Impressions of the ‘All Systems Go!’ symposium

Published on: 09/05/2019
Reflections from a non-WASH expert on day one of the IRC symposium.

Handpump in West Sunyani, Ghana

Is community-based management the way forward in Ghana?

Published on: 08/05/2019
The community-based management (CBM) model has often been called into question as an effective means of service provision.

Panel members during the session on south-south exchange at the IRC symposium

Promoting strategies for south-south collaboration

Published on: 07/05/2019
Representatives from programmes in Latin America and Asia shared successes and failures.

All systems go! finance session

Mobilising finance for WASH: getting the foundations right

Published on: 30/04/2019
10 things IRC, Water.org and the World Bank think you need to know about the enabling environment for finance in WASH

Happy men at a working water pump in Ghana

Traffic-light scoring of WASH systems: attractive but tricky

Published on: 29/04/2019
Comparing of country scores after assessments of WASH systems can be both tricky and attractive.

Session panelists sharing their story

Embracing complexity: Drawing our mental models

Published on: 24/04/2019
Drawing your vision of complex systems while listening to panelists' experiences in the field.

Catarina de Albuquerque speaking at the Peace Palace, The Hague, 13 March 2019.

Passion, political leadership and knowledge

Published on: 17/04/2019
What it will take to bring water and sanitation to everyone.

Lab.blue

Certification for WASH products

Published on: 17/04/2019
Those of you who have been paying attention will recall that my first blog-post promised a story about certification for WASH products! At long last, here it is.

Ecole fermée dans la commune de Pobé-Mengao

L’insécurité affaiblit les services d’AEPHA au Burkina Faso

Published on: 16/04/2019
A cause d'instabilité au Burkina Faso, l'accès à l'eau potable et à l'assainissement est faible dans le Sahel et le Nord.

All systems go: beyond collaboration session

Collective action: a change in business as usual

Published on: 11/04/2019
What is collective action and how can it be applied to tackle our wicked WASH problem.

municipalidad

Local political leadership or a fool-proof system?

Published on: 10/04/2019
Last week, a number of Agenda for Change members that are working on WASH systems strengthening in countries in Latin America came together for a learning and sharing event. A key point of discussion in that event was the importance of political leadership at local level, but also the systemic...

Doodle on capacity building

Capacity building for SDG 6 implementation – IRC symposium lessons

Published on: 08/04/2019
Five sessions on capacity building during the IRC symposium provided additional knowledge and skills in WASH systems practice.

Highlights - All systems go!

All systems go! Highlights

Published on: 04/04/2019
Revisiting some of the greatest moments from the symposium dedicated to WASH systems strengthening.

Water office in Wukro, Ethiopia

It is not just about the data…

Published on: 03/04/2019
During the Thursday morning monitoring and learning session at IRC's All systems go! participants discussed factors than enable or hamper use of monitoring data in evidence-based decision making.

Participants at the IRC Symposium All Systems Go!

Education, the main challenge for WASH systems

Published on: 02/04/2019
When we talk about water and sanitation systems (WASH), it is easy to think only of infrastructure, construction, and toilets… but that is not just what WASH is about.

Lukas Kwezi at the IRC symposium

WASH systems strengthening: old wine in new bottles?

Published on: 01/04/2019
An account of personal reflections on the shift to a systems approach.

Kabarole launch

Strong WASH systems beget reliable services

Published on: 29/03/2019
IRC has been promoting the WASH systems approach in Kabarole District for five years now. What are the emerging lessons?

Jan-Willem Rosenboom

50 years of IRC: interview with Jan-Willem Rosenboom

Published on: 25/03/2019
Is finance a red herring and what is "Rosenboom's law on pilots"? Learn more from an IRC friend for over 30 years.

Des femmes vulnérables privées d’accès à l’eau par l’insuffisance des investissements et du recouvrement des coûts d’exploitatio

Ne laisser personne pour compte : c’est évident, mais pas simple

Published on: 22/03/2019
L'intention est évidemment très juste, mais beaucoup de solutions actuelles ne marcheront pas. Nous devrons construire des systèmes nationaux et locaux solides, dédiés à l'universalisation.

World Water Day 2019

Committing to leaving no one behind ahead of World Water Day

Published on: 20/03/2019
Continuing our pursuit to secure the human right to water and sanitation with an inspirational event at the Peace Palace.

Harriet Burungu, water user, Kabarole District, Uganda

Launching Kabarole’s WASH master plan: why ownership matters

Published on: 18/03/2019
In Uganda we follow and support where local government leads.

MINCHfilter

Conducting a “not for loss” business in the WASH sector in Ethiopia

Published on: 18/03/2019
WASH businesses that are attempting to enter both water and sanitation markets worldwide are frequently not what you'd call "business as usual". Many of them are social enterprises started by passionate people who put people before profit and exist primarily to meet a specific challenge.

Former IRC directors at IRC 50 celebration event

50 years of IRC with former directors and a special guest

Published on: 08/03/2019
We talked about our favourite memories and the future with the first employees and former directors of IRC.

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