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BRAC WASH Programme

Since 2006 IRC supports a large-scale holistic programme that enables the poor in 250 sub-districts of Bangladesh to seize control of their lives

Published on: 28/03/2012

IRC's role as knowledge and innovation partner

What does it take to become a partner? BRAC is a global movement touching the lives of an estimated 135 million people. The BRAC WASH programme in Bangladesh is a large-scale holistic programme that enables the poor to seize control of their lives.

IRC works with BRAC WASH as a ‘knowledge partner’ and is proud to do so. Becoming a partner requires more than having specialist knowledge or even sharing it; it means sharing skills and putting knowledge to use in a way that fits the BRAC WASH mission, priorities and work culture.

IRC supports BRAC WASH in monitoring its WASH programme and joins with it to reflect on critical issues and innovate to overcome barriers and sustain performance. IRC aims to be a valued partner for large scale monitoring.

Becoming a partner also means recognising that the programme is carried out by BRAC, responsibility lies with BRAC and all decisions are ultimately taken by BRAC.

Since 2006, BRAC WASH and IRC have learnt together how to make progress, improve quality and overcome obstacles through collaborative decision making, action and reflection. These knowledge activities are supported by DGIS and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

IRC support is extended to the entire BRAC WASH Programme in 250 upazilas (sub-districts) in Bangladesh, including (since July 2013) 73 upzilas addressed under the BRAC DFID/AusAid Strategic Partnership Agreement for BRAC WASH III.

IRC has made significant contributions towards

  • Hygiene promotion –the redesign of behavioural change communication and a specific approach to hygiene promotion for men.
  • Monitoring and learning – with QIS outcome monitoring, a ‘SenseMaker’ pilot and support for the annual monitoring and learning workshop.
  • Sustainability – taking steps to strengthen sanitation value chains, and investigating the life-cycle costs of sanitation services.
  • A cluster of initiatives on action research, on topics such as faecal sludge management, low-cost sanitation technologies, and salinisation.
  • Support for documentation of BRAC WASH activities and wider dissemination in the WASH sector.

Short-term, unsustainable projects must become a thing of the past. Everyone deserves water and sanitation services every day, every year, forever. IRC works with far-sighted organisations like BRAC that do not accept the status quo and are impatient for change.   Long-term change takes time to embed and sustain.

Innovative research

As part of the BRAC WASH II programme, € 1.5 million is funded by DGIS to be used for innovative research on outstanding issues. Six challenging topics have been chosen and research is being done by consortia of leading European, Bangladeshi and international research organisations. 

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