USAID Transform WASH

Published on: 26/04/2017

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USAID TRANSFORM WASH was an eight-year USAID-funded project (USD 47.5 million) implemented by PSI in collaboration with SNV, Plan International, and IRC from 2017 to 2024. The consortium worked closely with government agencies - including the Ministry of Health, the National WASH Coordination Office and regional governments - to transform markets for low-cost sanitation products and services nationwide.

Objectives

The overall objective of the project was to pioneer and refine market-based models to increase the demand for and supply of quality, affordable water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) products and services in Ethiopia, with an emphasis on sanitation. Specific project objectives were to:

• Increase WASH governance and management capacity at the subnational level
• Increase demand for low-cost, quality WASH products and services, with a focus on sanitation
• Increase supply for low-cost quality WASH products and services, with a focus on sanitation
• Increase the knowledge base to bring WASH innovations to scale

IRC led the delivery of a learning agenda to deliver the fourth cross-cutting component of the project, seeking to take WASH innovations to scale based on new evidence from action research undertaken with project partners. Knowledge sharing was facilitated through strengthening learning platforms at regional and national levels.

Location

T/WASH implementation began in 2017 across nine woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR). Over subsequent years, T/WASH progressively expanded into additional woredas in Amhara, Oromia, Tigray, Somali, Afar, Benishangul-Gumuz, and Gambella. By the end of 2020, Transform WASH was operational in 41 woredas. In 2021, an extra 22 woredas from the Growth through Nutrition (GtN) project were integrated into T/WASH, bringing the total to 63 woredas, representing over five percent of all woredas in Ethiopia.

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Achievements

Supply chain management

• T/WASH promoted a total of 40 different product and service options.
• T/WASH supported over 500 businesses in selling sanitation and hygiene products and providing installation services.
• T/WASH business partners sold more than 200,000 products.
• T/WASH supported sales activities reaching more than one million people.

Demand creation

• T/WASH strengthened the health sector to create demand for the sales of sanitation products.
• T/WASH strengthened the capacity of the private sector to create demand for the sales of sanitation products.
• T/WASH strengthened the capacity of the private sector to create demand for the sales of sanitation products.

Capacity building

• T/WASH created an enabling environment for WASH market growth within the relevant Ministries by strengthening capacity at all administrative levels.
• T/WASH institutionalized and promoted MBS within government structures to ensure sustainability and scaling up.
• T/WASH co-developed standardized training materials to enhance knowledge and skills related to MBS.

Knowledge management

• T/WASH strengthened and facilitated MSPs by including more than 750 WASH professionals.
• T/WASH conducted more than 20 action research assessments and rapid assessments to inform implementation activities.
• T/WASH laid the foundation for further growth of the market for sanitation products and services in Ethiopia.

Lessons learnt

Supply chain management

• Plastic products are an attractive add-on to make improved pit latrines more desirable at a relatively small additional cost.
• Low-cost upgrade options that complement the installation of concrete slabs are needed to reach households with lower purchasing power.
• Door-to-door promotion and installation services are more promising than selling sanitation products at a fixed location.
• Working with existing businesses, such as distributors, retailers, and manufacturers, strengthened the WASH supply chain.
• Private sector involvement could go beyond providing products and installation services for improved pit latrines.

Demand creation

• Institutionalizing MBS into government structures and securing the buy-in of local government leadership are important starting points.
• Private sector actors are more effective in activating demand than HEWs, WDALs, and kebele WASH teams.
• To make improved toilets affordable for everyone, refined area-wide approaches are needed. This includes providing access to capital for household investments, but also smart and targeted subsidies.

Capacity building

• Close collaboration with GoE structures helped to integrate MBS into key government strategies.
• Capacity building activities need to be standardized and made widely and easily accessible.

Knowledge management

• Learning alliances dedicated to MBS were effective in strengthening awareness of MBS. Moving forward, the scope should expand to include area-wide sanitation and more efforts are needed to fully engage all core government offices.
• Action research is important to inform adjustments to implementation approaches and to inform an evidence-based advocacy agenda

Key resources

Selection of top 12 learning notes:

• Ethiopia's business environment and how it influences WASH market development
• Should sanitation be taxed?
• An assessment of sanitation financing options for enterprises and households
• An assessment of demand creation of sanitation products and services
• Assessment of field performance and acceptance of the SATO pan in Ethiopia
• Women as business leaders
• USAID Transform WASH business models
• Piloting smart and targeted sanitation subsidies
• Approaches to sanitation business development support at district level
• Reaching universal access with market-based sanitation
• USAID Transform WASH products and services – innovations and sales performance
• Door-to-door sales of toilet installation services – lessons from Ethiopia

An overview of learning notes documenting lessons learnt is available here.
The performance evaluation final report of the Transform WASH project is available here.
The market-based sanitation online course is available here.

Partners