Rapid assessment of financing and monitoring of rural water services in Arsi Negele and Shashemene, Oromia, Ethiopia

This financing assessment was carried out to provide recommendations for follow-up advocacy activities related to financing by the WAI Ethiopia consortium. The government-led monitoring assessment was expected to provide suggestions on how the monitoring in rural water can be strengthened. Combined, these assessments seek to support the systems strengthening efforts of the WASH SDG programme. Systems strengthening means improving the enabling environment and related capacities to deliver better WASH services.

The WASH SDG programme 2017-2022 - an ambitious initiative funded by the Government of the Netherlands - aims to achieve sustainable, improved and equitable WASH for all in focus areas of seven countries in Africa and Asia. In Ethiopia, WASH SDG programme activities are being implemented by the WASH Alliance International (WAI) and Plan. WAI Ethiopia is led by Amref Flying Doctors and involves Wetlands International (WI), Bole Bible Baptist Church (WASTE), Akvo and IRC WASH. Under the programme, almost 0.5 million USD will be invested in infrastructure and improving systems by partnering with the government to improve water services in the consortium's targeted woredas Arsi Negele and Shashemene, Oromia region.

The programme also seeks to strengthen the enabling environment, or systems, for the sustainable services delivery. Two focus areas of the WASH SDG programme's Theory of Change (ToC) in Ethiopia are to 'enhance effective public planning and monitoring systems, and 'more finance'. To support potential activities in these areas,

IRC conducted two rapid assessments, covering both financing and monitoring.