Monitoring is “the soul of the water system”
Published on: 12/04/2018
A series of four videos explore the work and lessons learnt during the SMARTerWASH project in Ghana.
Technological innovations are on exponential curves; but are WASH measurement methods stuck in time?
Published on: 07/02/2018
Innovations can revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development - if we rise responsibly to the challenge of measuring their impact.
Measuring what we are managing
Published on: 21/08/2017
Robust monitoring is needed to track progress towards achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal for water.
A new mobile-based tool measures sustainability of water and sanitation services
Published on: 24/07/2017
ICT helps ensure that rural water supply and sanitation systems keep working.
Smart solutions with SMARTerWASH : stories of the project and its successes
The story of the SmarterWASH project in Ghana; the achievements, challenges, experiences, lessons learned over the years.
Indestructible and smart: public toilet innovation in India
Published on: 06/10/2016
An interview with sanitation entrepreneur Mayank Midha.
IRC trends analysis, 2016–2025
An analysis of 11 global and regional trends in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector.
Using technology to improve the cost-efficiency of results verification in PforR projects
Published on: 09/06/2016
How the World Bank's Water Global Practice and Innovation Labs are partnering to get practical operational solutions.
Big expectations, building on doubtful assumptions
Published on: 26/05/2016
There are big expectations for national sector monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems both from the side of governments and from the side of Development Partners (DPs). National scale data collection using ICT in some African countries have set the tone: it is now possible to have data from...
How can ICT initiatives be designed to improve rural water supply?
Published on: 13/05/2016
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) must take local context and existing reporting systems into account.
How can ICT initiatives be designed to improve rural water supply?
Using information and communication technologies (ICTs) can make rural water supply more efficient, but this only works well when ICT design takes...
Better nationwide monitoring of rural WASH services in Ghana
Published on: 07/04/2016
The SMARTerWASH initiative in Ghana upgrades ICT tools for continuous monitoring.
Failure and the future
What are the challenges with Water Point Mapping? and what lessons can be learned from the failures? What about the future of Water Point Mapping?...
SIBS : rural water supply monitoring in Timor Leste
Presentation on the Water and Sanitation Information System initiative in Timor Leste.
Testing the waters: ICT reporting for water supply services
Published on: 18/08/2015
Over the last 12 months, WaterAid, Itad and IRC have conducted desk-based research to better understand the factors that facilitate and inhibit the success of ICT-based reporting to improve rural water supply sustainability.
Following the database trail in Tigray
Published on: 03/08/2015
Tigray is a fabulous region to visit. A great base for visiting some of the finest tourism sites in Ethiopia. We were looking for something else: databases. More specifically we went to Tigray to find out how the region is making efforts to monitor the provision of water, sanitation and hygiene...
Testing the waters : a qualitative comparative analysis of the factors affecting success in rendering water services sustainable based on ICT reporting
This study examines eight initiatives that are using information and communication technologies (ICTs) to monitor and report on water supply services...
What can data do for you? Moving beyond reporting. Webinar series
Published on: 24/06/2015
Join for a three-part webinar series as we explore ways to move beyond just reporting and turn our data into action.
New book presents state of the art on water and sanitation monitoring
Published on: 08/04/2015
The essentials of creating actionable monitoring systems for lasting results.
From infrastructure to services : trends in monitoring sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene services
A state of the art of strengthening monitoring water supply and sanitation in developing countries. Google scholar
Reducing handpump downtime using SMS technology: An experiment
Published on: 09/02/2015
This Triple-S experiment sought to improve the reliability of water services in Ghana through the application and testing of an SMS (short message service) module for reporting hand pump breakdowns, linking with Area Mechanics and spare parts outlets, and ordering and paying for spare parts. The...
Will innovation lead to change? Darwin gives some pointers
Published on: 04/02/2015
It's hard to predict what impact investments and innovations in the water sector will have on citizens' access to services. Understanding underlying mechanisms and potential bottlenecks of change can help decide how and where to invest resources, while also giving a more realistic picture of the...
So far, so good. The way up for water services in rural Ghana
Published on: 02/12/2014
Good news from Ghana! IRC Ghana and its contribution to help build Ghana's rural water monitoring seems to be going very well. "Indeed, we are firmly on the path to support the establishment of a national system for rural water monitoring in Ghana", says country director Vida Duti.
Supporting the SIASAR monitoring system in Honduras
Published on: 13/11/2014
Honduras, just like other Central American countries has adopted SIASAR (the Rural Water and Sanitation Information System) to monitor water and sanitation services in rural areas. IRC supports the development and roll-out of SIASAR in different ways.
Using mobile phones to facilitate local monitoring and improve functionality of rural water points
This policy brief presents findings from piloting of M4W, an initiative to enable users to report water facility faults by SMS, in Uganda.