Skip to main content

Shared Principles for Universal WASH

IRC, WaterAid and Water for People's shared principles for driving the systemic change necessary for Universal Access by 2030

Read More
Children washing hands

Quick Guide: IRC's Approach

Delivering good water, sanitation and hygiene services not just to a few people for a while but to everyone forever requires a fundamental shift in the way we all think and work together.

Quick guide to IRC's Approach

Changing the whole system

To deliver services that last, the whole system of individuals, organisations, technologies and the institutions that link them needs to work more effectively.

Read more
sector learning

Working together for change

Real-life change requires change by individuals and organisations. Learning alliances are helping make this happen, by engaging people in joint and  collective learning, planning and action.

Read more
collective learning

Service delivery requirements

Despite decades of investment, universal, sustainable services are not a reality; in too many cases, services do not even meet the most basic requirements. This needs to change.

Read more
rural water supply services in Ghana chart

News and information

See 156 articles
Ghana delegation to SWWW

District-based initiative for Sustainable Development Goal 6: building country systems in Ghana

In Asutifi North District in Ghana, the local government works with IRC, Safe Water Network and...

Ghana
Women working in rural Asia

What you do next counts tomorrow

The pathway to sustainable WASH by 2030

Participants of the Banfora workshop

Universal access to drinking water and sanitation for all in the Cascades region

Local authorities are committed to developing strategic WASH plans for the 2030 horizon.

Burkina Faso
Water purification plant in Latin America

Are you a systems thinking genius or novice?

In order to reach the Sustainable Development Goals for water and sanitation we need a systems...


Blogs

See 253 posts

Money, politics and business models: take homes from Stockholm

The SDGs bring a new sense of urgency, focus and realisation of the great challenge ahead.

WASH systems nerd t-shirt
Patrick Moriarty
Published on: 18/09/2017

What matters gets measured and what gets measured ends up mattering

We need evidence that strong WASH systems provide reliable WASH services.

Ladies in Odisha State, India
Angela Huston
Published on: 21/08/2017

Resources

See 174 resources

Agenda for change : a roadmap for universal access to sustainable WASH services at district level

2017
This document describes how the principles and...

Monitoring systems change

2017
Webinar with findings from a landscaping study of...

IRC annual report 2016

2017
This report marks the end of IRC's 2012-2016...

Exit strategy : what exit strategy?

2017
Similar to multinationals, IRC as an...

IRC strategy framework 2017-30 : building WASH systems to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals

2017
This document presents IRC's overarching...

Taking a systems approach in the WASH sector

2017
Podcast featuring Patrick Moriarty and Stef Smits...


Videos

It's about the systems stupid

We rely on complex systems, but we are "systems blind". Patrick Moriarty at TedXDenHelder, talking about the need to wake up and open our eyes and realize that in reality, strong systems are the most sustainable solution.

Working for change in Uganda

In Uganda, IRC is supporting local and national government to ensure that people get better water, sanitation and hygiene services. We believe that government needs to be empowered to create systems that make these services sustainable. We are working with WaterAid and Water For People in an alliance called WASH Agenda for Change to make this happen.