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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.

WASH news and events

Search and explore all 177 articles here

All systems go background note thumnail

All systems go! Background note for the WASH systems symposium is out now

The value of a systems approach to WASH
Main symposium page thumbnail

All systems go! Everything you need to know

It's All systems go! IRC and partners are hosting a symposium on building and strengthening systems...
Cover of Water Special 2018 by ViceVersa

IRC contributions to the Water Special 2018 of ViceVersa

'Approaching the last mile' and 'Around the village pump', two articles in which IRC discusses the...
Stack of jerry cans for fetching water in Burkina Faso

Bérégadougou and Niangoloko: their WASH master plans for 2030

The communes of Bérégadougou and Niangoloko have joined the select group of Burkinabé communes that...
SWA Tools Portal

Tools to help national governments strengthen the WASH sector

New SWA portal supports practical implementation of Building Blocks and Collaborative Behaviours.
WASH systems building blocks

Building blocks for strong and healthy WASH systems

IRC working paper describes what's needed to improve and strengthen service delivery.
WASH Talk 17 Thumbnail

Looking at WASH through a systems lens

How can we advocate for a holistic approach to water and hygiene service delivery?
All Systems Go!

Register for All systems go!

Sign up for the WASH Systems Symposium: March 12 -14 2019
Special offer 9=10 tickets for WASH System Symposium

Bring 9 people, 10th is free!

How to get a free ticket for the All Systems Go! symposium on WASH systems
Annual Report 2017 Cover

2017 was a year of new beginnings

IRC's Annual Report 2017
Propeller campaign postcard

What's a propeller got to do with WASH?

IRC launches new campaign to promote systems thinking in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)...
Still from IRC Uganda video "WASH is about SYSTEMS"

WASH is about systems

IRC Uganda launches video on implementing the systems approach in Kabarole and Bunyangabu districts.
Webinar: Systems approaches to hygiene behavior change – lessons across WASH, health, and education

Webinar: Systems approaches to hygiene behavior change – lessons across WASH, health, and education

A discussion on ways to use existing systems to improve scale and sustainability of hygiene...
symposium save the date banner

IRC's systems symposium: All systems go!

12-14 March 2019
RWSN strategy document cover

IRC endorses new strategy of the Rural Water Supply Network

Together with the World Bank, IRC is co-lead of RWSN's Sustainable Services theme.
Lady from Kamwenge District, Western Uganda

IRC receives grant from the Osprey Foundation

US$ 450,000 for collective action towards universal WASH access.

Blogs, podcasts, opinions and more

Search and explore all 283 posts here

Water kiosk, Banfora, Burkina Faso

Social entrepreneurship within the WASH system

Why even social entrepreneurs need strong government.
Ghana - water pipes

Driving change in the WASH sector through reflection and learning

A WaterAid thematic review.
Diana Antwi from Yawbrefo, also Assembly member of the Asukese Electoral Area, Ghana

Season’s greetings

With the year drawing rapidly to a close (already?!), time to reflect briefly on what has kept IRC busy this year.
Solar power water unit manager

The ‘art’ in partnerships

Analysing partnerships and how they strengthen WASH systems.
Stockholm interacts with the building blocks

Stockholm interacts with the WASH building blocks

World Water Week participants engage with elements of the WASH system.
Patrick Moriarty and Aboubakar Hema, mayor of Banfora (photo by Cabinet du Maire de Banfora)

Banfora shows committed political leadership

IRC-supported commune in Burkina Faso promises water and sanitation for everyone by 2030.
Reduction in non-access to WASH and reduction in poverty

“I am bored with this work”; WASH's mid-life crisis

"I am bored with this work", my friend, WASH, confided. I recommended him not to waste his mid-life crisis.
Banfora strategic plan launch ceremony

A model to follow for all communes in Burkina Faso

Mayor of Banfora launches his district's strategic plan to achieve SDG 6.
Chinese money tree Flickr, bit.ly2MIUxtM, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Looking for WASH’s magic money tree

Private money can only be attracted where government leads and strong systems exist.
Building block scores Honduras

Weekly WASH Graph: a sneak preview at measuring system strength

The holidays are over, so the Weekly WASH Graphs are back. This week, I will give you a sneak preview of the way we measure the strength of the WASH...
IRC Perspective Part II

Stockholm World Water Week through the lens of IRC: Part II

IRC Perspectives: day 3 and day 4 of the Stockholm World Water Week 2018
IRC Perspective Part I

Stockholm World Water Week through the lens of IRC: Part I

IRC perspectives: reflecting on day 1 and 2 of the Stockholm World Water Week 2018
Moderator Catarina de Albuquerque opens the HLPF side event on national accountability methods

High level promotion for SDG 6 national accountability mechanisms

Reflections from the UN High Level Political Forum (HLPF) in New York
IRC Ghana director Vida Duti speaking at Mole conference 2012

The world is off track to achieve SDG 6, so what can countries do about it?

Provide leadership and accountability!
Accountability report testimonial by John Garrett

As a citizen, do you know which platforms to use to hold your government accountable for meeting the SDGs?

New report triggers the setup of accountability platforms #Account4SDG6
Man repairing handpump

Taps and toilets aren't enough: designing WASH programmes that strengthen the system

WaterAid has developed a set of participatory tools that help identify and overcome system barriers.

Resources

Search and explore all 203 resources here

All systems go! : background note for the WASH systems symposium

2019
How shifting to a holistic systems strengthening...

WASH systems that transform lives : IRC's strategy 2017-30

2018
This brochure is a mini version of IRC's strategy...

Promotional flyer IRC symposium 2019

2018
Promotional flyer for the IRC 2019 symposium All...

Commune de Banfora : municipal strategic plan for public water and sanitation services 2018 - 2030

2018
The strategic master plan for Banfora includes an...

Socially inclusive WASH programming : a mapping study

2018
There is a gap between what organisations have...

Understanding the WASH system and its building blocks : building strong WASH systems for the SDGs

2018
This working paper is one of a series that...

IRC Ghana Strategy: 2017-2021

2018
This strategy is aligned with government...

IRC Monitoring Report 2017

2018

WASH is about systems

2018
Video on the implementation of the systems...

Systems approaches to hygiene behavior change : lessons across WASH, health, and education

2018
A discussion on ways to use existing systems to...

IRC Propeller Corporate Campaign : the facts

2018
Where does the 30% handpump failure statistic...

Leaving no one behind in practice : a case study from WASH programmes in Asutifi North District,...

2018
The district's unserved have been mapped and the...

Water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) masterplan : Asutifi North District, Ghana

2018
The broad vision, programmes and strategies for...

Promoting harmonized monitoring for the WASH sector

2018
An introduction to IRC's systems approach, the...

Systems thinking with Angela Huston and Harold Lockwood

2018
In this podcast you hear how the systems approach...

IRC annual report 2017

2017
Showing the first steps of implementing IRC's...

Videos

WASH is about systems
An introduction to multi-stakeholder platforms with Jeroen Warner
Patrick's Poo
It's about the systems stupid
Working for change in Uganda
The power of working together: Kabarole district
Kampala WASH Symposium - Exploring a Whole System Approach
Tribute speech for Ton Schouten by Harold Lockwood
The quest for water services that last
The ideal WASH sustainability tool
2014 WASH Sustainability Forum
Everyone, Forever: The Chinda Experience.
WASHTech
What if...?
Ghana - the trade off between coverage and sustainability
IRC: Message from Patrick Moriarty, CEO