Listen to this three-minute podcast with Angela Huston, where she outlines when systems strengthening is relevant and how it's useful for WASH professionals.

Angela Huston is the Director of Strategy and Innovation at IRC and a systems thinker at heart. She focuses on the intersection of action research, civic engagement, policy-making and advocacy.

This podcast was recorded for the online course 'Introducing water, sanitation and hygiene systems strengthening'. 

Find our more on:
https://agora.unicef.org/mod/page/view.php?id=281895
https://www.ircwash.org/news/become-a-systems-champion

WASH systems strengthening

For whom is systems strengthening?

What does systems strengthening mean?

In this six-minute podcast, Patrick Moriarty, CEO of IRC, discusses systems thinking for WASH service delivery.

As Albert Einstein once said, "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." For WASH, the transition to holistic systems-strengthening approaches reflects a new way of thinking that recognizes the real world's complexity and fundamentally interconnected nature.

This podcast was recorded for the online course 'Introducing water, sanitation and hygiene systems strengthening'.

Find our more on:
agora.unicef.org/mod/page/view.php?id=281895
www.ircwash.org/news/become-a-systems-champion

What is systems thinking?

Listen to this five-minute podcast with Francis Odhiambo from UNICEF on how they are strengthening the water system in Tanzania. 

Francis Odhiambo is the Chief of WASH at UNICEF Tanzania. He provides an excellent example of the steps of assessing the system that is in place (i.e., assessment), identifying and testing potential solutions for strengthening the system.

In the podcast, Francis Odhiambo also discusses how engaging with WASH systems inevitably involves working with various people and institutions. 

This podcast was recorded for the online course 'Introducing water, sanitation and hygiene systems strengthening'. 

Find our more on:
https://agora.unicef.org/mod/page/view.php?id=281895
https://www.ircwash.org/news/become-a-systems-champion

Strengthening water services in Tanzania

How are you strengthening sanitation and hygiene services in Uganda?

Listen to this podcast (6 mins) with Yvonne Lugali of Water for People on how they are strengthening sanitation and hygiene in Uganda.

She talks about taking a market-based approach towards sanitation and talks about the role of the private sector and government. 

This podcast was recorded for the online course 'Introducing water, sanitation and hygiene systems strengthening'. 

Find our more on:
https://agora.unicef.org/mod/page/view.php?id=281895
https://www.ircwash.org/news/become-a-systems-champion

Mini podcast series

Strengthening sanitation systems in Uganda

Listen to this five-minute podcast with Vida Duti, IRC country director in Ghana, on how they are working with the local government in the Ahafo region of Ghana to strengthen the system. Vida Duti says, 'It’s about enabling local government to lead'.

Vida Duti has extensive working experience with national and international entities in community development, poverty reduction, gender and development, capacity development of local government actors, democratic governance and public sector reforms. She is the IRC country director in Ghana.

This podcast was recorded for the online course 'Introducing water, sanitation and hygiene systems strengthening'. 

Find our more on:
https://agora.unicef.org/mod/page/view.php?id=281895
https://www.ircwash.org/news/become-a-systems-champion

Working with local government in Ghana

A central promise of Sustainable Development Goal 6 is to leave no one behind (LNOB) in terms of access to safely managed WASH services. As part of systems strengthening, particular attention must be paid to marginalized individuals and groups to understand what can be done to rectify exclusion and discrimination.

Listen to this five-minute podcast with Farai Tunhuma of UNICEF on who is being left behind and why in terms of access to WASH services. She also talks about measures that can be put in place to reach those left behind.

Farai Tunhuma works with UNICEF teams, governments and partners to shift the WASH sector into a low-carbon emitting and climate-resilient sector, delivering sustainable and climate-resilient WASH services. She is a UNICEF Senior Advisor on Water and Climate Resilient WASH.

This podcast was recorded for the online course 'Introducing water, sanitation and hygiene systems strengthening'. 

Find our more on:
https://agora.unicef.org/mod/page/view.php?id=281895
https://www.ircwash.org/news/become-a-systems-champion

Leaving no one behind

In this four-minute podcast, Fiona Gore of WHO shares some motivations behind the development of WASH systems strengthening.

She also discusses the UN-Water Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking-Water (GLAAS) report. The GLAAS is a UN-Water initiative implemented by WHO. GLAAS aims to provide policy- and decision-makers at all levels with a reliable, easily accessible and comprehensive analysis of WASH systems to make informed decisions for sanitation, drinking water and hygiene.

Fiona Gore is an expert in public health, with a strong commitment to improving public health through improved data collection, analysis and reporting, as well as health issues related to water, sanitation, hygiene, malnutrition and children's health. She is the Technical Project Manager at WHO.

This podcast was recorded for the online course 'Introducing water, sanitation and hygiene systems strengthening'. 

Find our more on:
https://agora.unicef.org/mod/page/view.php?id=281895
https://www.ircwash.org/news/become-a-systems-champion

Motivations behind water, sanitation and hygiene system strengthening

Listen to this podcast (5 mins) where Kate Harawa, a WASH finance expert, discusses the status of finance for WASH services and the finance gap. Kate Harawa is the country director for Water For People in Malawi with over 20 years of work experience in the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) sector.

This podcast was recorded for the online course 'Introducing finance for sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene systems'. 

Find our more on:
https://agora.unicef.org/mod/page/view.php?id=281895
https://www.ircwash.org/news/become-a-systems-champion

The status of WASH finance

Comment collecter les coûts du cycle de vie ?

Dans ce podcast (sept minutes), Hilaire Dongobada nous explique ce qu'implique la collecte des coûts à long terme.

Ce podcast a été enregistré pour le cours en ligne "Introduction au financement des systèmes durables d'eau, d'assainissement et d'hygiène". Pour plus d'informations, voir https://agora.unicef.org/course/view.php?id=46822&section=0 ou www.washsystemsacademy.org

Collecte des coûts à long terme

How do you collect life-cycle costs?

In this podcast (4 mins) we hear from André Uandela on what is involved in collecting life-cycle costs.

André Uandela, is a life-cycle cost expert from Mozambique with over twenty years of work experience in the WASH sector. He talks about:
•	How can you collect life-cycle costs?
•	What challenges are often encountered when collecting and analysing life-cycle costs?
•	Can you give any tips to people wanting to collect and analyse life-cycle costs?

This podcast was recorded for the online course 'Introducing finance for sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene systems'. 

Find our more on:
https://agora.unicef.org/mod/page/view.php?id=281895
https://www.ircwash.org/news/become-a-systems-champion

Finance Basics

Collecting life-cycle costs

The role of public finance for SDG 6.

In this podcast (5 mins) we hear from Tesfaye Mesele about why an increase in public finance is so important to reaching SDG 6.

Tesfaye Mesele is a senior strategy and health financing advisor. He has over 15 years’ experience on healthcare financing interventions, for example with supporting MSI research programmes in Africa and Asia and working with the World Bank Ethiopia in supporting Ministry of Health of Ethiopia.

He talks about: 
•	What is public finance? 
•	What is the role of public finance in reaching SDG 6?

This podcast was recorded for the online course 'Introducing finance for sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene systems'. 

Find our more on:
https://agora.unicef.org/mod/page/view.php?id=281895
https://www.ircwash.org/news/become-a-systems-champion

Public finance for SDG 6

Why is it important to talk and act on finance?
Listen to this short podcast with Niall Boot, WASH Specialist at UNICEF on why it is important to understand WASH finance.

Niall Boot is a Civil Engineer with extensive experience in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene engineering and programme management across Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. Experience of working on emergency response and development programmes in both urban and rural areas. 

This podcast was recorded for the online course 'Introducing finance for sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene systems'. 

Find our more on:
https://agora.unicef.org/mod/page/view.php?id=281895
https://www.ircwash.org/news/become-a-systems-champion

WASH Systems

It’s time to act.

Why is finance the unavoidable building block? Listen to this podcast (5 mins) where Andy Narracott, WASH Specialist of UNICEF, talks with Catarina Fonseca, a WASH finance expert, on the essential role of finance for sustainable WASH services.

In this podcast, Catarina Fonseca breaks down the finance building block into two main categories; the costs of service delivery and the sources to (re)cover the costs. 

Catarina Fonseca is trained as an economist and has a doctoral degree in water sciences. She has over twenty-five years of experience in development cooperation and non-profits of which twenty in the water and sanitation sector. She has pioneered sector development on the understanding of life-cycle costs and financing.

This podcast was recorded for the online course 'Introducing finance for sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene systems'. 

Find our more on:
https://agora.unicef.org/mod/page/view.php?id=281895
https://www.ircwash.org/news/become-a-systems-champion

The unavoidable building block in the WASH system

What can be done to climate-proof the WASH sector from a systems-strengthening perspective?

Climate change is already causing negative impacts on economies, livelihoods and the environment through droughts, floods, rising sea levels, glacial melting and changes in rainfall patterns worldwide (UNICEF, 2020). From a global perspective, there is growing recognition of the potential of the WASH sector to contribute to worldwide climate mitigation efforts by reducing emissions, increasing water and energy efficiency of operations, and supporting energy recovery (UNICEF, 2020).

It is imperative to address climate change as part of overall efforts to strengthen WASH systems to increase efficiency, sustainability and equity in access to, and use of, WASH facilities, as well as sustaining healthy sanitation and hygiene behaviours (UNICEF, 2020). 

Listen to this four-minute podcast with Aidan Cronin, Director of the WASH Programme Group at UNICEF, on how we can start to climate-proof the WASH sector as part of our efforts to strengthen WASH systems.   

This podcast was recorded for the online course 'Introducing water, sanitation and hygiene systems strengthening'. 

Find our more on:
https://agora.unicef.org/mod/page/view.php?id=281895
https://www.ircwash.org/news/become-a-systems-champion

Climate-proofing the WASH sector

Listen to this podcast (3 mins) with Cecilia Scharp, the Director WASH, Climate, Energy, Environment and DRR of UNICEF on the rationale behind this course 'Introducing water, sanitation and hygiene systems strengthening'. 

This podcast was recorded for the online course 'Introducing water, sanitation and hygiene systems strengthening'. 

Find our more on:
https://agora.unicef.org/mod/page/view.php?id=281895
https://www.ircwash.org/news/become-a-systems-champion

The need for WASH systems strengthening

Pourquoi est-il important de parler et d'agir en matière de finances ?

Écoutez ce court podcast (cinq minutes) avec Niall Boot, spécialiste WASH à l'UNICEF, qui explique pourquoi ce cours est important. Niall Boot est ingénieur civil et possède une vaste expérience en matière d'ingénierie et de gestion de programmes WASH en Afrique, en Asie et dans les Caraïbes. Il a travaillé sur des programmes d'intervention d'urgence et de développement dans les zones urbaines et rurales.

Le podcast original en anglais a été synchronisé par Aminata Sylla en français. La transcription en français des podcasts est disponible dans les ressources du cours.

Ce podcast a été enregistré pour le cours en ligne "Introduction au financement des systèmes durables d'eau, d'assainissement et d'hygiène". Pour plus d'informations, voir https://agora.unicef.org/course/view.php?id=46822&section=0 ou www.washsystemsacademy.org

Il est temps d'agir.

Pourquoi ce cours est-il pertinent ?

Écoutez ce podcast de trois minutes avec Cecilia Scharp, directrice du programme WASH, climat, énergie, environnement et réduction des risques de catastrophe de l'UNICEF, sur la raison d'être de ce cours.

Ce podcast a été traduit en français à partir de l'interview originale réalisée en anglais.

La nécessité de renforcer les systèmes

Ecoutez ce podcast de trois minutes (disponible en anglais) avec Julia Boulenouar, où elle explique quand le renforcement des systèmes est pertinent et comment il est utile pour les professionnels WASH.

Julia Boulenouar est spécialiste de l'eau et de l'assainissement et directrice d'Aguaconsult, avec une expérience particulière des aspects institutionnels de la prestation de services.

À qui s'adresse le renforcement des systèmes ?

Dans ce podcast de sept minutes Sareen Malik parle de la pensée systémique pour la fourniture de services WASH. Sareen Malik est secrétaire exécutive de l'ANEW et vice-présidente du comité de pilotage "Assainissement et eau pour tous (Sanitation and Water for all, SWA)".

Introduction au renforcement des systèmes

Qui est laissé de côté et que pouvons-nous faire ?

L'une des promesses centrales de l'ODD 6 est de ne laisser personne de côté ("Leave no one behind", en anglais, ou LNOB) en termes d'accès à des services WASH gérés en toute sécurité. Dans le cadre du renforcement des systèmes, une attention particulière doit être accordée aux individus et groupes marginalisés afin de comprendre ce qui peut être fait pour rectifier l'exclusion et la discrimination.

Ecoutez ce podcast de six minutes avec David De Armey qui explique qui est laissé de côté et pourquoi en termes d'accès aux services WASH. Il parle également des mesures qui peuvent être mises en place pour atteindre les personnes laissées de côté.

David De Armey est le directeur des partenariats internationaux de Water for Good.

Ne laisser personne de côté

Dans la plupart des pays, les collectivités locales jouent un rôle crucial dans la fourniture de services WASH en tant qu'autorité responsable des services.

Écoutez ce podcast de cinq minutes avec Afou Chantal Bengaly, Directrice Pays d'IRC au Mali, sur la manière dont elle travaille avec le gouvernement local au Mali pour renforcer le système.

Travailler avec les autorités locales au Mali

Écoutez ce podcast de cinq minutes avec Juste Nansi sur la façon dont ils renforcent le  système d'approvisionnement en eau au Burkina Faso.

Juste Nansi est le directeur national de l'IRC au Burkina Faso et le directeur du programme régional pour l'Afrique de l'IRC.

Renforcement des services d'eau au Burkina Faso

Comment renforcez-vous les services d'assainissement et d'hygiène au Rwanda ? 

Écoutez ce podcast (5 minutes) avec Bruce Uwonkunda de Water for People sur la façon dont ils renforcent l'assainissement et l'hygiène au Rwanda.

Renforcez-vous les services d'assainissement et d'hygiène au Rwanda

Dans ce podcast de six minutes Ruben Bayiha partage certaines motivations derrière le développement du renforcement des systèmes WASH.

Ruben Bayiha est le chef du programme Eau, assainissement et hygiène (WASH) à l'UNICEF.

Motivation pour le renforcement des systèmes WASH

There are many ways to strengthen the finance of WASH services.
Listen to this short podcast with Alex Simalabwi on why the online course on 'Approaches to finance for sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene systems' matters.

Alex is the Executive Secretary of the Global Water Partnership (GWP) Southern Africa, Head-Africa Coordination Unit and Global Head of Climate Resilience for GWP’s global headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. Alex is an international development professional with extensive expertise in water resources management, climate change adaptation, economic development, finance, investment strategy design and public policy.

Approaches to strengthening finance

This podcast is part of "Building WASH resilience, conflict sensitivity and peace" a free online course created by a partnership between the German WASH network and IRC. It aims to put the “Joint Operational Framework: WASH Resilience, Conflict Sensitivity and Peacebuilding” into action. 

Learn more at
https://washsystemsacademy.org

Joined-up action

This podcast is part of "Building WASH resilience, conflict sensitivity and peace" a free online course created by a partnership between the German WASH network and IRC. It aims to put the “Joint Operational Framework: WASH Resilience, Conflict Sensitivity and Peacebuilding” into action.

Learn more at
washsystemsacademy.org

Developing rapid transition mechanisms

A series of short podcasts (3-5 min) explore different elements of WASH Systems Strengthening. Each of episode features a WASH systems expert from different parts of the world and a range of organisations. 

In this episode (5 min), Patrick Moriarty, CEO of IRC, discusses why and how the systems strengthening approach was developed.

The podcast series is part of the WASH Systems Academy. The WASH Systems Academy is a dynamic online platform developed to assist WASH sector professionals in applying a WASH systems strengthening approach. The Academy will help you understand the WASH systems strengthening approach:

•	What is it?
•	How and why was it developed?
•	How to start applying it

If you are at the start of your career or are a senior WASH expert that wants to understand what a systems strengthening approach entails and how you can integrate it in your work, this free online course is for you. The WASH Systems Academy will be available from September 2019.

The WASH Systems Academy is an initiative of IRC.
For more information see: https://www.ircwash.org/wash-systems-academy

Podcasts Series WASH Systems Academy 

EP 1.1 - It’s about strengthening systems

In this podcast (3 min), Erick Baetings, sanitation expert at IRC, talks about the essential elements of sanitation systems strengthening.

This podcast is part of the WASH Systems Academy mini podcast series. The WASH Systems Academy is a dynamic online platform developed to assist WASH sector professionals in applying a WASH systems strengthening approach. The Academy will help you understand the WASH systems strengthening approach:
• What is it?
• How and why was it developed?
• How to start applying it
If you are at the start of your career or are a senior WASH expert that wants to understand what a systems strengthening approach entails and how you can integrate it in your work, this free online course is for you. The WASH Systems Academy will be available from September 2019.

The WASH Systems Academy is an initiative of IRC.
For more information see: www.ircwash.org/wash-systems-academy

Podcasts Series WASH Systems Academy  

EP 1.4 - Essential elements of sanitation systems strengthening

Listen to this podcast with Angela Huston (IRC) where she discusses whether the WASH systems strengthening approach is relevant in all contexts. Why can it be useful for WASH system professionals?

This podcast is part of the WASH Systems Academy mini podcast series. The WASH Systems Academy is a dynamic online platform developed to assist WASH sector professionals in applying a WASH systems strengthening approach. The Academy will help you understand the WASH systems strengthening approach:

•	What is it?
•	How and why was it developed?
•	How to start applying it

If you are at the start of your career or are a senior WASH expert that wants to understand what a systems strengthening approach entails and how you can integrate it in your work, this free online course is for you. The WASH Systems Academy will be available from September 2019.

The WASH Systems Academy is an initiative of IRC.
For more information see: www.ircwash.org/wash-systems-academy

EP 1.2 - Who is systems strengthening for?

Listen to this podcast (4 min) in which Ingeborg Krukkert of IRC explains what hygiene promotion is and why it’s crucial to WASH systems strengthening. How is hygiene promotion linked to WASH system strengthening?

This podcast is part of the WASH Systems Academy mini podcast series. The WASH Systems Academy is a dynamic online platform developed to assist WASH sector professionals in applying a WASH systems strengthening approach. The Academy will help you understand the WASH systems strengthening approach:

•	What is it?
•	How and why was it developed?
•	How to start applying it

If you are at the start of your career or are a senior WASH expert that wants to understand what a systems strengthening approach entails and how you can integrate it in your work, this free online course is for you. The WASH Systems Academy will be available from September 2019.

The WASH Systems Academy is an initiative of IRC.
For more information see: www.ircwash.org/wash-systems-academy

EP 1.5 - Hygiene promotion & WASH systems strengthening

Listen to this podcast with Harold Lockwood, the director of Aguaconsult, with over twenty-six years of experience focusing primarily on the rural sub-sector on institutional reform and sector policy development. 

In this podcast, Harold discusses the need for structural arrangements (or Service Delivery Models) that define the roles and responsibilities of different actors for sustainable WASH services.

Essential role of clearly defined service delivery models

With Juste Nansi for the building block course

Planning for systems strengthening

Listen to this podcast with Jim Gibson on why asset management is it so important to ensuring sustainable WASH services. How does asset management relate to infrastructure development?

Jim is a mechanical engineer who has worked in the water sector since 1990. He has been involved the design, contract administration and operation and maintenance of many water supply and sanitation schemes in this time.

This podcast is part of the specialist course 'Building blocks of sustainable WASH systems' available on the WASH Systems Academy.

Podcasts Series WASH Systems Academy

Asset management for sustainable WASH infrastructure development

IRC is an international think-and-do tank that works with governments, NGOs, entrepreneurs and people around the world to find long-term solutions to the global crisis in water, sanitation and hygiene services. At the heart of its mission is the aim to move from short-term interventions to sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene services.  

With over 50 years of experience, IRC runs projects in more than 25 countries and large-scale programmes in seven focus countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Popular tracks by IRC WASH