The purpose of this research project is to help overcome socio-cultural clashes between communities, service providers, development cooperation actors and local authorities, and the resulting ineffectiveness of the sanitation and water supply systems in selected indigenous areas. This was achieved by institutional mapping of the underlying rules, practices and value systems of different sanitation and water supply arrangements, which made these explicit and transparently documented. The research suggested ways forward by analyzing valuable experiences, finding potential service options, management methods and behavioral changes that serve both traditional/indigenous needs and aspiration s and requirements of modern/bureaucratic service provision.
For quality control purposes the partnership established an Advisory Panel, which meets every three months to discuss methodological issues, as well as provides advice and inputs on the preliminary findings. The advisory panel is composed by a group of international experts from different fields, going from anthropology, to water engineering to social aspects, and includes representatives of developing and developed countries.
A case study has been carried out in Nicaragua, through a partnership between SIWI and the University of URACAN. The findings of the field work in Nicaragua complement the desk review done by the research team of SIWI where worldwide experiences, and specifically the MDG-F experiences, have been analyzed to identify the principle challenges and opportunities in working in WASH projects in indigenous regions.
The preliminary findings and results of the overall research study are being shared and discussed at three levels. A first level is at the case study country level, Nicaragua. Two took place where public institutions and development actors met to discuss and comment on the preliminary findings. A second level happened at the MDG-F countries sample, where MDG-F Joint Programmes had the chance to comment on and review the draft documents. Two representatives per programme, did this work. Lastly, a global consultation process at the HQ level, with the main UN Agencies and development actors involved in WASH interventions at the community level, reviewed the findings and suggested improvements.
Two final products were developed: 1) Position paper and guidelines document: which summarizes in a brief document the main findings of the research in a way that is useful and agile for advocacy and decision making purposes. It followed the phases of planning and implementation and highlighted the main key issues and recommendations for each of them. It also deepened the most pressing changes to be done in the way of working in indigenous communities to ensure success. 2) Research final report: an extensive report that covered all the findings of the desk review and went through every phase of work of the case study in Nicaragua, detailing the specific conclusions on it.
Facebook
Twitter
Youtube
RSS