Monitoring and Assessing the work of Water For People-Malawi
November 17, 2009
By Joe Goodwill
Blantyre, Malawi.
Our team is looking forward to beginning our monitoring assessments. We spent our first day in Blantrye with the Water For People-Malawi staff, walking through the monitoring and assessment process.
I have been reminded of the importance of monitoring and assessment during this training. It is the only way that a water/sanitation organization can truly know the status and impact of the work in the community. Water For People places a high priority on monitoring and assessment, and this is one of the reasons Water For People is set apart in the sector. Some organizations do not place the same priority on this process, and unfortunately, are more susceptible to failed systems.
The failure of a water system or filled latrines can have a crushing impact on the community, and can also hurt the legitimacy of the organization, limiting its ability to conduct more work in the area. Through monitoring and assessment, Water For People can proactively address work success, stabilizing fragile systems and taking corrective action in concert with its local partners.
In looking forward to getting into the field, I expect that, like last year’s assignment, most of the projects we find will be in good working order, and a positive force for improving the quality of life in the community. Our team will be looking for projects that aren’t working. This information is critical to Water For People in that it helps the organization modify its programs, and look at the issues that lead to the system failure. Generally systems fail because of the lack of spare parts or finance to maintain the water or sanitation facilities.
Driving into Blantyre from the airport, our team saw progressively more densely populated areas. In many areas, solid waste collects in piles or in dry drainage ditches. Women were washing their laundry in stagnant ponds. I noticed only a few improved water sources. Most appeared to be municipal tap stands, serviced by city water. Clearly this supply is not adequate in there peri-urban areas. Water For People was recently awarded a 1.56 million dollar grant from the European Investment Bank to partner with the Blantyre Water Board to improve services in this densely populated area. Another World Water Corps team is now working in the initial mapping stages of this work.
There’s a lot to do. I’m ready to get started.
What do you think?
