CSP At a Glance
Hygiene Improvement Capacity Strengthening Partnership
What:
The HI CS Partnership has been formed to strengthen, share and improve the capacities of participating organizations in carrying out hygiene improvement at scale.To support and improve identified capacities the Partnership has develop two initial overarching objectives:
1.Reinforce the following three priority capacities of partners to: (1) utilize systems-approach, (2) design hygiene policies, and (3) manage and disseminate knowledge, lessons & information.
2.Conduct an at-scale hygiene improvement effort in ONE country with the CS partnership.
Who:
The Hygiene Improvement (HI) Capacity Strengthening (CS) Partnership is made up of 12 organizations (see Appendix 1 for a complete list of staff members who have participated to date) – HIP staff led by the HIP Behavior Change Specialist, ARD, CORE Group, Christian Children’s Fund, The Manoff Group, IRC Netherlands, IRC New York, USAID, Plan International, Counterpart International, Catholic Relief Services, and Salvation Army International. Self-selection was utilized to form the initial partnership, i.e. those contacting HIP and expressing active interest were brought together, interest generated at the CORE Spring 2005 Annual Meeting through a presentation and session by HIP and CDC on hygiene behavior change and point-of-use water treatment.In December, the partnership invited additional organizations working in the countries chosen for an exploratory visit, e.g. Salvation Army, to join the HI CS Partnership.
Why:
Each participating organization has both significant experience and expertise in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), i.e. hygiene improvement, programs and activities, but these efforts are still not effectively achieving the targeted or mandated results.These organizations, therefore, are working, in partnership initiated and coordinated by HIP, with other organizations involved in WASH activities to leverage additional resources and expertise, expand their knowledge- and skills-base and form a coalition through which and with which each can learn and share.
How:
To date, the CS Partnership has held a series of three, one-day meetings (July 21, 2005; December 9, 2005; and January 18, 2006), to develop and carry out its agreed upon short-term objectives in strengthening HI capacity and conducting a HI scale effort together in one country (see Appendix 2 and 3 for two most recent plans of action for each objective).
Results to Date:
The HI CS Partnership has to date:
Selected one country, Uganda, to visit and pursue as a possible HI scale effort country through the HI CS Partnership.
Determined three priority HI programming capacities to strengthen.
Developed brief statements on each participating organization’s WASH activities.
Presented and discussed “Improving Hygiene at Scale” and the scale process adapted by HIP and together are developing a clearer understanding of what a HI scale effort means.
Discussed and adapted an exploratory visit protocol to use when visiting possible HI scale effort countries (specifically to be used in Uganda).
Developed specific action plans for the two overarching objectives in capacity strengthening and country scale work.
Challenges to Date:
The CS partnership has faced a number of challenges:
Attendance at the three one-day meetings has not been consistent and though it does not appear to have had an adverse effect to date, it could over time.
Though the systems-thinking capacity assessment tool was administered to all organizations, only 1 completed assessment was received.Although HIP has not determined why more partners did not return the assessment, anecdotal information indicates that the survey was too general to complete meaningfully.
The three, one-day meetings have provided insufficient time to deal with all the issues as needed and this has resulted in several action items left undone.
Original two country visits planned were cut back to one.The potential of a second visit to SNNPR is on hold and Mozambique was dropped.