A review of the work and approach of the IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre in transparency in the rural water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector. Included are IRC's support to the Water Integrity Network (WIN), training activities and recent work in Zambia and Mozambique, the link between monitoring & transparency and life-cycle costs, transparency within IRC, and differences between rural & urban WASH..

1. Fighting corruption or building integrity
review and reflection on IRC and partner activities in rural WASH

2. Fighting corruption or building integrity2
Overview
• Our approach to transparency
• Supporting WIN
• Training @ IRC
• Zambia & Mozambique: ongoing work
• Matt Damon should tell the truth
• Practice what you preach: transparency at IRC
• Differences between urban & rural WASH
• Our transparent people

3. Our approach to transparency
• first formulated in 2004
• positive and preventative
• building stronger systems of transparency
• not investigating cases of corruption
• partnering e.g. with TI and WIN
• addressing issues both in north (donors) and south (govt, service
providers, consumers)
Fighting corruption or building integrity3

4. Supporting WIN
Fighting corruption or building integrity4
• Founding member with
WSP, SIWI & TI
• Former International Steering
Committee member
• Initial communication &
website support
• Annotated Water Integrity
Scan (AWIS)
• Hosting WIN Foundation office
Kathy Shordt: the “mother” of WIN

5. Training @ IRC
• Training courses
• OpenCourseWare - www.irc.nl/page/55370
• Contributed to Water Integrity Manual
• Contributed to WBI/TI guide book and
supported pilot training courses in Nicaragua
& Honduras based on book
Fighting corruption or building integrity5

6. Zambia & Mozambique
ongoing work
Zambia
• Water integrity risk and opportunity mapping desk study
Mozambique
• Developing anti corruption strategy for National Directorate of
Water, based on:
corruption risk mapping, water integrity surveys & documenting
good practices
Fighting corruption or building integrity6

7. Matt Damon should tell the truth (1)
“For only $25 Water.org can get someone safe water for life.”
Fighting corruption or building integrity7

8. Matt Damon should tell the truth (2)
Crucial for sector monitoring & transparency:
Knowing the life-cycle costs of sustainable WASH service delivery
www.washcost.info
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9. Practice what you preach
• Core value: “We work with integrity, honesty and transparency”
• www.reporting.irc.nl
• Signatory to INGO accountability charter – read our compliance
reports
• External complaints policy & online form
• Upcoming challenges:
– Decentralised country offices
– Greater involvement in WASH implementation projects
Fighting corruption or building integrity9

10. Differences between rural & urban WASH
• Urban areas:
– bigger budgets
– more oversight (regulation, professionalised monitoring, media
attention)
• Rural areas:
– less oversight, reliance on volunteerism & community-based
monitoring (see Kerala sanitation best practise case study)
– water committees generally not legalised, need to
professionalised
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11. Our transparent people
• Contact: Dr. John Butterworth, coordinator, butterworth@irc.nl
• Alana Potter – southern Africa and training
• Cor Dietvorst – FoI laws, right to water & sanitation
• Kathleen Shordt (Associate) – retired IRC staff member, the
“mother” of WIN
• Jan Teun Visscher (Associate) - ex-IRC director, facilitator of
research and change processes and mediator
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