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UNICEF Ghana

Country Programme 2018-2022

Draft Programme strategy note: WASH

1. Introduction

The overarching vision of results for children in the WASH sector is to ensure universal access to safe

drinking water and sanitation, supported by good hygiene practices, with the aims of increasing child

survival and reducing morbidity and mortality caused by WASH-related diseases and poor sanitation.

This vision derives from the National Water Policy (2007), Environmental Sanitation Policy (revised 2010)

and the Water Sector Strategic Development Plan (WSSDP) 2012-2025, which set the overall strategic

direction for the sector and many of its targets. These national strategies align with the targeted

outcomes of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with the challenging targets of achieving

nationwide open defecation free (ODF) status by 2020 and universal safe sanitation and water access

supported by good hygiene practices by 2025, with 98 per cent functionality of water supplies. Building

on its comparative advantage of a history of strong partnerships with the Government, including private

sector participation, its ability to bring together key partners on operational research and strategy

development and expertise in behaviour change approaches, the UNICEF WASH programme will support

the Government in implementing and refining these policies and strategies through a mix of evidence

generation for scale up, capacity-building and system strengthening.

This strategy was developed in partnership with government, civil society, private sector and

development partners through bilateral and sector-wide consultations from September 2016 to May

2017, including a review of the Situation Analysis, a Strategic Moment of Reflection and a review of

UNICEF s proposed strategy. This engagement enabled the sector to validate key assessments and

assumptions, inform decisions on prioritisation, identify collaborative and synergistic initiatives and

opportunities, eliminate potential duplication and develop collective ownership of the proposed

strategy.

The establishment of the new Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, provides the sector, including

the WASH programme, a focus for government support. The WASH programme will seek to build

capacity in the new Ministry to deliver its mandate and to support the development of cross-sectoral

linkages. Given its inter-sectoral nature, the WASH programme will continue to work with a range of

other government counterparts: the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development; Ministry of

Education; Ministry of Health; Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection; Ministry of Finance;

Ghana Statistical Services and the new Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation; Local Government Service

Secretariat; and National Development Planning Commission.

Expected milestones for the country programme period include: at the global level, the finalization of

the new UNICEF Strategic Plan, 2018-2021; at the national level, the finalization and implementation of

the Long-Term National Development Plan, 2018-2057 and its 10 medium-term plans, and related

efforts and forums related to the SDGs; and within the sector, the Sanitation and Water for All 2017

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High-Level Meeting and review of a sectoral strategies to assess progress and decide on any needed

course corrections - Community Water and Sanitation Agency Corporate Plan and Strategic Investment

Plan, Integrated Water Resource Management Plan, Rural Sanitation Model and Strategy, and the

National Environmental Sanitation Strategic Action Plan (the review should occur in 2017). Additionally,

there is a need for a National ODF Strategy to achieve ODF by 2020, leading to national ODF declaration.

In addition to these existing strategies, the establishment of the new ministry may result in revision

and/or consolidation of existing policies and strategies, or in the development of new policies and

strategies.

In developing the WASH programme, broad direction has been taken from the UNICEF Global WASH

2016-2030 Strategic Plan, particularly the need to improve enabling environments, accountability, cross-

sectoral work and leveraging of resources, together with the emerging emphasis on climate change and

urban pressures and engaging the private sector in solutions. The programme also looks to mainstream

gender in accordance with the UNICEF Gender Action Plan, with particular focus on promoting gender-

responsive adolescent health and advancing girls secondary education.

2. Prioritized issues and areas1

Child deprivations, vulnerabilities and risks

Only 14 per cent of households (one in seven) have access to an improved, household sanitation facility

and one in six households practice open defecation. Over 3,600 children die every year in Ghana from

diarrhoea, yet households with improved sanitation have child diarrhoea rates that are 58 per cent

lower than households practicing open defecation and about half that of those using shared facilities.

While there are clear inequities in access rates between urban and rural areas and poor and rich

households, the overall access rates are so low that it is critically important to increase access to basic

sanitation at a national scale, with a primary focus on northern Ghana, where regional open defecation

rates are as high as 75 per cent.

Rural areas remain a priority with over 30 per cent practicing open defecation; however poor urban

WASH services, combined with increasing urbanization, are key factors in urban cholera outbreaks. In

2014, Ghana knew its worse cholera outbreak ever with over 28,000 cases and over 240 deaths. Slums in

Accra were the epicenter of cholera at a national and sub-regional level, indicative of the systemic

failure in the provision of WASH services to these areas and inequities in access. High rates of shared

and communal toilet use (69 per cent), combined with the lack of affordable urban household toilet

options, further exacerbate this challenge. The lack of consolidated strategies, for urban and small town

sanitation behavior change communication (BCC) and the lack of evidence on success of the current

rural approach has resulted in a range of differing (and sometimes conflicting) BCC approaches being

implemented under different partner programmes, with minimal overall national progress.

1 This section draws on the Situation Analysis, Programmatic Analysis, Sanitation and Water for All Commitments,

WASH Sector Bottleneck Analysis, DHS 2014, and Ghana Living Standards Survey 2014.

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Disaster vulnerability, particularly flooding, presents a challenge to householders; however the cheapest

flood-resilient toilet designs suited to Ghana are currently financially beyond the reach of the poorest

communities, meaning that these communities are particularly vulnerable to flood impacts and

associated disease risks. Climate change is likely to exacerbate these vulnerabilities.

While nearly all Ghanaians have access to improved water sources, more than three in every five

Ghanaians drink water that is unsafe, either as a result of fecal contamination or arsenic; about one

third of this is attributable to handling and storage practices after collection, yet only 4 per cent of

households treat water suitably prior to drinking and 93 per cent of households do not treat water at

all. Whilst the National Drinking Water Quality Management Framework (NDWQMF) provides a

framework for addressing these risks, based on water safety plans (WSPs), the NDWQMF has not yet

been implemented at scale.

Nationally there is a strong correlation between poverty and collection time for water, with the

poorest quintile over 20 times more likely to have to spend more than 30 minutes collecting water than

the richest quintile. There are also significant regional inequities, with households in the Northern

Region 16 times more likely to have to spend more than 30 minutes collecting water than those in

Greater Accra. Gender inequities in access to WASH services are likely to be evident in long collection

times for water, a burden that is largely tasked to women and children.

Low water supply reliability is likely to be a significant contributing factor to falling access rates to water

within 30 minutes in rural areas. Local studies have indicated that about 30 per cent of water supplies

may not be reliable and that urban supplies are intermittent, and, together with water quality concerns,

this may underpin the significant shift to sachet water in urban areas. The use of sachet water (with

weak quality control) for drinking has increased almost four-fold since 2008. Whilst ad hoc approaches

are looking at ensuring safe, sustainable supplies, including engaging the private sector (particularly in

peri-urban areas) there is inadequate documentation on system sustainability and water quality to

facilitate scaling up of these approaches.

About two of every five children in Ghana (44 per cent) attend schools without toilets and three out of

every five (62 per cent) attend schools without water sources, and these figures are decreasing year on

year. Regionally there are significant inequities of access, with children in Western Region about half as

likely to have access to school toilets (30 per cent) as those in Upper East (57 per cent) and about 50 per

cent less likely to have access to water than those in Central Region (45 per cent compared to 67 per

cent respectively). Although data are not collected on school facilities for handwashing and menstrual

hygiene management, the low access rates for water and toilets indicate that there are also likely to be

low rates for both, especially impacting on adolescent girls as menstruation can be a major barrier to

girls’ attendance at school due to a lack of facilities.

There are inadequate data to assess the availability of WASH facilities in health centres. Localized

studies suggest that the available services are typically inadequate and that handwashing by midwives

prior to delivery is limited (30 per cent); yet simple handwashing with soap by birth attendants and

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mothers can reduce sepsis, one institutional (school and health facility) WASH facilities and BCC

approaches is compounded by the lack of national strategies to provide WASH facilities for all

institutions, which is in turn constrained by the lack of affordable school WASH facility designs, and

documentation on cost-effective BCC approaches.

The single most cost-effective way to reduce child diarrhoea and pneumonia deaths is handwashing

with soap and water or ash (HWWS), yet in Ghana less than 21 per cent of people have household

handwashing facilities. While this rate has nearly doubled in three years, it is likely that four out of every

five Ghanaians do not wash their hands regularly. Although rates of HWWS vary regionally and urban

rates are double those of rural areas, rates are so low nationally that HWWS remains a nationally

important issue. Despite a significant private sector interest in handwashing, engagement of the private

sector in increasing household demand has been limited and there is no consolidated national approach

to do so.

Although the policy and strategy framework for the sector is relatively well developed, key gaps remain,

including the lack of a strategy to achieve national ODF status, and the lack of an urban sanitation

strategy; and key sector strategies, including the National Environmental Sanitation Strategy and Action

Plan (NESSAP), are overdue for review. The sector framework is relatively sound; however sector

strategies, programmes and key outcomes and outputs tend to have limited cross-sectoral engagement

or alignment of strategies, advocacy, investment and M&E. Whilst the impacts of climate change are

broadly considered as part of the policy and strategy framework, specific climate change impacts on

programmatic outcomes are not well considered, including assessment of water resources (particularly

groundwater) and mitigation strategies required to address sanitation and hygiene pressures associated

with climate change.

Considerable progress has been made in building sectoral capacity, but delays in implementation of

Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) commitments, including limited government funding, have

constrained progress. The current global revision of the SWA focus to align with SDG targets presents an

opportunity over the next few years for government to refine international and national commitments

to align with national priorities.

Low decentralized capacity is a bottleneck to scaling up of service delivery and behaviour change

programmes, with challenges identified in decentralized financial and programmatic management and

technical capacity. Against a background of reducing donor funding and increasing household income,

reflecting Ghana s middle income status, there is a potentially increasing mismatch of decentralized

government capacity, traditionally focused on implementation, with the increasing need for

government to facilitate and regulate the private sector to leverage household investment.

Underlying Causes

In identifying the sector challenges, the following cross-cutting underlying causes have been identified:

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Inadequate capacities of government (decentralized and national) and civil society, including

technical, communication, regulatory, financial, governance, planning, advocacy, emergency

planning and response, and management capacities;

Lack of financing mechanisms to enable the poor to invest, small and medium-sized enterprises

to grow and institutions and water source operators to sustainably recover costs;

Lack of demonstrated national strategies to achieve urban sanitation access, safe drinking water

quality and universal access to WASH facilities in schools and to ensure access during and after

emergencies;

Lack of targeted evidence-based knowledge products to inform individuals, government, the

private sector and CSOs on technical, financial and service options;

The private sector is unaware of opportunities and unwilling to invest in the WASH sector;

Weak or non-existent supply chains;

Weak urban planning with no focus on poor or integration of infrastructure and services;

Lack of affordable, desirable, resilient, gender-responsive, sustainable service and infrastructure

models;

Lack of behaviour change strategies demonstrated at scale.

Structural challenges provide the context for the causal analysis on each issue, including:

Poverty, resulting in insufficient household income associated with multiple deprivations;

impacting on capacity to pay, low prioritization of water, sanitation and hygiene (c.f. health,

education, income generation & food);

Gender inequalities impacting on demand (i.e., decision making regarding household

expenditure on WASH), division of labour and participation;

Macroeconomic challenges, limiting government funding for investment in improving service

delivery and building institutional capacity, and driving high interest rates limiting financing

options;

Low political prioritization, reflected in the lack of investment and lack of accountability

frameworks for urban planning, WASH service delivery, regulation and monitoring and

evaluation;

Limited knowledge and awareness of the negative implications that the absence of WASH

facilities and gender-responsive WASH strategies has on the status and opportunities of women

and girls;

Norms and attitudes, typified by the broad acceptance of open defecation (householders and

communities) and public toilets (politicians to householders), and low handwashing rates;

Urban migration, increasing pressures on services and slum development;

Environmental challenges, including flood-prone communities, challenging environments (e.g.,

limited local water resources limiting water supply, shallow groundwater and poor soils limiting

sanitation options) and climate change.

UNICEF comparative advantage, lessons learned from the previous CPD, and contribution by

development partners are clearly articulated following the Theory of Change.

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3. Theory of change

The vision for change for the overall WASH sector is that more children and their families have access

to safe drinking water and sanitation, supported by good hygiene practices.

The Programme will have two distinct result areas (outcomes) contributing to increasing child survival

and reducing morbidity and mortality caused by WASH related diseases and poor sanitation - one

targeting increased access to improved sanitation and hygiene practices and the other increasing access

to safe drinking water. Both outcomes will be achieved through strengthened systems encompassing:

evidence-based costed strategies and financing approaches; demonstrated implementation approaches

for scaling-up; accountable financial tracking mechanisms; and improved capacities and knowledge on

essential WASH-related behaviours, norms, vulnerabilities, governance and programme management.

Conditions of Change

In delivering this vision, three key conditions of change required: the demand for universal access to

safe drinking water and sanitation, supported by safe hygiene practices; the availability (or supply) of

safe water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, and an enabling environment to ensure their quality and

sustainability at all times.

The demand for safe household and institutional latrines, water and hygiene facilities, supported by

knowledge of appropriate practices, is critical for generating political will to provide institutional

facilities and to support the enabling environment, in generating market pressures to engage the private

sector to provide supply options and to ensure that people actually use and maintain available facilities.

Universal availability of affordable, accessible, sustainable, safe options for sanitation, water supply

and hygiene facilities is critical to enable people to have and to use facilities. An enabling environment

with sufficient regulatory, financing, planning and M&E capacity, facilitating household and private

sector investment is fundamental to ensuring the quality of drinking water and sanitation and hygiene

facilities at all times, including during emergencies.

Lessons Learned

Whilst the Rural Sanitation Model and Strategy (RSMS) may provide a sound strategy for addressing the

high open defecation rates and low access to basic sanitation in Ghana, low sector ODF conversion rates

(typically 5 to 10%) confirm that there are significant improvements required in the way that the RSMS

has been implemented. Initial work undertaken by UNICEF indicates that more detailed planning and

follow-up by facilitators into communities can significantly increase conversion rates (up to 85% in three

months). The development of an approach based on natural leaders, supported by direct CSO support in

districts has the potential to ensure that there is capacity to deliver CLTS in local dialect, whilst building

district programme management capacity. Initial field results (within three months to the end of 2016)

show an increase in conversion rates to over 40% at scale. The development of financing approaches for

rural sanitation, including targeted subsidies identified both the need and strategic ways of introducing

social protection mechanisms to support the poor in sanitation programmes. More research is ongoing

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through an operational research programme to further refine RSMS delivery, including incorporating

sanitation marketing and results-based financing approaches.

Work by numerous partners in urban and small town sanitation behavior change programmes indicates

that different approaches are required for urban and rural sanitation, with small towns requiring a

mix of these approaches. There is an increased need to mix and match availability and access to services

(demand creation, private sector engagement and access to markets) with actual demand (social norms,

behaviour change communication or BCC ). Further, there remains a significant challenge in identifying

affordable household sanitation options for the urban poor, with high interest rates (commercial bank

rates around 30%) restricting borrowing capacity. Innovative technical and/or financial options are

needed to enable the urban poor to afford household sanitation.

A better understanding is needed of how to facilitate leveraging of household income and private sector

investment in improving access to WASH services and how to support the Government in adapting its

role from one of implementer to facilitator and regulator. This would be facilitated by the review and

release of national guidelines to engage the private sector in supporting handwashing behavior change

at scale and in delivering sustainable options for safe water supply in peri-urban and small town

environments.

The formation of the new Ministry for Sanitation and Water Resources indicates an increase in

government prioritization of the WASH sector; however intensified policy dialogue and advocacy

efforts are needed to secure adequate funding to meet existing commitments, or at least to prioritize

limited funding, building on the results of sustainability audits that provide a template for all future

government and development partner investments.

Information is required on the status of WASH facilities and practices in health centres, which, together

with the ongoing study to demonstrate health impacts, can be the basis for a national costed strategy

for WASH in health centres. The evidence generated by this research will be the basis for advocacy with

the Ministry of Health to commit to funding and implementing the strategy.

A broader costed national strategy is required to deliver universal access to water and sanitation in

schools, supported by evidenced-based advocacy to generate a commitment by the Ministry of

Education to dedicate funding for the strategy. The strategy would be based on demonstrated

affordable, scalable, sustainable, safe, gender-sensitive, child- and disability-friendly designs for

school sanitation, water and handwashing facilities. This would include scaling-up the demonstrated

results of a low-cost strategy (Tippy Taps) to provide handwashing facilities into all schools.

Finally, cross-cutting strategies linking WASH, nutrition, education and health activities and outcomes

are critical in ensuring that impacts of WASH interventions are optimized, including alignment of sector

strategies, advocacy, investment and M&E.

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Cross-cutting assumptions and Risks

Underpinning the WASH programme is the cross-cutting assumption that there will be ongoing political

stability and accountability. More specific assumptions relate to achieving specific outputs, notably:

High-level commitment (both national and decentralized) to finding and supporting appropriate

solutions, including funding for core government commitments, and to planning and strategies,

recognizing that there are multiple factors that can influence priorities;

It is possible to identify affordable, sustainable, gender-responsive, accessible technical

solutions given the financial and environmental constraints of the range of Ghanaian

communities;

The sector and financial environments are conducive to private sector and bank investment in

WASH and they in turn are able to invest in the WASH sector;

Most of the capacity built through capacity-building strategies can be retained, maintained or

readily rebuilt in high-attrition environments; and

Individuals and communities are willing to be engaged and to take responsibility for their WASH

service challenges.

In developing the theory of change it is critical to ensure that strategies are in place to address key risks

to deliver the conditions of change. Whilst specific risks associated with pathways of change are

addressed below, there are a range of cross-cutting risks that need to be mitigated to enable conditions

of change to be achieved.

Macroeconomic improvement in Ghana may be slow or stop, threatening investment in the WASH

sector, particularly government funding. In order to mitigate the impacts of ongoing high interest rates

and low government funding associated with a macroeconomic slow-down, strong evidence-based

advocacy is critical to ensure the prioritization of government investment of limited funds in the WASH

sector, and in developing government s capacity to facilitate private sector participation in order to

maximize household investment.

To mitigate the potential impacts of major disasters on government capacities and systems, it is

important to strengthen these and decentralize capacity and resilience mechanisms as much as

possible, maximizing local resilience to stresses, to ensure increased preparedness in an age and gender

responsive manner. Changing government carries the normal risks of the need to engage new political

(and sometimes senior civil service) leaders. There is also the potential risk that any existing strategies

may been politically associated with the previous government. These concerns are somewhat offset by

the incoming party s manifesto, which highlighted similar targets as the outgoing government (albeit in

less detail), and the anticipated desire for the country to achieve the SDGs. Targeted evidence-based

advocacy, supported by strengthening CSO advocacy capacity should further mitigate potential political

impacts. The major risks are disease outbreaks, particularly cholera, and flooding affecting sanitation,

especially in urban areas.

3.1 Sanitation and hygiene

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The vision for change in the sanitation sector is that more Ghanaian children and their families will have

increased access to safe, sustainable sanitation, supported by a multisectoral WASH system

encompassing: evidence-based costed strategies for urban and rural sanitation and elimination of open

defecation, WASH in institutions and hygiene for all; accountable financial tracking mechanisms; and

improved capacities and knowledge on essential WASH-related behaviours and norms and

vulnerabilities.

The pathways to achieve this vision are outlined below, together with specific assumptions.

Consideration of these assumptions and the need to mitigate associated risks will be implicit in the

implementation of activities to deliver the vision.

3.1.1 More children and their families have access to basic sanitation, supported by more

effective national strategies

If scalable strategies for behaviour change communication and social norms are demonstrated to

generate sufficient household and community demand for sanitation services, and

If affordable resilient, sustainable sanitation service and product options are identified for poor

households in flood-prone areas and in high-density urban areas; and/or financing or social

protection mechanisms are able to address the gap between affordability and service cost, and

If adequate government and CSO technical, communication, regulatory, financial, governance,

planning, advocacy, emergency response and management capacity is developed through

sustainable systems, and

If it is possible to demonstrate sufficient profit margins to facilitate a market-driven approach to

facilitate rural poor sanitation supply, and

If in suitable pro-poor planning and master plans are developed integrating safely managed

household, institutional and communal facilities and services in urban areas,

Then, there will be the demand for household latrines and a supply of affordable, accessible, safe

sustainable latrines and sanitation services and the enabling environment to ensure the quality of

services and products sustainably, and

If the demand can be generated, and the supply met for household latrines, supported by a robust

enabling environment,

Then there will be universal coverage of household sanitation services and the end of open

defecation

In achieving this outcome, in addition to the cross-cutting assumptions that need to be realized, it is

important for government to be willing to make the shift from service delivery to facilitation and

regulation at decentralized levels and that the private sector is able and willing to establish supply

chains to meet demand.

3.1.2 More children and mothers have access to institutional sanitation facilities meeting

national standards

If affordable school sanitation services can be demonstrated at scale, and

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If a costed strategy can be developed for affordable, sustainable WASH services and hygiene BCC in

schools, and

If a costed strategy can be developed for sustainable WASH services and hygiene BCC in health

facilities, and

If behavior change communication approaches can be mainstreamed into nursing and teaching

curricula,

Then, there will be the demand for institutional sanitation facilities, and a supply of affordable,

accessible, safe sustainable sanitation and hygiene services and the enabling environment to ensure

the quality of services and products sustainably, and

If the demand can be generated, and the supply met for institutional latrines, supported by a robust

enabling environment,

Then there will be sustainable universal coverage of institutional (school and health centre)

sanitation services

This outcome assumes that government accepts the standards for more affordable sanitation facilities

for schools and supports fund-raising mechanisms to offset the costs of constructing and operating

WASH facilities or raises the capitation grants to sufficient levels. In order to ensure that the services are

sustainable, it is also important that there is suitable pro-poor planning and master plans are developed

integrating household, institutional and communal facilities. These are areas where UNICEF would

provide technical support, but where core government support is being led by UN-Habitat and by

development banks and bilaterals who bring comparative advantages to these areas.

3.1.3 Communities, institutions and service providers have improved capacities and

knowledge on essential WASH-related household behaviours and norms that promote the

overall well-being of children and mothers

If scalable strategies for BCC and social norms are demonstrated to generate sufficient household

and community demand for toilets use, HWWS and for MHM facilities in institutions, and

If adequate government and CSO technical, communication, regulatory, financial, governance,

planning, advocacy, emergency response and management capacity is developed through

sustainable systems, and

If it is possible to demonstrate sufficient profit margins to facilitate a market-driven approach to

facilitate HWWS and MHM,

Then, there will be the demand for hygiene products and a supply of affordable, accessible, safe

sustainable hygiene products and the enabling environment to ensure the quality of programmes

and products sustainably, and

If the demand can be generated, and the supply met for hygiene products, supported by a robust

enabling environment,

Then there will be sustainable universal equitable hygiene for all

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Key assumptions in delivering this outcome includes the need for to engage the private sector in

partnerships that meet both commercial and development needs and that the private sector is able and

willing to establish supply chains to meet demand.

3.1.4 An improved equity-based information and financial tracking system is used to report

publically nationally and sub-nationally

If key sector strategies to increase equity can be identified, supported by equity indicators, and

If systems can be developed to provide greater transparency in tracking funds and results, and

If information systems can be develop to inform decisions, and

If CSOs (particularly the Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation (CONIWAS) have strengthened

capacities for evidence-based advocacy and to hold government accountable,

Then equity-based WASH services and government investment will be reported publically at the

national and sub-national levels

In order to deliver this outcome, it is assumed that there will be political commitment (decentralized

and national) to prioritizing equity outcomes, translating to funding linked to equity indicators, to clear

budget lines for WASH activities at both the national and decentralized levels and to mainstreamed

funding for systems and reporting mechanisms. It is also assumed that work by partners (World Bank

and IRC) delivers a national Sector Information System platform that links relevant WASH databases and

indicators.

3.2 More children and their families have access to access to affordable and safe drinking

water

The vision for change is that the more Ghanaian children and their families will have increased access to

safe, sustainable sanitation, supported by a government system to ensure universal and sustainable

accessible water services, encompassing the implementation of the National Drinking Water Quality

Management Framework, mechanisms for sustainable financing, and approaches to address urban

water challenges, climate change and emergency preparedness and response.

The pathways to achieve this vision are outlined below, together with key assumptions. Consideration of

these assumptions and the need to mitigate associated risks will be implicit in the implementation of

activities to deliver the vision.

3.2.1 More children have access to safe water supplies through more sustainable financing

and management approaches

If adequate national and decentralized government and CSO technical, communication, regulatory,

financial, governance, planning, advocacy, emergency response and management capacity is

developed through sustainable systems, and

If the value of all elements of the National Drinking Water Quality Management Framework can be

demonstrated to deliver safely managed water supplies, and

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If commercially managed water supply services for small towns can be demonstrated to be

financially viable, and

If CSOs (particularly CONIWAS) have strengthened capacities for evidence-based advocacy to invest

in safe water supplies and to hold government accountable, and

If impacts of urban water and climate change challenges on children are rigorously defined and

attributed, and

If equitable strategies are identified to respond to impacts of urban water and climate change

challenges on children, and

If commercially managed systems can be demonstrated to provide universally affordable water at

scale, and/or social protection mechanisms can be built into financing mechanisms to

accommodate the very poor,

Then affordable, accessible, safe water supplies can be provided and managed to provide access to

all, and the enabling environment can ensure the quality of programmes and products sustainably,

and

If safe water can be provided to meet the demand, supported by a robust enabling environment,

Then there will be universal access to safe drinking water

In order to deliver this outcome, it is assumed that there will be political commitment to cross-sectoral

collaboration. It is also assumed that there is an existing demand for safe water, supported by the

significant shift to sachet water, with people willing to pay significantly more for accessible water

perceived as safe than for alternative sources and work by Safe Water Network on demand. Critical to

delivering this outcome are the assumption that there will be political (decentralized and national)

acceptance of and commitment to private sector delivery of services, including those built with public

sector funding and that decentralized government can be convinced to make the shift from service

delivery to facilitation and regulation. Additionally, in delivering this outcome, it is assumed that there

will be political (decentralized and national) acceptance of existence of urban water challenges and

climate change and their associated impacts and responses. Additionally, it is assumed that evidence on

mitigating urban challenges will be incorporated by other partners, notably the government utility,

Ghana Water Company Ltd, to address financing and inequity challenges.

3.2.2 Improved WASH sector risk reduction planning and response to emergencies

This result will be supported by a functioning Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan (ERPP) and

coordinating mechanisms to respond.

If capacity is developed to identify and cost clear preparedness requirements at national and

subnational levels, including understanding of addressing gender, age and location specific

vulnerabilities, and

If adequate national and decentralized government and CSO technical, communication, regulatory,

financial, governance, planning, advocacy, emergency response and management capacity is

developed through sustainable systems,

Then Ghana will be able to prepare and respond to WASH challenges associated with emergencies

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It is assumed that there will be government (decentralized and national) commitment to cross-sectoral

roles and responsibilities for emergency response, particularly during emergencies.

UNICEF Priorities

In identifying UNICEF s key priorities, a filtering mechanisms was applied:

The first priority was to target the greatest deprivations, as outlined in the Prioritized Areas and

Issues. In terms of impacts, these include: addressing the high rates of open defecation and low

rates of access to improved sanitation at a national scale (and particularly in northern Ghana);

inequities in access to water supplies (particularly wealth, geographical and gender inequities) the

low proportion of children drinking safe water; the high proportion of children attending schools

without sanitation facilities, safe water and hygiene (handwashing and MHM) facilities; the lack

of information on WASH facilities in health centres and the nationally low rates of handwashing.

Within these areas, UNICEF s mandate as guided by the UNICEF Global WASH 2016-2030 Strategic

Plan (the Strategic Plan) is to continue work on water safety, sustainability and access, sanitation

social norms, access and sustainability, increasing focus on hygiene behaviour change;

strengthening systems, capacity, accountability, stakeholder participation, cross-sectoral work

(with a focus on WASH in institutions, gender and disability) and leveraging public and private

financing; and moving into climate resilient WASH, urban WASH, market shaping and engaging the

private sector. Whilst recognizing the need for country adaptation of the broad strategy guidance,

the Strategic Plan indicates that UNICEF will generally not invest in large urban WASH

infrastructure.

Within the areas of mandate, UNICEF must also review where it offers comparative advantages to

other partners. Currently, the areas where partners that are expected to take a lead role include:

investment in major infrastructure (banks, bilateral development partners, government and the

private sector); master plan and public-private partnership development (banks, UNDP or bilateral

development partners); and commercial financing mechanisms (banks, SNV). It is assumed that

implementation at scale beyond the life of existing grants will be undertaken by other partners and

government. It is reasonable that UNICEF may look to provide technical assistance to

support/complement many of these activities, or to provide a brokering or knowledge management

role where appropriate.

Finally, the capacities and resources available to UNICEF will be a factor in the scale and scope of the

UNICEF priorities and programming. WASH development partners in Ghana have indicated that their

development investments are being impacted by Ghana s middle-income country status; with likely

significant reductions in ODA from most partners both before and during the 2018-2022 cycle. The

World Bank and African Development Bank have already shifted from grants to loans. The

Government of the Netherlands (one of UNICEF s key funding partners in the current cycle) is

looking to move from aid to trade investment in Ghana by 2020. Canada (UNICEF WASH s key

funding partner) may significantly reduce funding, DFID is looking at ceasing direct aid funding

support to Ghana by 2018 and USAID has not openly stated its medium-term sectoral investment

plans, but indicated reduced investment. As funding is anticipated to reduce significantly through

the country programme period, it is considered unlikely that, beyond current funding, UNICEF will

14

have the resources to demonstrate approaches at scale (typically at regional or sub-regional level).

Rather, UNICEF is likely to be involved in brokering the demonstration at scale of approaches,

piloting approaches or providing technical assistance collaboratively with partners and/or

government implementing at scale to demonstrate scalability.

The UNICEF programme to align with these priorities will therefore encompass key evidence generation

to support policy and strategy development and refinement and to guide improved implementation,

system strengthening to ensure a robust enabling environment, supported by targeted capacity

building.

For both outcomes, evidence generation will focus on affordable, desirable, sustainable, gender-

responsive and resilient designs to address urban water challenges; climate change mitigation; equity;

pro-poor financing mechanisms; private sector partnership models; refining rural and urban sanitation

strategies and development of pilot programmes including for behaviour change in urban areas, WASH

in schools and health centres, and water safety planning. The evidence generated will be used to

develop and sequence strategies for BCC with the aim of creating/modifying social norms and changing

behaviours and promoting equity in Ghana.

In the area of system strengthening, UNICEF will support the Government to develop and/or implement

sectoral strategies and plans including: a national ODF plan, supported by an strategy for achieving

urban ODF, including market shaping and private sector engagement, and social norms campaigns;

costed strategies for WASH in schools and health centres, including infrastructure; finalizing and

improving the strategy for handwashing with soap, with the participation of the private sector; the

national Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan; MHM in schools; and the implementation

strategy for the national Drinking Water Quality Management Framework. The programme will aim to

consolidate these plans and strategies at national level and demonstrate their applicability at regional

and district levels, using equity-based sectoral indicators, decentralized government accountability

mechanisms, budget monitoring and reviews and reporting to monitor and evaluate their effectiveness.

Capacity-building support will focus on building and demonstrating capacities at national and

decentralized levels for emergency response, integration of behaviour change programming into the

nursing and teaching curricula, a capacity gap analysis for private sector partnerships and regulation,

developing multi-sectoral strategies (or at least activities), and building civil society capacities for

evidence-based advocacy.

WASH by its nature is cross-cutting, contributing to health, education and child protection outcomes as

well as poverty reduction. Positive outcomes in WASH contribute to improved nutrition and access to

education, and to reducing gender inequities, gender-based violence and lost income due to illness. In

the education sector, the WASH in Schools (WinS) programming element will seek to mainstream WASH

as a core component of child-friendly schools, contributing to both learning and universal access to

WASH services outcomes. Similarly, programming associated with WASH in health centres will seek to

mainstream universal WASH facilities and behaviours as a core component of the health agenda, with

15

joint health and WASH outcomes. Opportunities will be explored for cross-sectoral C4D approaches to

link health, WASH and nutrition messages and strategies. Further linkages to nutritional programming

will be developed to mainstream WASH outcomes as core nutrition outcomes, developing additional

advocacy, C4D and potentially programmatic linkages. Targeted work will seek to generate evidence at

subnational level on links between nutrition and WASH status.

Gender analysis will precede all programme interventions and gender mainstreaming will be part of

planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation to ensure equitable WASH programming.

Strategies will include the WinS and sanitation behaviour change programmes, which will continue to

advocate safer access to facilities for children, particularly girls, reducing their vulnerability to violence.

The WinS programme will continue to provide an entry point for menstrual hygiene management,

knowledge and practices, as school-based C4D strategies are leveraged into communities. Ensuring

access for disabled children to WASH facilities will continue to be a focal point of all WASH

programming, particularly WinS. WASH strategies for increasing pro-poor access include development of

poverty-targeting mechanisms to enable targeted subsidies in particularly vulnerable or poor

communities, with specific work looking at demonstrating application of the LEAP targeting mechanisms

in poor urban areas and generating evidence for advocacy for use of the mechanisms.

Humanitarian work will continue to be focused on building coordination, cooperation and capacity

across Ghana partners The Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan needs to be supported by an

implementation plan for rolling-out the strategy to regions and districts. Based on past cholera outbreak

dynamics, research and epidemiological studies, government will be supported to identify short, mid

and long term prevention strategies as to reduce the likelihood of outbreak occurrences and associated

impacts in high priority areas. Humanitarian WASH remains limited to support to UNHCR for the

remaining Ivorian refugee camps. In terms of attention to environmental health and disaster prevention,

there is a potential role for UNICEF by partnering with UN-HABITAT and UNDP, but limiting its focus to

the management of human waste and rural water supply, based on comparative advantage.

Key partnerships

For sanitation, significant partners in sector-wide operational research will include the World Bank,

Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor, the Embassy of the Netherlands and the NGO Global

Communities, all of which have significant urban and/or rural sanitation programmes. UNICEF will be

looking to the World Bank to lead support for government master planning, with UNICEF offering

expertise in household sanitation. UN-Habitat provides key strengths in urban slum development and

slum water supplies (as an interface between the banks and government) and is a strong advocate for

improved housing and development for the urban poor.

UNICEF is exploring partnerships with several INGOs and social enterprises through which these

organizations would provide urban sanitation technology or service solutions and UNICEF would support

development of the enabling environment and government capacity-building. From the broader

financing aspect, the Government of the Netherlands and the World Bank have been exploring financing

16

options, together with SNV and several Ghanaian banks. UNICEF would look to link the sanitation

marketing and demand generation with the financing mechanisms developed with these organizations.

UNICEF is currently exploring partnerships with the Water Engineering and Development Centre (WEDC

- Loughborough University), the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and

other academic institutions to explore sanitation service options and to strengthen research quality

control.

Partnerships with development partners are likely to be important in advocacy for reduced-cost

institutional toilets, an area where UNICEF has a strong comparative advantage in technical roles and

government partnerships. UNICEF may be looking to develop partnerships with an INGO with expertise

in MHM to build on its own WASH facility and management expertise.

There is also significant potential to explore private sector partnerships. For example, Unilever has

expressed interest in exploring partnerships around hand washing with soap, although further guidance

from NYHQ will be required on the potential scope of private sector partnerships.

The World Bank, IRC and Akvo are currently working with government and partners on the information

system components and UNICEF would look to work collaboratively, providing technical input on the

user needs and the indicators, reporting and aggregation. Additionally, UNICEF has the capacity to bring

key stakeholders together on accountability frameworks.

CONIWAS is an important partner in Ghana, particularly in terms of increasing government

accountability. At a local level, CONIWAS is looking to UNICEF for capacity-building support, and if well

supported, would become a strong long-term partner as its networks potentially provide a mechanism

for reaching communities with C4D approaches and a strong advocacy partner.

In the water sector, IRC and WHO are key partners. WHO provides complementary expertise to UNICEF

in key elements of the drinking water quality management framework (which is based on a WHO

framework). IRC is a key sector players in sustainable water supply and is likely to continue to look at

life-cycle costing and, potentially, water quality components.

The banks and bilateral development partners will be important partners in working with Ghana Water

Company Limited as they have more influence with this government partner. UNICEF would look to

leverage application of the Framework to deliver safe water to the urban poor. Whilst the banks and

bilateral partners are interested in urban water issues, currently their direction and the scope for

partnerships is as yet unclear, depending upon their commitment going forward. UN-Habitat will be a

crucial UN partner, and discussions have been planned for early in 2017 to start mapping out further

collaborative work in country.

In terms of financing mechanisms for community water supply, Safe Water Network is and likely will

continue to be UNICEF's primary partner in terms of demonstration and documentation. IRC is

17

important in terms of systems, financing/costing and M&E. For work on climate change, UNICEF s

comparative advantage is the ability to link CSOs, government and the private sector. UNDP is the lead

UN agency in terms of climate change, and UNICEF will work to clarify its scope and role in this area.

For emergency preparedness and response, IFRC, Global Communities and CONIWAS are key partners in

terms of implementation, procedures and feedback to inform the EPRP. UNICEF works with UNDP and

the RC s office in terms of strategic coordination of EPRP and linkages to the national Disaster

Management Organization and the national disaster framework.

4. Results structure

Outcome 1. More children and their families have access to basic sanitation, supported by more

effective national strategies

Output 1. Capacity of government is improved to implement the Rural Sanitation Model and

Strategy to generate demand and facilitate supply.

Output 2. Capacity of government is improved to implement a national urban sanitation

strategy to generate demand and facilitate supply.

Output 3. Capacity of government is improved to implement national strategies for WASH in

institutions.

Output 4. Capacity of government is improved to implement a national strategy to promote

adequate and equitable hygiene for all.

Output 5. Improved social accountability systems in place for WASH sector services.

The underlying hypothesis is that if the Government has the capacity to develop and implement

multisectoral, gender-responsive sanitation and hygiene systems, based on government plans and

policies, evidence-based costed strategies and changed social norms, and backed by political will and

adequate financial resources, then Ghana will be able to provide sanitation for all, including attaining

open defecation free status.

Outcome 2. More children and their families have access to affordable and safe drinking water

Output 1. Capacity of government is improved to deliver safe and sustainable drinking water

services to communities

Output 2. Improved capacity of national and decentralized government and CSOs to manage

risks and to prepare and respond to WASH challenges in emergencies

The underlying hypothesis is that if the Government has in place a system to ensure universal access to

affordable and sustainable water services, based on government plans and policies and sustainable

18

financing mechanisms and management models, then Ghana will be able to ensure access to clean,

affordable water supplies for all citizens, especially in urban areas, and be prepared to respond to

climate change and other emergencies.

5. Aligning results, strategies and required resources

In support of the achievement of the expected results and in line with the pathways of change and

broad strategies outlined above, the following provides the estimated resource requirement per

expected outputs. Current grant funding and associated activities will continue until the end of 2018.

2019 will be a transitional year in terms of both financial and personnel resources. It is anticipated that

the current staff structure will be maintained through 2018, fully funded under existing grants. The staff

and technical assistance structure outlined below will be reflected from 2019 onwards.

Outcome 1:

Output 1: Capacity of government is improved to implement the Rural

Sanitation Model and Strategy to generate demand and facilitate

supply

Total 5 years

RR OR

Staff and

technical

assistance

NOC – WASH Specialist (Sanitation)

NOB – WASH Officer (Sanitation)

NOB – WASH Officer (Sanitation) (Tamale)

NOC (50%) – WASH Specialist (Tamale)

GS6 (50%) – Programme Assistant

Temporary Assistance

$350,000 $1,150,000

Strategies

Service Delivery BCC implementation in three to five districts to

support national programmatic refinement $100,000 $1,650,000

Capacity

Development

(community)

C4D materials refined based on rural sanitation

operational research

Capacity of natural leaders built to facilitate

behaviour change

$100,000 $2,150,000

Institution-

Building

(organizational)

Capacity gap analysis and capacity building for

private sector facilitation, regulation, pro-poor

financing mechanisms (including social

protection and revolving funds), gender

mainstreaming and behaviour change (focus on

natural leaders)

$350,000 $4,000,000

19

Brokering of funding and technical support

Evidence

generation

Evidence of social norms results to inform

national strategies

Operational research (sanitation marketing and

sustainability of ODF) and technical review of

impacts of resulting strategies

$150,000 $850,000

Policy Dialogue

and Advocacy

National ODF Plan

Advocacy for investment in rural sanitation and

private sector facilitation

Review of national rural sanitation strategy and

investment plan

$250,000 $400,000

Total Non-Posts $950,000 $9,050,000

Output 2: Capacity of government is improved to implement a

national urban sanitation strategy to generate demand and facilitate

supply

Total 5 years

RR OR

Staff and

technical

assistance

P4 (50%) Chief WASH

P4 (50%) WASH Specialist (Sanitation & Knowledge

Management)

NOB (50%) WASH Officer (Service Delivery)

Temporary Assistance

$750,000 $1,200,000

Strategies

Service Delivery BCC implementation in three urban assemblies

to support national urban strategy

Targeted demonstration of national urban

strategy

$100,000 $1,250,000

Capacity

Development

(community)

C4D materials refined based on urban

sanitation operational research.

Capacity of community leaders built to facilitate

behaviour change to inform national strategy

development

$100,000 $650,000

Institution-

Building

(organizational)

Capacity gap analysis and capacity building for

private sector facilitation (including sanitation

service delivery), regulation, pro-poor financing

mechanisms (including social protection and

microfinance), gender mainstreaming,

sanitation value chain and behaviour change

Brokering of funding and technical support

$200,000 $2,900,000

Evidence

generation

Evidence of social norms results to inform

national strategies (jointly with rural sanitation)

Operational research (sanitation marketing,

sustainability of ODF and development of C4D

strategies) and technical review of impacts of

resulting strategies

Review of urban sanitation sludge management

options

$100,000 $1,250,000

Policy Dialogue National ODF Plan $150,000 $1,250,000

20

and Advocacy Advocacy for investment in urban sanitation

and private sector facilitation

National urban sanitation strategy and

investment plan

Total Non-Posts $650,000 $7,300,000

Output 3: Capacity of government is improved to implement national

strategies for WASH in institutions

Total 5 years

RR OR

Staff and

technical

assistance

NOC - WASH Specialist (WinI)

NOB - WASH Specialist (WinI) $250,000 $525,000

Strategies

Service Delivery Demonstration of low-cost school sanitation

facilities in three to five districts to support

advocacy

National scaling of low-cost handwashing

facilities in schools

Demonstration of scalable health and hygiene

education through play and sport (HHETPS)

$150,000 $1,775,000

Capacity

Development

(community)

Development of materials for HHETPS in

schools

Capacity development of child and youth

ambassadors

$50,000 $500,000

Institution-

Building

(organizational)

Behaviour change communication approaches

mainstreamed into nursing and teaching

curricula

Capacity gap analysis and associated planning

and support for implementation of costed

strategy for WASH in schools

Review of national guidelines to incorporate

improved hardware and software approaches

$100,000 $800,000

Evidence

generation

HHETPS operational research

Demonstration of affordable school sanitation

services in pilot districts

$250,000 $1,600,000

Policy Dialogue

and Advocacy

Costed strategy developed for affordable,

sustainable WASH services and hygiene BCC in

schools

Costed strategy developed for sustainable

WASH services and hygiene BCC in health

facilities

Advocacy for investment in WASH facilities and

software in schools and health facilities

$100,000 $400,000

Total Non-Posts $650,000 $5,075,000

Output 4: Capacity of government is improved to implement a

national strategy to promote adequate and equitable hygiene

for all

Total 5 years

RR OR

Staff and technical NOC - WASH Officer (Hygiene) $250,000

21

assistance

Strategies

Service Delivery Behaviour change strategies are

demonstrated in target districts

School-led low-cost HWWS

approaches demonstrated in target

districts

Low-cost MHM facilities

demonstrated in two districts

$550,000

Capacity

Development

(community)

C4D materials refined for HWWS

behaviour change approaches $100,000 $200,000

Institution-Building

(organizational)

Government and CSO capacity gap

analysis for implementation of

national handwashing strategy,

with subsequent plan for capacity

development and plan support

National MHM guidelines revised to

incorporate formative research

findings

Demonstration of revised MHM

guidelines

Low-cost school MHM facility

designs incorporated into national

guidelines

$150,000 $750,000

Evidence

generation

Study to identify profitability of

market-driven approaches to

facilitate HWWS and MHM

$50,000 $300,000

Policy Dialogue and

Advocacy

National plan for school-led HWWS

programme to reach all schools and

households

National HWWS strategy reviewed

Advocacy for investment in HWWS

and MHM strategies

$100,000 $250,000

Total Non-Posts $400,000 $2,050,000

Output 5: Improved social accountability systems in place for

WASH sector services

Total 5 years

RR OR

Staff and technical

assistance

P4 (50%) – Chief WSAH

P4 (50%) – WASH Specialist (Sanitation

& Knowledge Management)

NOB - WASH Officer (GIS / M&E)

$750,000 $1,200,000

Strategies

Service Delivery Logistic support to districts $75,000

Capacity

Development

(community)

Community monitoring

incorporated into national

monitoring systems

$0 $50,000

22

Institution-Building

(organizational)

CSOs (particularly the Coalition of

NGOs in Water and Sanitation

(CONIWAS) have strengthened

capacities for evidence-based

advocacy and to hold government

accountable

Sector management information

systems completed and

implemented to inform decisions

Government and CSO capacity gap

analysis for mainstreaming equity

(particularly gender) into

programmes. Capacity building plan

based on gap analysis developed

and implementation supported

$100,000 $275,000

Evidence

generation

Situation analysis & CPD

WASH equity indicators

incorporated into national surveys

(MICS, census, DHS and GLSS)

$250,000 $300,000

Policy Dialogue and

Advocacy

Key strategies to increase equity

identified and incorporated into

national strategies, supported by

equity indicators

Monitoring systems developed to

provide greater transparency in

tracking funds and results

Joint sector planning, reporting and

budgeting cycle harmonised

Advocacy for greater investment in

the WASH sector, with a focus on

addressing inequities

WASH, nutrition and health cross-

sectoral strategy assessment

$200,000 $200,000

Total Non-Posts $550,000 $900,000

Outcome 2:

Output 1: Capacity of government is improved to deliver safe and

sustainable drinking water services to communities

Total 5 years

RR OR

Staff and technical

assistance

NOC – WASH Specialist (Water)

NOB (50%) – WASH Officer (Service Delivery)

Technical Assistance

$400,000 $450,000

Strategies

Service Delivery Pilot water supply systems trialled $600,000

Capacity

Development

Development of community level WSP

training materials and implementation $400,000

23

(community) tools

Strengthening of community level

accountability systems for private sector

based water service management

Institution-Building

(organizational)

Refinement and finalisation of NDWQMF

implementation guidelines and training

modules

Development of HWTS – private sector

participation implementation guidelines

and tools

Refinement of models for management

rural water supply for sustainability

Capacity building to cascade national,

regional and district (to be cascaded by

GoG) based on capacity gap analysis

$100,000 $1,000,000

Evidence

generation

Urban Water Study to identify challenges

to sustainable, equitable services for

children and the most vulnerable

Assessment of private sector based

water service operation and

maintenance models

$300,000 $800,000

Policy Dialogue and

Advocacy

Development of policy advocacy briefs

for private sector model(s)

Targeted sector strategy/ policy review

fora and learning initiatives/ events

$100,000 $350,000

Total Non-Posts $500,000 $3,150,000

Output 2: Improved capacity of national and decentralized government

and CSOs to manage risks and to prepare and respond to WASH

challenges in emergencies

Total 5 years

RR OR

Staff and technical

assistance

Shared responsibility across posts – primary

responsibility with WASH Specialist (Water) - -

Strategies

Service Delivery Emergency supplies into communities $50,000 $0

Capacity

Development

(community)

Materials for community-level WASH

emergency response $0 $50,000

Institution-Building

(organizational)

Development of Regional Emergency

Preparedness and Response Plan (EPRP)

template

National level simulation events

Cholera strategy review

Cross-sectoral working WASH in Emergency

working group established

$50,000 $150,000

Evidence generation Monitoring of emergency response

(particularly cholera)

Study of climate change impacts on

$175,000 $450,000

24

programming (including emergencies)

Assessment of EPRP implementation

Policy Dialogue and

Advocacy

Advocacy for investment in cholera

preparedness and prevention

Review of National EPRP

$25,000 $50,000

Total Non-Posts $300,000 $700,000

6. Monitoring Outputs and Demonstrating the UNICEF Contributions to Outcomes

Progress towards the achievement of planned results will be monitored using the indicators defined in

the attached results and resources framework, including UNICEF s contribution to the achievement of

outcome-level results. Currently a broad range of data sources is used to measure WASH programme

indicators; a coherent sector-wide management information system (MIS) does not yet exist. Therefore,

while the UNICEF WASH programme works with its partners to strengthen sector-wide monitoring

approaches, the programme will rely on a multi-pronged approach that draws on a combination of

routine administrative data, implementing partner-generated information, and regular survey data to

track progress and assess UNICEF s contribution. Special purpose data collection efforts will only be

undertaken where no other data source exists, or data is needed to expressly demonstrate approaches,

to reduce the data collection and reporting burden placed on government and other implementing

partners.

The WASH programme has begun and will continue to strengthen routine administrative data systems,

especially the Basic Sanitation Information System (BaSIS) and links to the developing SIS. It captures

and provides access to disaggregated monitoring data on basic sanitation activities such as community-

led total sanitation (CLTS) and sanitation marketing. The programme will continue to use Open Data Kit

(ODK) as a mobile platform to engage district-level implementing partners in the collection of field data

on CLTS progress.

Partner-generated data on programme implementation progress follows the results frameworks that

are agreed with the respective partners and are derived from the country programme results and

resources matrix. Since 2015, UNICEF Ghana has deployed an electronic programme performance

monitoring tool, trackME , to harmonize the collection, analysis and reporting of this data from a wide

range of partners, and to ensure that the programme logic between activity implementation and

achievement of outputs can be tested and validated with programme data on an ongoing basis.

In choosing output indicators and activity trackers (low-level tracer indicators captured in trackME), the

WASH programme will focus on monitoring potential bottlenecks and barriers to the achievement of

results, in line with UNICEF s organizational approach to strengthening the equity-focus of its

programmes. Data collection is organized to capture information disaggregated by sex, location, and

other relevant dimensions as relevant. The programme will regularly and proactively reach out to

UNICEF s global, regional and country-specific knowledge sharing networks and resource persons, and

participate in other existing communities of practice, to apply lessons learnt and good practice

25

approaches in monitoring progress in Ghana and to deploy innovative tools that support progress

monitoring and real-time data collection where appropriate.

Outcome indicators, as indicated in the results and resources framework, will be measured using regular

national surveys, and suitable routine data systems whenever possible. Ghana has a strong record of

conducting the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) and

Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS) at reliable intervals. UNICEF Ghana has supported the Ghana MICS

2006, 2011 and 2017 and has a close working relationship with the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) to be

able to adapt other surveys to capture relevant data pertaining to the situation of children and women

and lend themselves to impact monitoring, and to provide data on SDG indicators that are household

survey-based.

To foster shared accountability, government and non-governmental partners are actively involved in

monitoring progress against planned results, collecting and analysing data with UNICEF. Joint review

meetings will be held at least annually, to take stock of programme progress, assess any relevant

changes in context and environment, and decide on strategic shifts and changes in programme design

that may be necessary.

The WASH programme has prioritized three evaluations for the country programme: The accelerated

sanitation in northern Ghana end of programme evaluation in 2018, the enhanced water, sanitation

and hygiene services in schools and communities end of programme evaluation also in 2018, and a

summative evaluation of downstream implementation modalities to inform cost effective programme

designs in 2020.

26

Annex 1: Theory of Change – Visual

Climate

change and

emergencie

s

2018 -

2022

Theory

of

Change

U

NIC

EF

GH

AN

A

PA

RT

NE

RSH

IPS

Risks Assumptions Outcome Outputs Conditions

Barriers and bottlenecks to be

addressed (identified issues) Pathways to

change/strategies

Legend

Inadequate technical

solutions

Lack of financing

mechanisms

Inadequate private sector

involvement & investment

Weak urban planning

and supply chains Limited domestic

funding

Weak governance

and accountability

Environmental constraints does

not enable technical solutions

Norms and

attitudes

Capacity of government is improved

to implement the Rural Sanitation

Model and Strategy and a national

urban sanitation strategy to generate

demand and facilitate supply

Capacity of government is

improved to implement a national

strategy to promote adequate

and equitable hygiene for all

Capacity of government

is improved to implement

national strategies for

WASH in institutions

Improved capacity of national and

decentralized government and CSOs to

manage risks and to prepare and

respond to WASH challenges in

Capacity of government is

improved to deliver safe and

sustainable drinking water

services to communities

Demonstrate scalable strategies for

BCC & social norms; identify affordable

resilient, sustainable sanitation service

and product options; strengthen

capacities of government and CSOs;

develop private sector partnership and

financing models to facilitate sanitation

supply for the poor; and advocate for

suitable pro-poor planning integrating

household, institutional and communal

facilities & services in urban areas

Demonstrate affordable

school sanitation

services; develop costed

strategies for

affordable, sustainable

WASH services and

hygiene BCC in schools

and health facilities; and

mainstreamed behavior

change communication

approaches into nursing

and teaching curricula

Develop strategies to

increase pro-poor access -

including generating evidence

for advocacy for use of

poverty-targeting

mechanisms; develop

systems for tracking funds

and results and inform

decisions; build capacity of

government to deliver

services with an equity focus;

and build capacities of CSOs

for evidence-based advocacy

Capacity building of national &

decentralized government to deliver safe

water services with greater

accountability, and of CSOs for evidence-

based advocacy; develop implementation

strategy for the NDWQMF; evidence

generation on affordable, sustainable,

gender-responsive strategies to address

urban water challenges; demonstrate

mechanisms for sustainable self-financed

rural water supply services; a capacity

gap analysis for private sector partnerships & regulation

Evidence generation on

climate change mitigation;

building and demonstrating

capacities at national and

decentralized levels for

emergency preparedness

and response; system

strengthening for improved

enabling environment and

management capacities of

national and decentralized government and CSOs for

emergency work

Demonstrate scalable strategies

for BCC and social norms to

generate household and

community demand for toilets

use, HWWS and for MHM

facilities in institutions; capacity

building of government and

CSOs for effective

programming; and develop

private sector partnership

models to facilitate a market-

driven approach to facilitate

HWWS and MHM

Availability of affordable,

sustainable, gender-responsive,

accessible technical solutions

Private sector

invest in WASH

sector

High level commitment

to finding solutions

Individuals willing to be

engaged and take personal

responsibility

Adequate staff capacity

and retention

Political stability

and accountability

By 2022, more children and their families have access to affordable and safe drinking water, and basic sanitation, supported by more effective and efficient national strategies

Change

WASH

An enabling environment with sufficient regulatory, financing, planning and

M&E capacity, facilitating household and private sector investment in WASH

to ensure quality WASH services at all times, including during emergencies

Demand for universal access to

safe drinking water and sanitation

supported by safe hygiene

Universal availability of affordable, accessible,

sustainable, safe options for sanitation, water supply

and hygiene practices and services

Universal Access to Safe Drinking Water & Sanitation – Increasing child survival and access to education and reducing morbidity,

mortality, gender-based violence & lost income

Change

Macro-

economic

slow down

Improved social

accountability systems

in place for WASH

sector services

27

Annex 2: Detailed Results and Resources Framework – WASH

Programme of cooperation between the Government of Ghana and UNICEF, 2018 – 2022

Key Results Key progress indicators,

Baselines [B] and Targets [T]

Means of

verification

Major partners,

partnership

frameworks

Indicative resources (millions of US$

rounded to decimal)

RR OR Total

Convention on the Rights of the Child: (relevant articles of the convention)

National priority: (related Millennium Development Goals or other internationally recognized goals)

UNDAF outcome involving UNICEF: (copied verbatim from UNDAF)

Outcome indicator measuring change that includes UNICEF contribution (UNDAF outcome indicator, copied verbatim from UNDAF)

Related UNICEF Strategic Plan outcome(s): (from Strategic Plan 2014-2017)

WASH

OUTCOME 1. More children and

their families have access to basic

sanitation, supported by more

effective national strategies

Percentage of households

using basic (not shared)

sanitation facilities

B: (2014, to be updated with

2017 MICS):

Urban: 17.8%

Rural: 8.5%

National: 13.6%

T (2022):

Urban: 25%

Rural: 15%

National: 20%

DHS, MICS Government - MSWR,

MLGRD (including the

MMDAs), NDPC, GSS,

GES and GHS

UN Agencies (UN

Habitat, UNDP & WHO)

Development Partners

(Canada, Netherlands,

KOICA, World Bank,

USAID, ADB)

UNICEF National

Committees

$5.3 $ 28.7 $34.0

28

Percentage of households

practicing open defecation

B (2014, to be updated with

2017 MICS):

Urban: 7.1%

Rural: 28.8%

National: 16.9%

T (2020):

Urban: 0%

Rural: 0%

National: 0%

Proportion of households

having access and using

handwashing facilities with

soap (or suitable alternative)

and water available in the

home

B (2014, to be updated with

2017 MICS)

Urban: 26.9%

Rural: 14.1%

National: 21.1%

T (2022)

Urban: 40%

Rural: 30%

National: 35%

DHS, MICS

DHS, MICS

Civil Society

(CONIWAS, WaterAID,

WSUP, Global

Communities, IRC,

Akvo, IFRC, Safe Water

Network & SNV)

Academia (KNUST &

WEDC)

Private Corporate

Sector and CSR

(including Unilever)

29

2 Annual performance criteria include: ODF plan in place, functional monitoring systems in place, sanitation marketing service providers available, established

network of natural leaders, complete quarterly coordination meetings. 3 (i) discussion paper drafted based on experience and initial consultations; (ii) tools/guidelines drafted; (iii) consultation process completed; (iv) final draft of

tools/guidelines; (v) tools/guidelines endorsed by MSWR

OUTPUT 1. Capacity of

government is improved to

implement the Rural Sanitation

Model and Strategy

Number of communities

achieving ODF status as part of

a national ODF strategy

B (2018): 0

T (2022): 1,000

Number of target district

assemblies meeting annual

performance criteria2 for

implementation of the Rural

Sanitation Model and Strategy

B (2018): 0

T (2022): 15

Ministry of Sanitation and

Water Resources has a

monitoring system in place to

establish level of

implementation of the Rural

Sanitation Model and Strategy

B (2018): False

T (2022): True

Programme

Monitoring &

Assessment

Reports/ BaSIS

Programme

Monitoring &

Assessment

Reports

Programme

Monitoring &

Assessment

Reports/MSWR

status reports

Government - MSWR,

MLGRD (including the

MMDAs), NDPC & GSS

UN Agencies (WHO)

Development Partners

(Canada, Netherlands,

World Bank, USAID)

UNICEF National

Committees

Civil Society

(CONIWAS, WaterAID,

Global Communities,

IRC & Akvo)

Academia (KNUST &

WEDC)

Private Corporate

Sector and CSR

$1.3 $10.2 $11.5

OUTPUT 2. Capacity of

government is improved to

implement a national urban

Number of milestones3

reached in development of

implementation

guidelines/tools on public

Programme

Monitoring &

Assessment

Reports/MSWR

Government - MSWR,

MLGRD (including the

MMDAs), NDPC & GSS

UN Agencies (UN

$1.4 $8.5 $9.9

30

4 Performance criteria include: MESSAP in place and reviewed annually, monitoring systems in place, MICCS coordination meetings held, sanitation service

providers are in place, suitable arrangements made for liquid waste management 5 (i) discussion paper drafted based on experience and initial consultations; (ii) costed implementation plan drafted; (iii) consultation process completed; (iv)

final draft of costed implementation plan; (v) costed implementation plan endorsed by MSWR

sanitation strategy private partnerships for urban

sanitation

B (2018): 0

T (2022): 5

Number of target Municipal

Assemblies meeting annual

performance criteria4 for the

implementation of the urban

sanitation strategy

B (2018): 0

T (2022): 3

Number of milestones5

reached in the development of

an urban sanitation costed

implementation plan

B (2018): 0

T (2022): 5

status reports/

Guidelines & Tools

Programme

Monitoring &

Assessment

Reports/ MSWR &

LGSS status reports

Programme

Monitoring &

Assessment

Reports/MSWR

status reports /

Urban Sanitation

costed plan

Habitat)

Development Partners

(Canada, Netherlands,

World Bank, USAID,

ADB)

UNICEF National

Committees

Civil Society

(CONIWAS, WaterAID,

WSUP, Global

Communities, IRC,

Akvo, Safe Water

Network & SNV)

Academia (KNUST &

WEDC)

Private Corporate

Sector and CSR

31

6 (i) discussion paper drafted based on experience and initial consultations; (ii) costed strategy drafted; (iii) consultation process completed; (iv) final draft of

costed strategy; (v) tools/guidelines endorsed by MSWR and GHS 7 (i) discussion paper drafted based on experience and initial consultations; (ii) scale-up plan drafted; (iii) consultation process completed; (iv) final draft of

scale-up plan; (v) scale-up plan endorsed by MSWR and GES

OUTPUT 3. Capacity of

government is improved to

implement national strategies for

WASH in institutions

Number of milestones6

reached in the development of

a WASH in Health Facilities

costed strategy

B (2018): 0

T (2022): 5

Number of milestones7 reach

in the development of a

national level scale-up plan for

low-cost hand washing in all

basic schools

B (2018): 0

T (2022): 5

Programme

Monitoring &

Assessment

Reports/ MSWR

status reports/

Costed strategy

documents

Programme

Monitoring &

Assessment

Reports/ MSWR

status reports

Government - MSWR,

MLGRD (including the

MMDAs), NDPC, GSS,

NADMO, GES and GHS

UN Agencies (UN

Habitat & WHO)

Development Partners

(Canada, Netherlands,

KOICA, World Bank,

USAID)

UNICEF National

Committees

Civil Society

(CONIWAS, WaterAID,

WSUP, Global

Communities, IRC,

Akvo, Safe Water

Network & SNV)

Academia (KNUST &

WEDC)

Private Corporate

Sector and CSR

(Unilever)

$0.9 $5.6 $6.5

32

8 (i) review completed of existing national HWWS strategy; (ii) discussion paper drafted based on experience and initial consultations; (iii) national costed

strategy drafted; (iv) consultation process completed; (v) final costed strategy drafted; (vi) costed strategy endorsed by MSWR 9 (i) discussion paper drafted based on experience and initial consultations; (ii) guidelines/tools drafted; (iii) consultation process completed; (iv) final draft of

guidelines/tools; (v) guidelines/tools endorsed by MSWR

OUTPUT 4. Capacity of

government is improved to

implement a national strategy to

promote adequate and equitable

hygiene for all

Number of milestones8

reached in the development of

a national costed strategy for

HWWS

B (2018): 0

T (2022): 6

Number of milestones9

reached in the development of

implementation

guidelines/tools on public

private partnerships for

handwashing with soap

B (2018): 0

T (2022): 5

Programme

Monitoring &

Assessment

Reports/ MSWR

status reports

Costed Strategy

documents

Programme

Monitoring &

Assessment

Reports/MSWR

status reports

Government - MSWR,

MLGRD (including the

MMDAs), NDPC, GSS,

NADMO, GES and GHS

UN Agencies (WHO)

Development Partners

(Canada, Netherlands,

KOICA, USAID)

UNICEF National

Committees

Civil Society (CONIWAS

& WaterAID)

Academia (KNUST &

WEDC)

Private Corporate

Sector and CSR

(Unilever)

$0.4 $2.3 $2.7

OUTPUT 5. Improved social

accountability systems in place for

WASH sector services

Annual independent

sustainability checks

performed

B (2018): True

T (2022): True

Annual Sector Report is

produced including data from

Sustainability

Check reports

MSWR sector

reports

Government - MSWR,

MLGRD (including the

MMDAs), NDPC, GSS,

NADMO, GES and GHS

UN Agencies (UN

Habitat, UNDP & WHO)

Development Partners

$1.3 $2.1 $3.4

33

sector information systems

B (2018): False

T (2022): True

Annual WASH budget analysis

is completed with input from

civil society

B (2018): False

T (2022): True

WASH Budget

analysis reports

(Canada, Netherlands,

KOICA, World Bank,

USAID, ADB)

UNICEF National

Committees

Civil Society

(CONIWAS, WaterAID,

WSUP, Global

Communities, IRC,

Akvo, Safe Water

Network & SNV)

Academia (KNUST &

WEDC)

Private Corporate

Sector and CSR

OUTCOME 2. More children and

their families have access to

access to affordable and safe

drinking water, supported by

more efficient national strategies

Proportion of households

using basic and safely

managed drinking water

services

B (2014, to be updated with

2017 MICS):

Urban: Basic: 88%

Safely-managed: 35%

Rural: Basic: 66%

Safely-managed: 6%

National: Basic 78%

Safely-managed: 22%

DHS, MICS Government - MSWR,

MLGRD (including the

MMDAs), NDPC, GSS,

NADMO, GES and GHS

UN Agencies (UN

Habitat, UNDP & WHO)

Development Partners

(Canada, Netherlands,

World Bank, KOICA,

JICA, USAID, ADB)

UNICEF National

Committees

$1.2 $4.3 $5.5

34

10

Where adopted is: Guidelines, tools, human capacities at key levels for cascading e.g. incorporation into WSMT formation and training and regulations.

T (2022):

Urban: Basic 95%

Safely-Managed:

Increased

Rural: Basic 89%

Safely-Managed:

Increased

National: Basic 92%

Safely-Managed:

Increased

Civil Society

(CONIWAS, WaterAID,

WSUP, Global

Communities, IRC,

Akvo, IFRC, Safe Water

Network & SNV)

Academia (KNUST &

WEDC)

Private Corporate

Sector and CSR Percentage of households

using an appropriate drinking

water treatment method

B (2014, to be updated with

2017 MICS):

Urban: 5.7%

Rural: 2.5%

National: 4.2%

T (2022):

Urban: 15%

Rural: 10%

National: 15%

DHS, MICS

OUTPUT 1. Capacity of

government is improved to deliver

safe and sustainable drinking

Water Safety Planning

approach adopted10

for rural

water services

B (2018): False

Government - MSWR,

MLGRD (including the

MMDAs), NDPC, GSS &

GES

$0.9 $3.6 $4.5

35

11

(i) discussion paper drafted based on experience and initial consultations; (ii) scale-up plan drafted; (iii) consultation process completed; (iv) final draft of

scale-up plan; (v) scale-up plan endorsed by MSWR 12

(i) discussion paper drafted based on experience and initial consultations; (ii) guidelines/tools drafted; (iii) consultation process completed; (iv) final draft of

guidelines/tools; (v) guidelines/tools endorsed by MSWR

water services to communities. T (2022): True

Number of milestones11

reached on development of

scale-up plan for sustainable

rural water service models,

including private sector

participation

B (2018): 0

T (2022): 5

Number of milestones12

reached in development of

implementation

guidelines/tools on public

private partnerships for HWTS

B (2018): 0

T (2022): 5

UN Agencies (UN

Habitat & WHO)

Development Partners

(Canada, Netherlands,

World Bank, USAID,

ADB)

UNICEF National

Committees

Civil Society

(CONIWAS, WaterAID,

WSUP, Global

Communities, IRC,

Akvo & Safe Water

Network)

Academia (KNUST &

WEDC)

Private Corporate

Sector and CSR

OUTPUT 2. Improved capacity of

national and decentralized

government and CSOs to manage

risks and to prepare and respond

to WASH challenges in

emergencies

Number of vulnerable regions

having WASH Emergency

Preparedness and Response

Plans (EPRPs) and

coordination mechanisms in

place

B (2018): 0

Regional EPRPs;

Programme

Monitoring &

Assessment

Reports/MSWR

status reports

Government - MSWR,

MLGRD (including the

MMDAs), NDPC, GSS,

NADMO, GES and GHS

UN Agencies (UN

Habitat, UNDP & WHO)

$0.3 $0.7 $1.0

36

T (2022): 5

Recommendations from a

study to assess the effect of

climate change on water

supply services are endorsed

by MSWR

B (2018): False

T (2022): True

Recommendations from a

study to assess urban water

supply services are endorsed

by MSWR

B (2018): False

T (2022): True

Study report

formally released

by government

Study report

formally released

by government

Development Partners

(Canada, Netherlands,

JICA, KOICA, World

Bank, USAID, ADB)

UNICEF National

Committees

Civil Society

(CONIWAS, WaterAID,

WSUP, Global

Communities, IRC,

Akvo, IFRC & Safe

Water Network)

Academia (KNUST &

WEDC)

Private Corporate

Sector and CSR

37