A systems approach to improving access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in schools in Odisha, India
As part of the humanitarian response to create an enabling environment for children at schools, and to contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1, 3, 4, and 6, UNICEF India envisages to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities in schools. In 2019, UNICEF in partne...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IWA Publishing
2022-09-01
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| Series: | H2Open Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://h2oj.iwaponline.com/content/5/3/395 |
| _version_ | 1811194473806299136 |
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| author | Narendra Singh Chouhan Monika Oledzka Nielsen Pratibha Singh Swathi Manchikanti Vivek Pandey Jeffrey P. Walters Karishma Kadyan |
| author_facet | Narendra Singh Chouhan Monika Oledzka Nielsen Pratibha Singh Swathi Manchikanti Vivek Pandey Jeffrey P. Walters Karishma Kadyan |
| author_sort | Narendra Singh Chouhan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | As part of the humanitarian response to create an enabling environment for children at schools, and to contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1, 3, 4, and 6, UNICEF India envisages to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities in schools. In 2019, UNICEF in partnership with the Government of Odisha rolled out a systems approach to WASH for 58,000 schools to improve equitable access to safe WASH facilities in schools and to address any gaps that may exist. Schools were assessed through a digital monitoring application and ranked on 39 benchmarks for WASH facilities and practices. Approximately 13,000 schools were ranked as 1 and 2 stars on a 5-star scale (with 5-star being the best), which necessitated structuring schedules for improvement throughout the year. The systems approach to strengthening key building blocks was followed through including advocacy for policy and planning, infrastructure improvement, leveraging finances, capacity building, behavior change, institutional strengthening, accountability, and monitoring. School Swachhata (cleanliness) Action Plans (SAPs) were developed for more than 5,000 schools, and necessary behavior change was encouraged by involving school management committees and by instituting child cabinets of student leaders as role models to promote positive WASH behaviors among others. The complex interconnection between stakeholders was assessed using the social network analysis to highlight the level of interaction and stakeholder roles that guided the success of the Odisha WASH program to guide future WASH in school programs in Odisha and other states in India. Overall, the study findings suggest that the Odisha WASH program's success is owed, in part, to a diverse and multi-layered coordination structure between the district, block, and community-level stakeholders.
HIGHLIGHTS
A systems-level approach with evidence based planning was adopted to inform improvement plans for WASH in schools in Odisha, India.;
A core focus of the program's success was capacity building and system strengthening at various levels.;
Existing resources were also leveraged towards improvement in WASH access, practices, and functionality.;
Social network analysis was used to study how stakeholder coordination influenced program success.;
Findings revealed program success was bolstered by diverse and multilayered stakeholder coordination.; |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T00:27:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6a4c875f4ba84680bf66950eba7c9829 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2616-6518 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T00:27:51Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | IWA Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | H2Open Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-6a4c875f4ba84680bf66950eba7c98292022-12-22T03:55:28ZengIWA PublishingH2Open Journal2616-65182022-09-015339541110.2166/h2oj.2022.044044A systems approach to improving access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in schools in Odisha, IndiaNarendra Singh Chouhan0Monika Oledzka Nielsen1Pratibha Singh2Swathi Manchikanti3Vivek Pandey4Jeffrey P. Walters5Karishma Kadyan6 UNICEF India, 44 Surya Nagar, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751003, India UNICEF India, 44 Surya Nagar, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751003, India UNICEF India, Lodhi Rd, Near 73, Lodhi Gardens, Delhi 110003, India UNICEF India, Lodhi Rd, Near 73, Lodhi Gardens, Delhi 110003, India UNICEF India, 44 Surya Nagar, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751003, India School of Engineering and Technology, University of Washington Tacoma, 1900 Commerce Street, Tacoma, WA 98402-311414, USA UNICEF India, Lodhi Rd, Near 73, Lodhi Gardens, Delhi 110003, India As part of the humanitarian response to create an enabling environment for children at schools, and to contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1, 3, 4, and 6, UNICEF India envisages to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities in schools. In 2019, UNICEF in partnership with the Government of Odisha rolled out a systems approach to WASH for 58,000 schools to improve equitable access to safe WASH facilities in schools and to address any gaps that may exist. Schools were assessed through a digital monitoring application and ranked on 39 benchmarks for WASH facilities and practices. Approximately 13,000 schools were ranked as 1 and 2 stars on a 5-star scale (with 5-star being the best), which necessitated structuring schedules for improvement throughout the year. The systems approach to strengthening key building blocks was followed through including advocacy for policy and planning, infrastructure improvement, leveraging finances, capacity building, behavior change, institutional strengthening, accountability, and monitoring. School Swachhata (cleanliness) Action Plans (SAPs) were developed for more than 5,000 schools, and necessary behavior change was encouraged by involving school management committees and by instituting child cabinets of student leaders as role models to promote positive WASH behaviors among others. The complex interconnection between stakeholders was assessed using the social network analysis to highlight the level of interaction and stakeholder roles that guided the success of the Odisha WASH program to guide future WASH in school programs in Odisha and other states in India. Overall, the study findings suggest that the Odisha WASH program's success is owed, in part, to a diverse and multi-layered coordination structure between the district, block, and community-level stakeholders. HIGHLIGHTS A systems-level approach with evidence based planning was adopted to inform improvement plans for WASH in schools in Odisha, India.; A core focus of the program's success was capacity building and system strengthening at various levels.; Existing resources were also leveraged towards improvement in WASH access, practices, and functionality.; Social network analysis was used to study how stakeholder coordination influenced program success.; Findings revealed program success was bolstered by diverse and multilayered stakeholder coordination.;http://h2oj.iwaponline.com/content/5/3/395indiaodishasocial network analysissystems approachwash in schoolsunicef |
| spellingShingle | Narendra Singh Chouhan Monika Oledzka Nielsen Pratibha Singh Swathi Manchikanti Vivek Pandey Jeffrey P. Walters Karishma Kadyan A systems approach to improving access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in schools in Odisha, India H2Open Journal india odisha social network analysis systems approach wash in schools unicef |
| title | A systems approach to improving access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in schools in Odisha, India |
| title_full | A systems approach to improving access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in schools in Odisha, India |
| title_fullStr | A systems approach to improving access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in schools in Odisha, India |
| title_full_unstemmed | A systems approach to improving access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in schools in Odisha, India |
| title_short | A systems approach to improving access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in schools in Odisha, India |
| title_sort | systems approach to improving access to water sanitation and hygiene wash in schools in odisha india |
| topic | india odisha social network analysis systems approach wash in schools unicef |
| url | http://h2oj.iwaponline.com/content/5/3/395 |
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