On Monday, January 15, Cap-Net UNDP will launch a new online course on its virtual campus aimed at professionals in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector.
“Regulation in the water and sanitation sector based on the WASH Regulation (WASHREG) methodology” is a joint venture between the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
According to UNICEF and WHO, as of 2020, around one in four people lacked safely managed drinking water at home and nearly half of the global population lacked safely managed sanitation. Meeting Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets for WASH involves not only providing facilities but also standardising services.
The course introduces the WASHREG approach, which provides clarity on key areas of WASH regulation and outlines the main tasks of water and sanitation regulatory actors. It also presents a conceptual framework for a phased approach to regulatory reform.
Participants will receive a step-by-step methodology to help countries identify and plan solutions for improving their regulatory structures and processes.
Alejandro Jimenez, Director of SIWI's Water and Sanitation Department, describes: "The WASHREG approach is a tool that provides a step-by-step multi-stakeholder process for evaluating the regulation of water and sanitation services and defining an action plan for regulatory improvement. SIWI has supported its implementation in countries such as Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Iraq and Liberia."
Damian Indij, Cap-Net Virtual Campus Coordinator, states, “We are pleased to bring the WASHREG methodology to the campus. This broadens the resources available to water professionals so they can build knowledge that will help improve their work in the WASH sector.”
The self-paced course is available in English and Spanish and requires approximately 12 hours for completion. Participants will review case studies and access high-quality materials to support specific thematic areas in regulating WASH services.
The WASHREG products have been developed under the Accountability for Sustainability partnership, between UNICEF, SIWI and the UNDP-SIWI Water Governance Facility. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) have provided substantial inputs to the development of the WASHREG Approach package.
