A presentation by Jo Smet, for the IRC seminar, The human factor in WASH change processes: drivers for change among staff of WASH sector organisations. 18 June 2015, 15:00-18:30, Humanity House, Prinsegracht 8, The Hague, the Netherlands. Read more about this seminar: http://www.ircwash.org/news/drivers-change-human-factor

1. 
Learning-for-Effectiveness
Looking back in Amazement
Omzien in Verwondering
Jo Smet
IRC Seminar 18 June 2015

2. The roots
The start
The village with its
• Socio-cultural
context
• Local values and
norms
• Local perceptions
• Common attitudes
• Common behaviour

3. Sanitary Engineering - Delft

4. The Philippines 1979
Learning on Filipino culture in lab? In rural areas around
open wells and hand pumps?

5. Tanzania 1980-1986
Water Resources Institute
University DSM - Community Health Dept.

6. IRC InternationalWater and Sanitation
Centre
27 years of
learning in a
changing
sector and a
changing
organisation

7. From COSI to CONGO
WASH self-help
technologies,
but with
cultural
aspects?
Congo
adventures as
eye opener on
cultural aspects

8. Learning from Evaluations, Research,
Training and Consultancies
Learning on cultures: local technology, meetings with water
committees, water users groups, training and meetings with local gov’t

9. Resource Centre Development
Knowledge and information analysed for context to develop capacities,
products and concepts that should fit socio-economic and cultural conditions

10. Learning 2013 Exchange analytical framework
10
WHO &WHAT PULLSTHETRIGGER FOR BEHAVIOUR
CHANGE
WHO APPROACHES
Community, HH,
individuals
From outside community:
Political, religious leaders, technical
Health and/ or CD staff, NGOs, police
TRIGGER may
result in desire to
change behaviour
individuals, HHs,
community at large
From inside HH:
Wife, husband, children
From inside community:
Leaders, teachers, voluntary
health workers, Health Clubs, CBOs,
entrepreneurs, neighbours, relatives
CONVINCING
ENFORCEMENT CHAMPION
SOCIAL
PRESSURE
EXTRA
INCOME
LEADERSHIP
DEVELOPMENT
PARTICIPATION

11. IRC Going South to Uganda (2006-2010)
 IRC to be closer to the ‘ground’ in the focus countries;
to start and test this approach in Uganda
 To better understand how national governments, local
governments, development partners and NGOs work together
 To define the potential role of IRC in this constellation of
stakeholders
 If positive to scale up by establishing more country offices
 Triple-S helped the scaling up effort

12. Learning onWASH: LeaPPS and more
IRC Uganda facilitated
learning on WASH at three
levels: (i) sub-county, (ii)
district; (iii) national.
And IRC learned a lot on
perceptions, expectations
and realities: cultural,
socio-economic,
institutional and
technological.

13. Learning on content
Learning on technological
aspects related to cultural
perceptions of
organisations, committees,
families and myself

14. My major conclusions on learning in
WASH and cultural aspects
 Technology-oriented education lacks adequate socio-economic and
cultural dimensions,
 Cultural elements are prominently present but usually not visible in
organisations and communities in the South
 The obvious element of culture as a factor for success is often
under-emphasised in WASH-sector approaches and methodologies
 The financing organisations have policies and strategies on
development cooperation largely based on their own political and
cultural paradigms. Not much towards: Get it rooted in Africa!

15. Learning from others
 A big thanks to all who helped me in my personal learning
on cultural and other aspects of development cooperation
 IRC colleagues, partners in the North and South, national
and local government staff, NGO staff, development
partners, and last but not least the community members.
 Thanks to Betty, Michiel, Eefje and Robbert and excuses
for being absent for 7 years!
 Learning and particularly learning on cultures will never
end (that’s why we went to Japan!)