Iws Learning & SENSEMAKER ™

1. Iws Learning & SENSEMAKER™ IWS Learning Retreat, January 2012 Method, Application & Findings Anna Audrey Deirdre

2. SENSEMAKER™ is software to help find patterns among narratives But people need to make sense of the patters, decide on action an approach to making sense of different fragments of information about a complex change process or about a dynamic context Lots of different ‘stories’ from many sources : water users, water professionals, policy documents, videos Together they build a rich and diverse picture of what is happening Emerging patterns can help plan next steps What using SENSEMAKER™ involves

3. Dynamic contexts Adaptive programme of work Responding to emerging needs Need to understand diversity of perspectives Getting beyond statistics about water points and policy intentions to people’s lived experiences in the water sector When to use SENSEMAKER™?

4. B. FROM QUESTION TO ACTION Prompting Question Story Capture Stimulate/Dampen Patterns Self-Signification Act on Signals Visualize Patterns Deepen Insights

5. Asking for stories – prompting question

6. Is there a shift from an infrastructure focus towards post-construction and general sector support? in financing towards post-construction and general sector support? towards known and implemented responsibilities for long-term water supply? towards professionalisation of community management and alternative service providers? Is there a shift from an uncoordinated approach to harmonized planning & implementation IWS Learning Questions

7. How do actors influence changes in rural water supply and why? Exploring patterns of change with attention to specific topics: topics of change and stalemate triggers of change the role of champions and early adopters of a SDA/ leadership individual motivation and basis for action the role of Triple-S IWS Learning Questions

8. Some Limitations • As yet a relatively small data set • First round of analysis • National and International professional stories • Repeat generation of triads using ‘Explorer’ software does not provide identical story clusters • Direct relevance not always obvious • Design flaws in the signification framework limit analytical options • Inability to capture whether change is due to role of Triple-S

9. GIVING MEANING

10. GIVING MEANING - TRIADS

11. Giving meaning - Polarities

12. Multi-Choice Questions & Demographics

13. Data is gathered via direct entry on internet offline website entry later uploaded paper, then transcribed to online collector As of January 17, 2012: IWS: 121 GWS: +1,000 – both users & prof’s UWS: +500 users & +50 professionals stories received … and their meaning

14. Stories from International Water Professionals C. Preliminary Analysis

15. Is there a shift from a focus on infrastructural projects towards a service delivery approach? (q.8&19)

16. Is there a shift from an infrastructure focus towards post-construction and general sector support? (Q.9&19) There does seem to be some shift away from stories about new infrastructure to more about post-construction support and sector support: 2009 & earlier 2010-2011 9% 15% 33% 11% 15% 42%

17. Stories about capacity support to service authorities/ local government (Q.8,9&19) 2009 & earlier 2010-2011 45% 27%

18. Some stories New infrastructure story: “...the problems we have are in maintenance and sustainability. We are changing the kinds of technologies we use. Before we used to use diesel based technologies. In the rural areas these were unavailable or expensive. Now we are using solar. Even though it cannot supply the same amount, it can last longer. The issue is still in attitude change for affordability. We need to educate people more and mobilize people more about the affordability. Paying for water should be more important than paying for their cell phones.” Post-construction story: “...One of the main post-IDWSSD lessons was that construction was not enough, and that without proper maintenance, systems were not sustainable. The same message we are hearing now, albeit packaged as the "sustainable service delivery approach". Why do we think that we will succeed now if we have not properly analysed why maintenance of rural water supply systems has remained a "headache" for the past 20 years.” “There is a paradox in handpump maintenance. Area mechanics are being trained to support the maintenance of handpumps but communities can often do minor maintenance themselves and only require an area mechanic for major repairs and replacements. The cost of major repairs is often too much for a community so the area mechanics are not hired.” Sector support story: “All of a sudden, after the April 2011elections in Nigeria, we started receiving requests from State Executive Governors to guide them on how they can improve on development programmes in their states...The reason for this change is the awareness of the public to ask political leaders to account for their mandates. People in Nigeria began to elect individuals instead of political parties. Politicians who did well were massively elected again. This development sent a strong message to all of them that if they do not perform well, they stand a chance of losing being elected... Citizens should begin to ask questions of accountability on plans, budgets, political manifestos etc from their leaders. This will help leaders to sit up and improve in providing sustainable services to the electorates”

19. is there a shift in financing towards post-construction and general sector support? (Q.6&19) Very few financing stories available, therefore unable to see a shift. 2009 & earlier 2010-2011 8% 4% “There are many financing constraints in water delivery. But currently, there are alternative mixed solutions being suggested such as self supply” - Nicaragua “Financing of rural water used to be community part contribution, but government now funds total cost whiles communities cater for maintenance” - Ghana

20. Financial planning stories (q.8,9&19) Many more stories relating to financial planning by 2010-2011, including for new infrastructure 2010-2011 2009 & earlier

21. Financing construction, minor or major maintenance (Q.10&19) No significant change in pattern over time 2010-2011 2009 & earlier

22. Financing construction, minor or major maintenance (Q.10&19) - Financial planning stories only (&Q.8) More financial planning stories for 2010-11 with maintenance focus 2010-2011 2009 & earlier Financial planning stories only (&Q.8) “...they want to get the school direction with the local authorities to develop a long term management plan for these wash programmes in schools, so they want to look at not only post-construction, but also (long term) maintenance. They want to assign responsibilities and develop guidelines that will be later shared with the sector” – Burkina Faso

23. Is there a shift towards known and implemented responsibilities for long-term water supply? (Q14a&19) No significant change in pattern. In both cases there are still significant numbers where responsibilities are not clear 2009 & earlier 2010-2011 Clear Not clear Clear Not clear 23% 28% NGOs set up sources and other WASH programmes but maintenance after the project has ended is a myth - Uganda

24. Long term responsibilities involving different actors (Q.4,14a&19) Stories involving Bi-lateral, Multi-lateral and IFIs 2009 & earlier 2010-2011 Stories involving NGOs

25. Long responsibilities for monitoring stories (8,14a&19) Some improvement in responsibilities being clear for government 2009 & earlier 2010-2011

26. Is there a shift towards professionalisation of community management and alternative service providers? (Q.8,13&19) Stories about (professionalisation of) community management – a small number involve change (‘doing fundamentally different things’):

27. Is there a shift from an uncoordinated approach to harmonised planning & implementation? (q.11&19) There is a spread of stories which work independently and those which coordinate/align, however there seems to be a slight improvement in working together. 2009 & earlier 2010-2011

28. Is there a shift from an uncoordinated approach to harmonised planning & implementation? – Aid harmonisation & alignment stories (q.8,11&19) There are very few stories categorised as related to aid harmonisation and alignment. Of these, some stories show working independently 2009 & earlier 2010-2011 Policy makers in an unnamed country want to take a break and sort out policies before dealing with donors, but can't spend all the time chasing donors.

29. Workingindependently or together – comparing Q.11&12 2009 & earlier 2010-2011 Follow own ideas Follow own ideas Align completely Align completely Work independently Work independently Work together Work together

30. Exploring patterns of change with specific attention to topics of change and stalemate Positive and negative stories on change/no change that relate to policies and practices about Capacity support to service authorities/local government Positive Negative

31. Exploring patterns of change with specific attention to topics of change and stalemate Positive and negative stories on change/no change that relate to policies and practices about financial planning

32. “negative” stories in which organizations are involved which do fundamentally different thingsthat relate to financial planning Local Materials, Local Skills and Labour - A Way for Sustainable Water Supply in Africa This refers to a project in the western part of Ethiopia. There is a huge river crossing the city called Gambella. People and animals use if for drinking, washing, bathing.. Looking at the huge deposits of sand and gravel on the river bank, I recommended the construction of an infiltration gallery based water supply system. Donors were convinced and supported the idea and a small scale infiltration gallery system was constructed. The effluent is exceddingly very good. I recommended to upscale the technology for the entire coverage of the town. However, the town got a loan from the WB project. They said the infiltration gallery is a backward technology and they resorted into a high tech chemical dependent system which was over 10 times expensive to construct and some 20 times more expensive to run. This is the mentality of most African decision makers. They do not value the importance of using locally available materials, local skills and labour force to solve their problem. This would be more sustainable and economically much more viable. A summary of the project is available on the hand book by Marin Wegelin of EWAG on Roughing Filtration. Even the Banks have their Limitations: The true story what lending Banks can ask of their Debtors In 2005 - 2006 I conducted an end-of-project evaluation of a WASH sector programme funded by the Asian Development Bank. The ADB had loaned several million dollars for a 5 year programme for hard and software improvements in several districts across Vietnam. During the debrief of the Vietnamese National Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Water Director and the Asian Development Bank representative on the preliminary findings of the evaluation, the discussion turned at the instigation of the ADB representative and the Ministerial representative to how the loan funds were allocated at local level and what the value for money was of the investment made. I 'innocently' suggested that we do a sort of unit cost study for each of the systems built or improved. The Water Director become incensed at the suggestion and nearly threw me out of the room - possibly the country if she could have. The ADB representative had to step in and smooth the waters, insisting that what I MEANT to say was we could consider a cost benefit analysis but that there were no additional funds available for this additional work. The situation calmed down, but the implications were clear to me. The Country representative had no intention of opening the financial books for inspection by anyone, and the ADB had no policy or guidelines on how to handle the situation.

33. ON-GOING USE IN IWS? • Issues for consideration: • cost-benefit review • revisit option to gather & signify text fragments from relevant documents: travel reports, • in-depth review 6 Feb 2012 with Consultant

34. ‘Validation’ questions Look at the patterns, reflect on your own experiences and read the related stories. Discuss: • What messages are emerging from the patterns? • Which patterns are odd? And what might explain those patterns? • Which patterns do you recognise? • What do the patterns suggest might be areas and issues that require attention? New issues needing investment, some not worthwhile, etc.