WATER FOR PEOPLE SUSTAINABILITY SERVICES CHECKLIST EXTERNAL EVALUATOR
Water For People is conducting an extensive assessment of water and sanitation sustainability across four African countries—Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda—using its Sustainable Services Checklist (SSC). This initiative aims to evaluate the long-term viability of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services in 15 partner districts, ensuring they meet sustainability benchmarks. The assessment will focus on key indicators related to service authorities, service providers, and water resource management, determining the effectiveness of current systems and identifying areas for improvement. By gathering and analyzing data through interviews, field visits, and monitoring tools, Water For People seeks to support local governments and stakeholders in achieving universal and sustainable WASH services.
The organization follows its Everyone Forever model, which ensures that entire communities, including households, schools, and healthcare facilities, have reliable access to clean water and sanitation. This model emphasizes not just infrastructure but also governance, financing, and long-term planning, empowering districts to independently manage their resources. Sustainability is assessed through specific milestones that measure progress in water service levels, sanitation coverage, and institutional capacity. The SSC serves as a crucial tool in this process, scoring each district on sustainability metrics and guiding decision-making to support ongoing improvements and eventual transition to self-sufficiency.
This assessment also informs Water For People's strategy for scaling and exiting from districts where sustainability has been successfully achieved. By documenting best practices, identifying challenges, and recommending solutions, the evaluation supports data-driven decision-making for both local governments and global WASH initiatives. Results will be shared with government partners, donors, and implementing organizations to enhance transparency and collaboration. Through this rigorous evaluation, Water For People continues its mission of ensuring access to safe and lasting water and sanitation services worldwide.
