The Mobile Phones for Improved Water Access (M4W) experiment, Uganda
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Experiment: Testing and Scaling up the M4W System in
Uganda
ARaP, 6th to 7th May 2013, Kabarole. Joseph Abisa
Ministry of Water and Environment
Makerere University CIT
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Name of the Experiment
Mobile Phones for Improved Water Access (M4W) is
a 4 year multi-stakeholder collaborative initiative
aimed at improving functionality of rural water
sources among 8 pilot districts in Uganda. Details
available at http://m4water.org/
—IRC/Triple-S, SNV, Makerere University, Water Aid,
Ministry of Water and Environment, Districts
—Participating districts include: Lira, Kabarole, Arua,
Kasese, Kyenjojo, Masindi, Amuria, Katakwi
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Rationale & Objectives
Rationale for the Experiment:
—Between 30-40% of systems in Africa don’t function
—Failure rates higher for HPB technologies, over 20%
—There is lack of accurate data on existing sources
—Complicates monitoring, evaluating and reporting WASH
service delivery especially in rural areas in Uganda
Objectives of Experiment
—Improving efficiency in reporting faults
—Triggering action for response to non-functional sources
—Improving efficiency in updating DWMIS and NWMIS
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Progress to date/Findings
Facilitated the collection of monitoring data
Target inspection & repair of water sources (27/84)
Generating data for updating the MIS
DWOs have started using data for various purposes
Communities now reporting faults using the system
Improved authenticity of water source information
System has helped identify sources not on WATSUP
Provided information for learning (IRC symposium)
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Key Messages on M4W
A real potential for updating DWMIS & NWMIS
—Data collected directly updates the DWMIS
—Data may also be used for updating the NWMIS
—Reduced paper work in data collection, entry, analysis etc
A cost effective tool for monitoring WASH services
—National deployment in 120 districts would cost $314,080
—Subsequent recurrent costs per year would be $46,080
—MWE spent about $1M in 2010 to update the WATSUP
Use of gov’t structures key in rolling out system
—Involvement of districts and S/Cs (DWOs, HA, CDOs etc)
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Next steps in phase 2 of M4W
Main objective is to scale up/rollout the M4W system
— Reinstallation of water point identifiers on sources is ongoing
— Community sensitization on M4W in pilot districts is ongoing
— Retraining of the district personnel on M4W is already planned
— Procurement of mobile phones to replace lost and spoilt ones done
— Process documentation to enable replication to other districts, set
Answering main questions of the initiative
— Has M4W reduced on down time in the pilot districts?
— Has M4W improved functionality of rural water sources?
— Can M4W provide data for updating district and national WMIS?
— What are the costs of implementing M4W?
Providing system maintenance services to districts
— Provided a service contract to MU (CIT) systems maintenance
Hinweis der Redaktion
M4W is a multi-stakeholder collaborative 4 year initiative aimed at improving functionality of rural water sources in 8 pilot districts in Uganda
Uganda Country Study Report 2011Sector Performance Report 2010
Initial data indicate that up to 19% of water sources are missing from the national database (WATSUP).
M4W reduces work load in collection of WASH monitoring data111 districts How many messaqgs have been received How many water points fixed
HPMs, HAs, CDOs participated in the development of messages for community sensitization and reinstallation of identifiers onto water sources