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April 4 Deadline / Up to $14m for WASH in Afghanistan and Pakistan / FY 2013 Funding Opportunity Announcement for NGO Programs Benefiting Refugees

noreply@blogger.com (John Oldfield) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 23:01:00 +0000

Dear colleagues in the WASH sector:

Below please find a funding opportunity announcement for Afghanistan and Pakistan. This includes safe drinking water and sanitation. Good luck and please keep me posted!

John

FY 2013 Funding Opportunity Announcement for NGO Programs Benefiting Afghan Returnees and Refugees in Afghanistan and Pakistan

Funding Opportunity Announcement

Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration

March 1, 2013

Funding Opportunity Number: PRM-PRMOAPNE-13-003
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number: 19.519 - Overseas Refugee Assistance Programs for Near East and South Asia
Announcement issuance date: Friday, March 1, 2013
Proposal submission deadline: Thursday, April 4, 2013 at 12:00 p.m. noon EDT. Proposals submitted after this deadline will not be considered.
**ADVISORY: PRM strongly recommends submitting your proposal early to allow time to address any difficulties that may arise.**
Proposed Program Start Dates: July 1 through September 30, 2013
Eligible Applicants: (1) Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with IRS, other than institutions of higher education; (2) Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with IRS, other than institutions of higher education; and (3) International Organizations. International Organizations (IOs) should not submit proposals through Grants.gov in response to this Funding Opportunity Announcement. Rather IOs such as UN agencies and other Public International Organizations (PIOs) that are seeking funding for programs relevant to this announcement should contact the relevant PRM Program Officer (as listed below) on or before the closing date of the funding announcement.
Duration of Activity: Up to 36 months. Program plans up to 36 months will be considered, except for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) projects, which are limited to 12 months. Applicants may submit multi-year proposals with activities and budgets that do not exceed 36 months from the proposed start date. Actual awards will not exceed 12 months in duration and activities and budgets submitted in year one can be revised/updated the following year. Continued funding after the initial 12-month award requires the submission of a noncompeting continuation application and will be contingent upon available funding, strong performance, and continuing need. In funding a project one year, PRM makes no representations that it will continue to fund the project in successive years and encourages applicants to seek a wide array of donors to ensure long-term funding possibilities. Please see Multi-Year Funding section below for additional information.
Current Funding Priorities:
PRM will prioritize funding for proposed NGO activities that best meet the Bureau’s priorities for Afghan returnees and refugees in Afghanistan and Pakistan as identified below.
(a) Proposed activities should primarily support Afghan refugee returnees in Afghanistan and registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan. Because of PRM's mandate to provide protection, assistance, and sustainable solutions for refugees and victims of conflict, PRM will consider funding only those projects that include a target beneficiary base of at least 50% Afghan refugee returnees and/or registered Afghan refugees.
(b) Proposals must focus on the following sectors:
Programs in Afghanistan:

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH): PRM will consider interventions that focus on WASH-related education or infrastructure improvement that are in line with Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development guidelines and internationally recognized standards. All proposals in this sector must demonstrate how WASH systems will be maintained by the community beyond the 12-month project timeline. (In this sector, PRM will not consider projects with a duration longer than 12 months.)
Livelihoods: PRM will consider vocational training and/or livelihoods/business development programs linked to job opportunities. Proposals may include complementary training in fields such as adult literacy; however, standalone vocational training not linked to income generation will not be considered for funding. Proposals from PRM partners who implemented PRM-funded livelihoods programs in FY2012 must include information on previous program beneficiaries’ income and employment status.
Protection: PRM will consider activities to support extremely vulnerable individuals including projects that seek to prevent gender-based violence (GBV). Strong proposals will incorporate men and boys in GBV prevention and response programs.

Programs in Pakistan:

Health: PRM will consider proposals that promote the transition of health services in Pishin, Balochistan; Quetta, Balochistan; Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; and Buner, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to governmental authorities, local NGOs, and/or development partners. Partners may propose continuing to provide basic health services only if proposals demonstrate a clear and measurable plan for transition away from direct service provision with benchmarks that demonstrate complete transition by the end of the project period. For programs that include basic health service provision including reproductive health, particular attention should be paid to relevant Pilot Health Indicators in the General NGO Guidelines. PRM will consider proposals up to 36 months in this sector to facilitate complete transition of projects.
Livelihoods: PRM will consider proposals for vocational training and/or livelihoods/business development programs linked to job opportunities. Proposals may include complementary training in fields such as adult literacy; however, standalone vocational training not linked to income generation will not be considered for funding. Proposals from PRM partners who implemented PRM-funded livelihoods programs in FY2012 must include information on previous program beneficiaries’ current income and employment status.
Education: PRM will consider provision of or improved access to quality primary and secondary education services. Projects should focus on enrolment of out-of-school refugee children and strengthening community involvement, particularly in the maintenance and repair of the schools, and sustainability. Coursework should support eventual repatriation/reintegration in Afghanistan and/or help beneficiaries earn a livelihood in Pakistan. Strong proposals will also prioritize the enrollment and retention of girls.
Protection: PRM will consider protection activities that increase registered refugees’ access to basic services, legal assistance and rights awareness-raising activities, gender equality and protection of women (such as combating GBV, working inclusively with men and boys, economic empowerment and livelihoods for women, etc.), and activities to support extremely vulnerable individuals.

Cross-Border Programs:

Livelihoods: PRM will consider integrated programming that supports employment, self-reliance, and successful reintegration of refugees returning from Pakistan to Afghanistan as well as vocational training and/or livelihoods/business development programs linked to job opportunities. Proposals may include complementary training in fields such as adult literacy; however, standalone vocational training not linked to income generation will not be considered for funding. Proposals should demonstrate an understanding of actual market needs and include indicators and benchmarks that will adequately track increases in revenue upon return to Afghanistan. PRM will consider proposals up to 36 months in this sector.

(c) Proposals must have a concrete implementation plan with well-conceived objectives and indicators that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and reliable, time-bound and trackable (SMART), have established baselines, and include at least one outcome or impact indicator per objective; objectives should be clearly linked to the sectors.
(d) Proposals must adhere to relevant international standards for humanitarian assistance. See PRM’s General NGO Guidelines for a complete list of sector-specific standards.
(e) PRM will accept proposals from any NGO working in the above mentioned sectors although, given budgetary constraints, priority will be given to proposals from organizations that can demonstrate:

a working relationship with UNHCR, current UNHCR funding, and/or a letter of support from UNHCR for the proposed activities and/or overall country program (this letter should highlight the gap in services the proposed program is designed to address);
a proven track record in providing proposed assistance both in the sector and specified location;
evidence of coordination with international organizations (IOs) and other NGOs working in the same area or sector as well as – where possible – local authorities;
a strong transition plan, where feasible, involving local capacity-building;
a budget that demonstrates co-funding by non-US government sources.

Funding Limits: In FY 2013, PRM anticipates providing approximately $14 million to fund NGO programs in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Project proposals must be not more than $1,500,000 (per year) for single-country projects and $2,000,000 (per year) for cross-border proposals or they will be disqualified. As stated in PRM’s General NGO Guidelines, PRM looks favorably on cost-sharing efforts and seeks to support projects with a diverse donor base and/or resources from the submitting organization.
Proposal Submission Requirements: Proposals must be submitted via Grants.gov. See “Applicant Resources” page on Grants.gov for complete details on requirements (http://www.grants.gov/applicants/app_help_reso.jsp). Please also note the following highlights:

Do not wait until the last minute to submit your application on Grants.gov. Organizations not registered with Grants.gov should register well in advance of the deadline as it can take up to two weeks to finalize registration (sometimes longer for non-U.S. based NGOs to get the required registration numbers). To register with Grants.gov, organizations must first receive a DUNS number and register with the System for Award Management (SAM) which can take weeks and sometimes months. We recommend that organizations, particularly first-time applicants, submit applications via Grants.gov no later than one week before the deadline to avoid last-minute technical difficulties that could result in an application not being considered. PRM partners must maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which they have an active federal award or an application under consideration by PRM or any federal agency.
Applications must be submitted under the authority of the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) at the applicant organization. Having proposals submitted by agency headquarters helps to avoid possible technical problems.
If you encounter technical difficulties with Grants.gov please contact the Grants.gov Help Desk at support@grants.gov or by calling 1-800-518-4726. Applicants who are unable to submit applications via Grants.gov due to Grants.gov technical difficulties and who have reported the problem to the Grants.gov help desk, received a case number, and had a service request opened to research the problem, should contact the relevant PRM Program Officer to determine whether an alternative method of submission is appropriate.
International Organizations (IOs) should not submit proposals through Grants.gov in response to this Funding Opportunity Announcement. Rather IOs such as UN agencies and other Public International Organizations (PIOs) that are seeking funding for programs relevant to this announcement should contact the relevant PRM Program Officer (as stated below) on or before the closing date of the funding announcement.
Pursuant to U.S. Code, Title 218, Section 1001, stated on OMB Standard Form 424 (SF-424), the Department of State is authorized to consolidate the certifications and assurances required by Federal law or regulations for its federal assistance programs. The list of certifications and assurances can be found at: http://fa.statebuy.state.gov/content.asp?content_id=161&menu_id=68 )

Proposal Content, Formatting and Template: This announcement is designed to accompany PRM’s General NGO Guidelines, which contain additional administrative information on proposal content and formatting, and explain in detail PRM’s NGO funding strategy and priorities. Please use both the General NGO Guidelines and this announcement to ensure that your proposal submission is in full compliance with PRM requirements and that the proposed activities are in line with PRM’s priorities. Proposal submissions that do not meet all of the requirements outlined in these guidelines will not be considered.
PRM strongly recommends using the proposal and budget templates that are available upon email request from PRM's NGO Coordinator. Please send an email, with the phrase “PRM NGO Templates” in the subject line, to PRM's NGO Coordinator. Single-year proposals using PRM’s templates must be no more than 20 pages in length (Times New Roman 12 point font, one inch margins on all sides). If the applicant does not use PRM’s recommended templates, proposals must not exceed 15 pages in length. Organizations may choose to attach work plans, activity calendars, and/or logical frameworks as addendums/appendices to the proposal. These attachments do not count toward the page limit total.
To be considered for PRM funding, organizations must submit a complete application package including:

Proposal reflecting objectives and indicators for all years of the program period.
Budget and budget narrative for each year of the program period.
Signed completed SF-424.

In addition, proposal submissions to PRM should include the following information:

Focus on outcome or impact indicators as much as possible. At a minimum, each objective should have one outcome or impact indicator. Wherever possible, baselines should be established before the start of the project.
To increase PRM’s ability to track the impact of PRM funding, include specific information on locations of projects and beneficiaries (GPS coordinates if possible).
Proposals should outline how the NGO will acknowledge PRM funding. If an organization believes that publicly acknowledging the receipt of USG funding for a particular PRM-funded project could potentially endanger the lives of the beneficiaries and/or the organization staff, invite suspicion about the organization's motives, or alienate the organization from the population it is trying to help, it must provide a brief explanation in its proposal as to why it should be exempted from this requirement.
The budget should include a specific breakdown of funds being provided by UNHCR, other USG agencies, other donors, and your own organization. PRM strongly encourages multilateral support for humanitarian programs.
Proposals and budgets should include details of any sub-agreements associated with the program.
Copy of the organization’s Code of Conduct (required before an award can be made).
Copy of the organization’s Security Plan (required before an award can be made).
Most recent Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), if applicable.
NGOs that have not received PRM funding since the U.S. Government fiscal year ending September 30, 2004 must be prepared to demonstrate that they meet the financial and accounting requirements of the U.S. Government by submitting copies of 1) the most recent external financial audit, 2) proof of non-profit tax status including under IRS 501 (c)(3), as applicable, 3) a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, and 4) an Employer ID (EIN)/Federal Tax Identification number.
Organizations that received PRM funding in FY 2012 for activities that are being proposed for funding under this announcement must include the most recent quarterly progress report against indicators outlined in the cooperative agreement. If an organization’s last quarterly report was submitted more than six weeks prior to the submission of a proposal in response to this funding announcement, the organization must include, with its most recent quarterly report, updates that show any significant progress made on objectives since the last report.

Multi-Year Funding: Applicants proposing multi-year programs should adhere to the following guidance:
Applicants may submit proposals that include multi-year strategies presented in 12-month cycles for a period not to exceed or 36 months from the proposed start date. Fully developed programs with detailed budgets, objectives and indicators are required for each year of activities. These can be updated yearly upon submission of continuation applications. Applicants should note that they may use PRM’s recommended multi-year proposal template for this application, which is different from the single year template. Multi-year funding applicants may also use PRM’s standard budget template and should submit a separate budget sheet for each project year. Multi-year proposals using PRM’s templates must be no more than 30 pages in length (Times New Roman 12 point font, one inch margins on all sides). If the applicant does not use PRM’s recommended templates, proposals must not exceed 25 pages in length. Organizations may choose to attach work plans, activity calendars, and/or logical frameworks as addendums/appendices to the proposal. These attachments do not count toward the page limit total.
Multi-year applications selected for funding by PRM will be funded in 12- month increments based on the proposal submitted in the initial application as approved by PRM. Continued funding after the initial 12- month award requires the submission of a noncompeting continuation application and will be contingent upon available funding, strong performance, and continuing need. Continuation applications must be submitted by the organization no later than 90 days before the proposed start date of the new award (e.g., if the next project period is to begin on September 1, submit your application by June 1). Continuation applications are submitted in lieu of responding to PRM’s published call for proposals for those activities. Late continuation applications will jeopardize continued funding.
Organizations can request multi-year funding and continuation application templates by emailing PRM's NGO Coordinator with the phrase “PRM NGO Templates” in the subject line.
Reports and Reporting Requirements:
Program reporting: PRM requires quarterly and final program reports describing and analyzing the results of activities undertaken during the validity period of the agreement. It is highly suggested that NGOs receiving PRM funding use the PRM recommended program report template. To request this template, send an email with the phrase “PRM NGO Templates” in the subject line to PRM's NGO Coordinator.
Financial Reports: Financial reports are required within thirty (30) days following the end of each calendar year quarter during the validity period of the agreement; a final financial report covering the entire period of the agreement is required within ninety (90) days after the expiration date of the agreement.
For more details regarding reporting requirements please see PRM’s General NGO Guidelines.
Proposal Review Process: PRM will conduct a formal competitive review of all proposals submitted in response to this funding announcement. A review panel will evaluate submissions based on the above-referenced proposal evaluation criteria and PRM priorities in the context of available funding.
PRM may request revised proposals and/or budgets based on feedback from the panel. PRM will provide formal notifications to NGOs of final decisions taken by Bureau management.
Assistance Award Provision – SPOT: The following provisions will be included in the Bureau specific component of the Notice of Award for performance in a designated combat area (currently Iraq and Afghanistan). Recipients are required to include this provision in any sub-grant awards or agreements.

SPECIAL PROVISION FOR PERFORMANCE IN A DESIGNATED COMBAT AREA (CURRENTLY IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN)
(Revised January 2011)

All recipient personnel deploying to areas of combat operations, as designated by the Secretary of Defense (currently Iraq and Afghanistan), under grants over $100,000 or performance over 30 days must register in the Department of Defense maintained Synchronized Pre-deployment and Operational Tracker (SPOT) system. Recipients of federal assistance awards shall register in SPOT before deployment, or if already in the designated operational area, register upon becoming an employee under the assistance award and maintain current data in SPOT. Information on how to register in SPOT is available from your Grants Officer or Grants Officer Representative.
Recipients must enter all U.S. and Third Country National (TCN) personnel into SPOT. If the Recipient has concerns about the safety of locally hired Iraqi or Afghan personnel because of personal data entered into SPOT, arrangements may be made with the Grants Officer or the Grants Officer Representative to report anonymous aggregate data.
Locally-hired Iraqi or Afghan personnel can be added anonymously through the use of the aggregate count template except as noted in the following paragraph.
Recipients utilizing personnel who are performing a private security function; are performing duties as a translator or interpreter; require access to U.S. facilities, services, or support; or desire consideration for refugee or special immigrant status under the Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act of 2007 (subtitle C of title XII of Public Law 110–181) must be entered into SPOT individually with all required personal information. If a locally-hired Iraqi or Afghan national falls into one of these categories, the Recipient must enter all of the required identification data into SPOT.
When the Grantee is ready to enter locally-hired individuals using the Aggregate Count method, the Grantee will notify the Grants Officer who will contact the Department SPOT Program Manager (A/LM/AQM) to obtain the “Aggregate Count” template. The Grantee will complete the “Aggregate Count” template and return to the SPOT Program Manager who will ensure that aggregate counts are loaded into SPOT. The Grantee SPOT Administrator is responsible for updating the aggregate locally hired national count on a quarterly basis by providing updated information via the “Aggregate Count” As template to the GOR/GO for each award who will forward to the Department SPOT Program Manager for SPOT entry.
Recipient performance may require the use of armed private security personnel. To the extent that such private security contractors (PSCs) are required, grantees are required to ensure they adhere to Chief of Mission (COM) policies and procedures regarding the operation, oversight, and accountability of PSCs. In a designated area of combat operations, the term PSC includes any personnel providing protection of the personnel, facilities, property of a grantee or subgrantee at any level, or performing any other activity for which personnel are required to carry weapons in the performance of their duties.
As specific COM policies and procedures may differ in scope and applicability, recipients of federal assistance awards are advised to review post policies and procedures carefully in this regard and direct any questions to the Embassy Regional Security Office (RSO) via the Grants Officer Representative (GOR). Any exclusion to these policies must be granted by the COM via the RSO. COM policies and procedures may be obtained from the RSO via the GOR. Recipients of federal assistance awards are also advised that these policies and procedures may be amended from time to time at the post in response to changing circumstances.
Recipients of federal assistance awards are advised that adherence to these policies and procedures are considered to be a material requirement of their grant.
Recipients of federal assistance awards are reminded that only the Grants Officer has the authority to modify the Notice of Award. Recipients shall proceed with any security guidance provided by the RSO, but shall advise the Grants Officer and the GOR of the guidance received and any potential cost or schedule impact.
Applicant Vetting as a Condition of Award: Applicants for programs in Afghanistan are advised that successful passing of vetting to evaluate the risk that funds may benefit terrorists or their supporters is a condition of award. Applicants may be asked to submit information required by DS Form 4184, Risk Analysis Information about their company and its principal personnel. Vetting information is also required for all subaward performance on assistance awards identified by DOS as presenting a risk of terrorist financing. When vetting information is requested by the Grants Officer, information may be submitted on the secure web portal at https://ramportal.state.gov, via Email to RAM@state.gov, or hardcopy to the Grants Officer. Questions the form may be emailed to RAM@state.gov. Failure to submit information when requested, or failure to pass vetting, may be grounds for rejecting your proposal. The following clause shall be included in Section 9, Special Award Conditions, or as an addendum to the solicitation, whenever assistance is awarded after vetting:

Recipient Vetting After Award: Recipients shall advise the Grants Officer of any changes in personnel listed in the DS Form 4184, Risk Analysis Information, and shall provide vetting information on new individuals. The government reserves the right to vet these personnel changes and to terminate assistance awards for convenience based on vetting results.

Branding and Marking Strategy: Unless requests for exceptions have been approved by the designated bureau Authorizing Official as described in the proposal templates that are available upon email request from PRM's NGO Coordinator, at a minimum, the following provision will be included whenever assistance is awarded:
As a condition of receipt of this assistance award, all materials produced pursuant to the award, including training materials, materials for recipients or materials to communicate or promote with foreign audiences a program, event, project, or some other activity under this agreement, including but not limited to invitations to events, press materials, event backdrops, podium signs, etc. must be marked appropriately with the standard U.S. flag in a size and prominence equal to (or greater than) any other logo or identity. Subrecipients and subsequent tier sub-award agreements are subject to the marking requirements and the recipient shall include a provision in the subrecipient agreement indicating that the standard, rectangular U.S. flag is a requirement. In the event the recipient does not comply with the marking requirements as established in the approved assistance agreement, the Grants Officer Representative and the Grants Officer must initiate corrective action.
PRM Points of Contact: Should NGOs have technical questions related to this announcement, they should contact the PRM staff listed below prior to proposal submission. Please note that responses to technical questions from PRM do not indicate a commitment to fund the program discussed.
PRM Program Officers: Emily Mestetsky (MestetskyEA@state.gov 202-453-9282) and Mark Thornburg (ThornburgMH@state.gov 202-453-9284) in Washington, D.C.
Regional Refugee Coordinators: Simone Jackson (GravesSL@state.gov, U.S. Embassy, Islamabad) and Ted Jasik (JasikT@state.gov, U.S. Embassy, Kabul).

Up to $4m for Water, Sanitation Funding for South Sudan - please tell your friends!

noreply@blogger.com (John Oldfield) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 18:20:00 +0000

Democracy, Human Rights, Refugees: FY 2013 Funding Opportunity Announcement for NGO Programs Benefiting Refugees in South Sudan

03/04/2013 11:01 AM EST

FY 2013 Funding Opportunity Announcement for NGO Programs Benefiting Refugees in South Sudan

Funding Opportunity Announcement

Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration

March 1, 2013

Funding Opportunity Number: PRM-PRMOAPAF-13-004-016650
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number: 19.517 - Overseas Refugee Assistance Programs for Africa
Announcement issuance date: Friday, March 1, 2013
Proposal submission deadline: Monday, April 1, 2013 at 12:00 p.m. noon EDT. Proposals submitted after this deadline will not be considered.
**ADVISORY: PRM strongly recommends submitting your proposal several days early to allow time to address any difficulties that may arise.**
Proposed Program Start Dates: June 1 – September 30, 2013
Eligible Applicants: (1) Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with IRS, other than institutions of higher education; (2) Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with IRS, other than institutions of higher education; and (3) International Organizations. International Organizations (IOs) should not submit proposals through Grants.gov in response to this Funding Opportunity Announcement. Rather IOs such as UN agencies and other Public International Organizations (PIOs) that are seeking funding for programs relevant to this announcement should contact the relevant PRM Program Officer (as listed below) on or before the closing date of the funding announcement.
Duration of Activity: Program plans from 12 to 36 months will be considered. Applicants may submit multi-year proposals with activities and budgets that do not exceed 36 months from the proposed start date. Actual awards will not exceed 12 months in duration. Continued funding after the initial 12- month award requires the submission of a noncompeting continuation application and will be contingent upon available funding, strong performance, and continuing need. In funding a project one year, PRM makes no representations that it will continue to fund the project in successive years and encourages applicants to seek a wide array of donors to ensure long-term funding possibilities. Submission of a continuation application means that the organization does not have to respond to the annual call for proposals for the duration of the multi-year project. Please see the Multi-Year Funding section below for additional information.
Current Funding Priorities : PRM will prioritize funding for proposed NGO activities that best meet the Bureau’s priorities as identified below for filling programming gaps for refugees currently in South Sudan from the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, or other countries as identified below.
(a) Because of PRM's mandate to provide protection, assistance, and sustainable solutions for refugees and victims of conflict, PRM will consider funding only those projects that include a target beneficiary base of at least 50% refugees. Please note that projects that do not meet one of the protection/assistance gaps below will not be considered.
(b) Health Sector Standard Indicators Pilot: Proposals focusing on health in camp based/returnee settings must include a minimum of one of the four following indicators, and should try to include as many of the other indicators as are relevant:

Number of consultations/clinician/day – Target: Fewer than 50 patients per clinician per day
Measles vaccination rate for children under five – Target: 95% coverage
Percentage of deliveries attended by a skilled birth attendant in a health care facility – Target: 100%
Percentage of reporting rape survivors given post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) with 72 hours – Target: 100%

Congolese, CAR, and Ethiopian Refugees in South Sudan:
(c) Activities should support refugees in Pochalla, Makpandu, Lasu, and Napere (Ezo) settlements, South Sudan.
(d) Target beneficiaries, sectors, and proposed programs should be developed in full coordination with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Proposals should focus on one or more of the following sectors:
i. Protection (prevention/response to gender-based violence or assistance for unaccompanied minors.)
ii. Health (reproductive health, maternal and child health, mental health and psychosocial support, or assistance for disabled persons)
iii. Livelihoods (primary education or vocational education/training)
Sudanese Refugees in South Sudan:
(e) Activities should support Sudanese refugees in current or planned settlements located in South Sudan and in coordination with UNHCR. Proposals should specify refugee population numbers and projects in proposed locations.
(f) Target beneficiaries, sectors, and proposed programs should be developed in full coordination with UNHCR. Proposals should focus on one or more of the following sectors:
i. Protection (prevention/response to gender-based violence or assistance for unaccompanied minors, prevention of military recruitment)
ii. Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)
iii. Health (reproductive health, maternal and child health, mental health and psychosocial support, or assistance for disabled persons)
iv. Nutrition (support and accessibility to adequate nutrition for pregnant/lactating women, and/or persons living with disabilities, and/or elderly person)
v. Innovative projects that mitigate the impact of deforestation and water usage by refugees and livestock (including, but not limited to energy efficient stoves, multi-family cooking shelters, energy efficient cooking techniques, rainwater harvesting).
(g) Proposals must have a concrete implementation plan with well-conceived objectives and indicators that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and reliable, time-bound and trackable (SMART), have established baselines, and include at least one outcome or impact indicator per objective; objectives should be clearly linked to the sectors.
(h) Proposals must adhere to relevant international standards for humanitarian assistance. See PRM’s General NGO Guidelines for a complete list of sector-specific standards.
(i) PRM will accept proposals from any NGO working in the above mentioned sectors although, given budgetary constraints, priority will be given to proposals from organizations that can demonstrate:

a working relationship with UNHCR, current UNHCR funding, and/or a letter of support from UNHCR for the proposed activities and/or overall country program (this letter should highlight the gap in services the proposed program is designed to address);
a proven track record in providing proposed assistance both in the sector and specified location;
evidence of coordination with international organizations (IOs) and other NGOs working in the same area or sector as well as – where possible – local authorities;
a strong transition plan, where feasible, involving local capacity-building;
a budget that demonstrates co-funding by non-US government sources.

(j) Country Specific Instructions
South Sudan: Proposals for activities in South Sudan must be accompanied by a letter from UNHCR showing approval for the proposed activities.
Funding Limits: FY 2013, PRM anticipates providing approximately $4,000,000 million to fund NGO programs in South Sudan. Project proposals must not be less than $175,000 and not more than $1,500,000 per year or they will be disqualified. As stated in PRM’s General NGO Guidelines, PRM looks favorably on cost-sharing efforts and seeks to support projects with a diverse donor base and/or resources from the submitting organization.
Proposal Submission Requirements: Proposals must be submitted via Grants.gov. See “Applicant Resources” page on Grants.gov for complete details on requirements (http://www.grants.gov/applicants/app_help_reso.jsp). Please also note the following highlights:

Do not wait until the last minute to submit your application on Grants.gov. Organizations not registered with Grants.gov should register well in advance of the deadline as it can take up to two weeks to finalize registration (sometimes longer for non-U.S. based NGOs to get the required registration numbers). To register with Grants.gov, organizations must first receive a DUNS number and register with the System for Award Management (SAM) which can take weeks and sometimes months. We recommend that organizations, particularly first-time applicants, submit applications via Grants.gov no later than one week before the deadline to avoid last-minute technical difficulties that could result in an application not being considered. PRM partners must maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which they have an active federal award or an application under consideration by PRM or any federal agency.
Applications must be submitted under the authority of the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) at the applicant organization. Having proposals submitted by agency headquarters helps to avoid possible technical problems.
If you encounter technical difficulties with Grants.gov please contact the Grants.gov Help Desk at support@grants.gov or by calling 1-800-518-4726. Applicants who are unable to submit applications via Grants.gov due to Grants.gov technical difficulties and who have reported the problem to the Grants.gov help desk, received a case number, and had a service request opened to research the problem, should contact the relevant PRM Program Officer to determine whether an alternative method of submission is appropriate.
International Organizations (IOs) should not submit proposals through Grants.gov in response to this Funding Opportunity Announcement. Rather IOs such as UN agencies and other Public International Organizations (PIOs) that are seeking funding for programs relevant to this announcement should contact the relevant PRM Program Officer (as stated below) on or before the closing date of the funding announcement.
Pursuant to U.S. Code, Title 218, Section 1001, stated on OMB Standard Form 424 (SF-424), the Department of State is authorized to consolidate the certifications and assurances required by Federal law or regulations for its federal assistance programs. The list of certifications and assurances can be found at: http://fa.statebuy.state.gov/content.asp?content_id=161&menu_id=68 )

Proposal reflecting objectives and indicators for each year of the program period.
Budget and budget narrative for each year of the program period.
Signed completed SF-424.

In addition, proposal submissions to PRM should include the following information:

Focus on outcome or impact indicators as much as possible. At a minimum, each objective should have one outcome or impact indicator. Wherever possible, baselines should be established before the start of the project.
To increase PRM’s ability to track the impact of PRM funding, include specific information on locations of projects and beneficiaries (GPS coordinates if possible).
Proposals should outline how the NGO will acknowledge PRM funding. If an organization believes that publicly acknowledging the receipt of USG funding for a particular PRM-funded project could potentially endanger the lives of the beneficiaries and/or the organization staff, invite suspicion about the organization's motives, or alienate the organization from the population it is trying to help, it must provide a brief explanation in its proposal as to why it should be exempted from this requirement.
The budget should include a specific breakdown of funds being provided by UNHCR, other USG agencies, other donors, and your own organization. PRM strongly encourages multilateral support for humanitarian programs.
Proposals and budgets should include details of any sub-agreements associated with the program.
Copy of the organization’s Code of Conduct (required before an award can be made).
Copy of the organization’s Security Plan (required before an award can be made).
Most recent Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), if applicable.
NGOs that have not received PRM funding since the U.S. Government fiscal year ending September 30, 2004 must be prepared to demonstrate that they meet the financial and accounting requirements of the U.S. Government by submitting copies of 1) the most recent external financial audit, 2) proof of non-profit tax status including under IRS 501 (c)(3), as applicable, 3) a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, and 4) an Employer ID (EIN)/Federal Tax Identification number.
Organizations that received PRM funding in FY 2012 for activities that are being proposed for funding under this announcement must include the most recent quarterly progress report against indicators outlined in the cooperative agreement. If an organization’s last quarterly report was submitted more than six weeks prior to the submission of a proposal in response to this funding announcement, the organization must include, with its most recent quarterly report, updates that show any significant progress made on objectives since the last report.

Multi-Year Funding: Applicants proposing multi-year programs should adhere to the following guidance:
Applicants may submit proposals that include multi-year strategies presented in 12-month cycles for a period not to exceed 36 months from the proposed start date. Fully developed programs with detailed budgets, objectives and indicators are required for each year of activities. These can be updated yearly upon submission of continuation applications, as PRM expects that conditions on the ground may change. Applicants should note that they may use PRM’s recommended multi-year proposal template for this application, which is different from the single year template. Multi-year funding applicants may also use PRM’s standard budget template and should submit a separate budget sheet for each project year. Multi-year proposals using PRM’s templates must be no more than 30 pages in length (Times New Roman 12 point font, one inch margins on all sides). If the applicant does not use PRM’s recommended templates, proposals must not exceed 25 pages in length. Organizations may choose to attach work plans, activity calendars, and/or logical frameworks as addendums/appendices to the proposal. These attachments do not count toward the page limit total.
Multi-year applications selected for funding by PRM will be funded in 12- month increments based on the proposal submitted in the initial application as approved by PRM. Continued funding after the initial 12- month award requires the submission of a noncompeting continuation application and will be contingent upon available funding, strong performance, and continuing need. Continuation applications must be submitted by the organization no later than 90 days before the proposed start date of the new award (e.g., if the next project period is to begin on September 1, submit your application by June 1). Late applications will jeopardize continued funding.
Organizations can request multi-year funding and continuation application templates by emailing PRM's NGO Coordinator with the phrase “PRM NGO Templates” in the subject line.
Reports and Reporting Requirements:
Program reporting: PRM requires quarterly and final program reports describing and analyzing the results of activities undertaken during the validity period of the agreement. It is highly suggested that NGOs receiving PRM funding use the PRM recommended program report template. To request this template, send an email with the phrase “PRM NGO Templates” in the subject line to PRM's NGO Coordinator.
Financial Reports: Financial reports are required within thirty (30) days following the end of each calendar year quarter during the validity period of the agreement; a final financial report covering the entire period of the agreement is required within ninety (90) days after the expiration date of the agreement.
For more details regarding reporting requirements please see PRM’s General NGO Guidelines.
Proposal Review Process: PRM will conduct a formal competitive review of all proposals submitted in response to this funding announcement. A review panel will evaluate submissions based on the above-referenced proposal evaluation criteria and PRM priorities in the context of available funding.
PRM may request revised proposals and/or budgets based on feedback from the panel. PRM will provide formal notifications to NGOs of final decisions taken by Bureau management.
Branding and Marking Strategy: Unless exceptions have been approved by the designated bureau Authorizing Official as described in the proposal templates that are available upon email request from PRM's NGO Coordinator, at a minimum, the following provision will be included whenever assistance is awarded:
As a condition of receipt of this assistance award, all materials produced pursuant to the award, including training materials, materials for recipients or materials to communicate or promote with foreign audiences a program, event, project, or some other activity under this agreement, including but not limited to invitations to events, press materials, event backdrops, podium signs, etc. must be marked appropriately with the standard U.S. flag in a size and prominence equal to (or greater than) any other logo or identity. Subrecipients and subsequent tier sub-award agreements are subject to the marking requirements and the recipient shall include a provision in the subrecipient agreement indicating that the standard, rectangular U.S. flag is a requirement. In the event the recipient does not comply with the marking requirements as established in the approved assistance agreement, the Grants Officer Representative and the Grants Officer must initiate corrective action.
PRM Points of Contact: Should NGOs have technical questions related to this announcement, they should contact the PRM staff listed below prior to proposal submission. Please note that responses to technical questions from PRM do not indicate a commitment to fund the program discussed.
PRM Program Officer: Andres Valdes, ValdesAX@State.gov, 202-453-9306, or Chris Upchurch, UpchurchCM@State.gov, 202-453-9384, Washington, D.C.
Regional Refugee Coordinator: Lubna Khan, KhanL@State.gov, U.S. Embassy, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Sequestration, safe drinking water, and sanitation - some thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (John Oldfield) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 11:47:00 +0000

What’s Really at Stake: Sequestration’s Impact Worldwide

Lost in the trillion-dollar sequestration debates is the life-and-death impact of these spending cuts in developing countries. Sequestration will cut more than $25 million (8.2%) from safe drinking water and sanitation programs in the world’s poorest countries and communities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. This would leave 260,000 more people (equal to the population of Lincoln, Nebraska or Plano, Texas) without access to the safe drinking water and sanitation they need to live healthy lives.

The United States government should continue to lead in helping the world’s poorest get access to water and sanitation for years. The U.S. intelligence community recently reinforced this imperative through its Intelligence Community Assessment of Global Water Security.

Why Water and Sanitation Are Important

Around the world today, 780 million people lack access to safe drinking water and 2.5 billion people lack even basic sanitation. Safe drinking water and sanitation for all will save millions of children’s lives and prevent 9% of the global disease burden. Safe drinking water and sanitation also reinforce sustainable progress toward virtually every other developmental challenge including education, economic growth, nutrition, environmental health and gender equality.

Why U.S. Funding is Vital

Congress has increased funding for the Water for the Poor Act since 2008 to its current level of $315 million. In 2011 alone USAID provided almost four million people with improved access to drinking water supply and 1.9 million people with improved access to sanitation facilities. Programs implemented by USAID and its partners provide safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), and strengthen the capacity of developing country governments to solve their own water and sanitation challenges. This will create lasting, sustainable change and lead toward aid independence. The World Health Organization estimates that every $1 of funding for water and sanitation programs brings a return of $4 in increased productivity and decreased health care costs.

Fecal Sludge Management in Africa and Asia

noreply@blogger.com (John Oldfield) — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 21:48:00 +0000

The following post by guest blogger Pascal Garde on behalf of Doulaye Koné of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) refers to a recently published study on Fecal Sludge Management in Africa and Asia.

Non-sewered, or “on-site sanitation” is the main technological approach used in most urban areas in Africa and Asia. Use of this technology requires regular provision of human waste collection and transportation services, which are generally unregulated and usually provided by private operators.

There are currently huge information gaps on how collection and transportation of human waste is organized. Decision makers, entrepreneurs and investors often lack important information (e.g. market size, business opportunity, profitability) to make Fecal Sludge Management (FSM) a functional component of the sanitation value chain. However, providing safe emptying, transport, and treatment of human waste is critical to ensure healthy urban environments. In order to better understand the types of FSM services offered in two different regions, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation funded a study , entitled “Landscape and Business Analysis for FSM Emptying and Transportation in Africa and Asia” that analyzes these business segments in 30 cities across Africa and Asia.

The 30 cities were selected according to their size, geographic location, and the type of business models used in each. The findings of the study provide valuable insight into the urban FSM services (or lack of services) provided to over 67 million people (or over 12 million households). The comparison between the different cities was based on factors related to supply (e.g. business size, number of trucks, truck capacity), and demand for services (e.g. size of the city, household income, household occupation, etc.).

Fecal sludge emptying and transportation service provider

The information used in the study was obtained by conducting detailed surveys in 13,000 households and with 150 fecal sludge emptying and transportation service providers. The findings of the study are intended to guide donors, investors and policymakers to enhance sustainable sanitation service provision in Africa and Asia. . . . .

See the rest of this blogpost here:

http://saniblog.org/2012/12/04/fecal-sludge-management-in-africa-and-asia/

Fundraising opportunity / water and sanitation / 2013 India Development Marketplace

noreply@blogger.com (John Oldfield) — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 19:41:00 +0000

Dear nonprofit partners,

My colleagues and I would like to make you aware of a funding opportunity in India that could include WASH programs, especially if they target women and children: the 2013 India Development Marketplace (DM) through the World Bank.

http://dm-india.com/

DEADLINE: February, 20^th, 2013

These grants are limited to for-profit and nonprofit organizations registered in India. [Please forward this announcement to your partners working in India.]

Target States in India:

- Madhya Pradesh

- Chhattisgarh

- Jharkhand

What the India Development Marketplace (DM) is Looking For:

The DM is seeking to support scalable, replicable social enterprise projects with the potential for significantly improving lives and access to public goods and services for underserved poor communities. Projects that demonstrate appreciable impact in these areas are provided financial assistance, backed by strong need-based technical assistance in order that they may scale and/or replicate their efforts.

Projects should be operational for at least 2 years in the target regions listed above and be able to demonstrate a track record of successful project implementation. Projects operational for 2 years in any other State – and proposing to replicate or scale in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand are also invited to apply. These projects must demonstrate a track record of successful project implementation and an ability to replicate their model into more than one geographic region within India.

How to Apply

You can apply online for the program at: http://www.dm-india.com/login.aspx by 11:30pm on February 20^th, 2013.

Timeframe

Winners announced in April 2013

Disbursal of Grants in June 2013

Acceleration support, capacity building and technical advisory support from April 2013 to June 2014

*** At WASH Advocates, we see this as an invaluable opportunity for WASH organizations doing vital work in India to receive funding. The February 20th application deadline is fast approaching. ***

All the best, and good luck. Please keep us posted if you have success with this!

Sanitation and Water for All Partnership - Worthy of Our Active Support

noreply@blogger.com (John Oldfield) — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 20:09:00 +0000

Sanitation and Water for All Partnership Meeting

There is no political leader anywhere in the developed or developing world who does not want to provide safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) for each of his/her constituents. However, those same political leaders are often unable to increase their support for WASH in the face of so many equally important, competing development priorities (energy, roads, education). The way across this divide is political will: how can we make it possible for political leaders to do what they already want to do? How can we strengthen political will, making it possible for those political leaders to commit to 100% coverage of safe drinking water and sanitation in their countries, provinces, neighborhoods?

One organization that tackles this political challenge head-on is the Sanitation and Water for All Partnership (SWA). I recently attended SWA’s partnership meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa. The meeting was less about the technicalities of sanitation and water programs, and more about politics, governance, advocacy, and Social Contract 101. I emerged from those few days with heightened optimism about the future of SWA and a more clear vision of the path toward universal coverage of sanitation and water.

Under the aegis of SWA, developed and developing countries made 402 public commitments to sanitation and water challenges in their countries. SWA offers a powerful global platform from which to hold these countries accountable for these commitments. More importantly, SWA must track progress made country by country, and province by province, toward each of these commitments. Consistent, in-country progress, as highlighted in this recent blog, is far more important than any global or even regional actions. The international donor community can help, and WASH Advocates is pleased that the United States has joined SWA and made its own commitments.

There remain 2.5 billion people without sanitation, and almost one billion people without safe drinking water. We will achieve universal coverage in a tight timeframe not through simply drilling more wells or building more latrines, but by increasing the amount and effectiveness of political will for sanitation and water country by country. This heightened political will means bigger and smarter budgets for WASH, more emphasis on sanitation and what is really killing children (diarrheal disease), and financial resources that get to where they are needed transparently and efficiently. SWA with all of its imperfections and growing pains is the only platform with the mandate and ability to reach Finance Ministers (and even Prime Ministers and Heads of State) with sanitation and water messaging. SWA deserves not just our interest but our active engagement if we are serious when we claim to be working toward aid independence and the ultimate goal: universal coverage of sanitation and water.

Technology development of a low-cost chlorine doser for shared water points in urban Bangladesh

noreply@blogger.com (John Oldfield) — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 20:19:00 +0000

Request for Expressions Of Interest

Technology development of a low-cost chlorine doser for shared water points in urban Bangladesh

Stanford University and the International Center for Diarrheal Diseases Research, Bangladesh have partnered to develop a sustainable and cost-effective solution to improving water quality in low-income areas of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The research team has developed a low-cost prototype that doses liquid chlorine and does not rely on electricity or moving parts. The device aims to provide an appropriate dose of chlorine proportional to the flow through manual handpumps and pipes carrying drinking water. The current design employs handpump suction to trigger chlorine dosing. The project is currently seeking a technical design or engineering consulting expert or firm to improve upon the prototype, by increasing dosing accuracy, lowering manufacturing costs, increasing product lifespan, and contributing to strategies for production and scale up. The project may require travel to Dhaka to understand the current state of the technology, local flow and pressure conditions, and other environmental and social factors that would affect device?s design. The main objective will be to develop a product that can accurately and consistently dose liquid chlorine within a safe and effective range at shared water points in Dhaka with a production cost below $20USD.

Interested parties should submit a cover letter including a summary of relevant qualifications, as well as send CVs of the proposed project team. Ideal applicants would have experience with technology development for low-income settings, international work experience, engineering and product design skills, understanding of design for future scale-up, and be familiar with fluid dynamics. Letters of interest should be emailed to no later than Nov. 5th, 2012 to amyjanel@stanford.edu and cooke@stanford.edu. Additional information regarding the current prototype and proposal guidelines will be made available to selected applicants.

Nov. 12 deadline for STARS Foundation Impact Awards

noreply@blogger.com (John Oldfield) — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 15:38:00 +0000

November 12 is coming up fast! I am reposting this per the request of the STARS Foundation. Please do consider applying.

John

LAUNCH ANNOUNCEMENT

Applications are now open for the 2013 STARS Impact Awards.

We are pleased to announce the launch of the 2013 STARS Impact Awards recognising outstanding organisations that achieve excellence in the provision of services to disadvantaged children.

Organisations working with children in Africa, the Middle East, Asia or Pacific are invited to apply.

There are 16 Awards in total that will be split across two regions - Africa-Middle East and Asia-Pacific. In addition to our existing categories of Health, Education and Protection, we are very pleased to announce the launch of our new category Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).

The main Impact Award will be given to four winners per region (one in each category) that will each receive $100,000 of unrestricted funding together with a bespoke package of consultancy, PR and media support. Each organisation will also benefit from the opportunity to work together with STARS for up to one year to promote their plans to other donors and seek to raise additional funding.

In addition to these main Impact Awards, smaller Awards of different sizes will be made at the discretion of STARS’ Board of Trustees.

To find information regarding the application process, the eligibility criteria and to apply online, please visit http://www.starsfoundation.org.uk/apply/

The closing date for applications is 1pm GMT Monday 12 November 2012.

Please spread the word to eligible organisations by forwarding this email.

WASHfunders.org - New Funding Opportunity

noreply@blogger.com (John Oldfield) — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 19:55:00 +0000

A new fundraising opportunity, via our friends at WASHfunders.org:

Editor’s Note: The STARS Foundation is a London-based organization that provides grants to nonprofits working with disadvantaged children. The Foundation is now accepting applications for their 2013 Impact Awards, including their new WASH category, which recognizes the impact that WASH solutions can have on improving the well-being of children.

The STARS Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of the 2013 STARS Impact Awards recognizing outstanding organizations that achieve excellence in the provision of services to disadvantaged children.

In response to a growing demand for flexible funding, STARS invites NGOs to apply for up to 16 Impact Awards and, for the first time, has added a new category — Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) — due to the impact that improvements in this area can have on child survival and well-being.

Organizations working with children in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, or the Pacific are invited to apply.

The main Impact Award will be given to four winners per region — one in each of the following categories: Health, Education, Protection, and WASH. Winners will each receive $100,000 of unrestricted funding together with a bespoke package of consultancy, PR, and media support. Each organization will also benefit from the opportunity to work together with STARS for up to one year to promote their plans to other donors and seek to raise additional funding.

In addition to these main Impact Awards, smaller awards of different sizes will be made at the discretion of STARS’ board of trustees.

To find information regarding the application process, the eligibility criteria, and to apply online, please visit the Foundation's web site.

The closing date for applications is 1PM GMT Monday, November 12, 2012.

World Water Week - The Politics of Water: Strengthening National Advocacy for WASH

noreply@blogger.com (John Oldfield) — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 12:53:00 +0000

For those of you who will be in Stockholm for World Water Week, please join us at our session on:

The Politics of Water: Strengthening National Advocacy for WASH

The session will take place on Thursday, August 30, from 12h45 - 13h45 in Room K24.

Event Description
In-country advocacy throughout the developing world is vital to addressing the global water and sanitation (WASH) challenge. This session convenes experienced and new WASH advocates to discuss how they are positively influencing public policies and increasing WASH budgets in their countries.

Programme
The session will begin promptly at 12:45.

Our speakers are:

Diana Betancourt, Water For People (www.waterforpeople.org):
The impact of advocacy at municipal and national levels in Honduras and beyond.
Yiga Baker, ANEW (www.anewafrica.org):
3-4 mini case studies about how WASH civil society networks have influenced public policy and budgets for WASH throughout Africa.
John Oldfield, WASH Advocates (www.WASHadvocates.org, speaker and moderator):
Best and emerging practices for advocacy in WASH and other sectors.

After brief remarks (seven minutes) from each of the speakers, we will have 30 minutes left in our sixty minute session to engage with the audience. We are asking the audience to prepare in advance for this session, and during the session offer brief remarks on:

What WASH advocacy successes and/or failures have you had in your country?
Of those successes and failures, what do you think might work (or not) in other parts of the world?
What do you hope to accomplish in the next months/years in your country for advocacy for WASH?

Hope to see you all there! Send me a note if you need additional information please.

WSSCC Announces New Executive Director

noreply@blogger.com (John Oldfield) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 15:11:00 +0000

This is a big deal - please welcome Chris Williams as the new head of WSSCC:

http://www.wsscc.org/resources/resource-news-archive/wsscc-announces-new-executive-director

Mr Chris Williams, a development practitioner with over twenty-five years of experience in international organizations in Africa, Asia and the Americas and with training in economics and sociology, will take up office as the next Executive Director of the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) in October 2012.

Professor Anna Tibaijuka, Chair of WSSCC, welcomed Mr Williams, saying “The issues of sanitation and hygiene that WSSCC deals with are crucial to improving health and development. We need strong global leadership and bold ambitions to expand the good work that is already being done. I am confident that Mr Williams will be able to deliver in both these areas.”

Speaking of his new challenge, Mr Williams said, “I am delighted to have been appointed to this post. For me, sanitation is a strategic entry point for social and economic development. Targeted investments channelled through national coalitions will enable large numbers of people to improve their living and working conditions. I am particularly interested in working with social movements, private companies, and government to identify ways to align efforts to achieve better sanitation and hygiene. I’m also keen to see how we can attract more support for the Global Sanitation Fund, so that it can leverage additional resources and finance innovative work in even more countries.”

Mr Williams is moving to WSSCC from UN-Habitat where he held senior posts in global fund management, advocacy, fund raising and policy research, and worked on programmes to upgrade water, sanitation and shelter in settlements. He collaborated with Professor Tibaijuka, who was the Executive Director of UN-Habitat during part of his time there. Prior to UN-Habitat, Mr Williams worked in Africa and the United States promoting community economic development. His work with homeless shelters, community organizations, financial intermediaries, and community lending institutions gave him exposure to private, civil and public sectors. He has studied economics, public policy and sociology, and holds a Ph.D. from the Graduate Faculty of the New School for Social Research.

WSSCC has a small Secretariat in Geneva, where Mr Williams will be based. Mr Williams succeeds Mr Jon Lane, who finished as WSSCC’s Executive Director on 3 August. Ms Amanda Marlin, WSSCC’s Programme Manager for Advocacy and Communications, will be providing interim leadership to WSSCC until Mr Williams takes up office.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene funding offered through AusAID

noreply@blogger.com (John Oldfield) — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 20:18:00 +0000

Hi nonprofit friends around the world,

I would like to make you aware of a funding opportunity specifically for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene offered through AusAID - the Civil Society Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Fund:

http://www.ausaid.gov.au/aidissues/watersanitation/Pages/csowash.aspx
DEADLINE: August 24, 2012
(See target countries listed further below.)

The AusAID Civil Society Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Fund is an AUD$97 million fund that will run from July 2012 until February 2017 and support civil society organisations (CSOs) to deliver WASH programs in Africa, Asia and the Pacific. Following on from the Water and Sanitation Initiative (WSI) Civil Society WASH Fund, completed in March 2012, the new fund forms a part of a suite of activities under the new phase of global and cross-regional programs in WASH managed by the Infrastructure and Water Policy Section (IWP) in AusAID.

These grants are not limited to Australian organizations: For non-Australian civil society and non-for-profit organizations, there are additional steps in the process. If an organization is not accredited by AusAID or has not previously received AusAID funding, the organization will be asked to provide other documents to help AusAID assess the organization’s management capacity, systems and operations.

List of countries captured within the scope of program:

Southern Africa: Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe

East Africa: DR Congo, Tanzania

South Asia: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka

South-East Asia: Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao, PDR, Philippines, Timor, Leste, Vietnam

Pacific: Fiji, Kiribati, Micronesia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu

Specific organizational and activity criteria are listed on the Fund Guidelines document which can be found at the AusAID Fund website and is also attached to this email.

Timeframes and resources (per the AusAID Site):

The deadline for submission of proposals is Friday 24 August 2012 at 14:00 hours Australian Eastern Standard Time (GMT + 10). The outcomes of the call of proposals will be advised in October 2012 with the inception phase expected to begin in November 2012.

AusAID would prefer electronic submissions in PDF format. Submissions must be emailed to WASHFund (at) AusAID (dot) gov (dot) au. If necessary hard copies should be provided to:

Tender Box, Ground Floor, AusAID
255 London Circuit
Canberra ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA

*** This could be a great opportunity for WASH organizations doing vital work around the world to receive funding. The August 24 application deadline is fast approaching. ***

More details here:

http://www.ausaid.gov.au/aidissues/watersanitation/Pages/csowash.aspx

Water and Security / National Intelligence Council

noreply@blogger.com (John Oldfield) — Wed, 02 May 2012 23:35:00 +0000

Hope you can all join me at this event about water/security/national intelligence. In Washington DC, but will be webcast:

http://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/global-water-security-the-intelligence-community-assessment

Global Water Security:
The Intelligence Community Assessment——————————————
While wars over water are unlikely within the next 10 years, water challenges – shortages, poor water quality, floods – will likely increase the risk of instability and state failure, exacerbate regional tensions, and distract countries from working with the United States on important policy objectives, according to an assessment prepared by the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC). The recently-released Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) “Global Water Security,” was prepared by the National Intelligence Council (NIC) of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence at the request of the Department of State. The ICA also notes that, as a consequence of water challenges globally, the demand for U.S. assistance and expertise will increase providing the U.S. with opportunities for leadership and forestalling other actors from achieving the same influence at U.S. expense.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012
3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Woodrow Wilson Center, 6th Floor, Joseph H. and Claire Flom Auditorium
The National Conversation at the Woodrow Wilson Center series provides a safe political space for deep dialogue and informed discussion of the most significant problems and challenges facing the nation and the world. This session is done in collaboration with the Department of State and the National Intelligence Council.

To RSVP acceptance or to receive further information, send an email to Lauren Herzer at
Lauren (dot) herzer (at) wilsoncenter (dot) org. Please provide your name and professional affiliation.

US Government Joins Global Partnership Aimed at Universal Coverage of Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation

noreply@blogger.com (John Oldfield) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:39:00 +0000

Please circulate widely to others in the media! Thank you.

US Government Joins Global Partnership Aimed at Universal Coverage of Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation

April 25, 2012

PRESS CONTACT:

John Oldfield

WASH Advocates

1.202.293.4049

joldfield (at) WASHadvocates (dot) org

Washington DC - “Forty years ago today, Apollo 16 landed on the moon . . . by anyone's standards it was a triumph of science, technology and political will. I remember so many of us thinking that if humankind can do this, what could humankind NOT accomplish?” UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake continued at last Friday’s Sanitation and Water for All High Level Meeting: “ . . . and yet today, over 1.1 billion people still practice open defecation because they don't have access to the most basic sanitation facilities . . . If two generations ago we could land men on the moon, we can and must also afford people here on earth two of their most basic human rights - safe water and basic sanitation - because until we do, development progress will falter."

On Friday, April 20, 2012, in Washington DC, the United States formally joined the Sanitation and Water for All Partnership (SWA) during its biennial High Level Meeting. WASH Advocates applauds this important step toward 100 percent coverage of safe drinking water and sanitation throughout the developing world.

"The United States Government considers sanitation and water and our related partnering activities to be a critical component of our overall international development assistance effort," US Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Raj Shah said in making the announcement. "We look forward to maximizing the potential of this partnership, which brings together such a range of tools, experience, and approaches. Working together, we can not only reach full coverage, but we can also do it in the most effective, efficient, and collaborative way."

This announcement comes on the heels of World Water Day, March 22, 2012, when US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton launched the US Water Partnership to “help answer [the] call for leadership and to expand the impact of America’s work on water.” The US Water Partnership “brings together a diverse range of partners from the private sector, the philanthropic community, the NGOs, academics, experts, and government. This approach will help catalyze new opportunities for cooperation.”

“Sustainable development is about much more than water and sanitation, but never about less. By joining the Sanitation and Water for All Partnership, USAID sends two strong signals: the US will enhance its leadership in the global safe drinking water and sanitation sector, and US assistance toward such efforts around the world will be more catalytic, sustainable, and closely aligned with the priorities of both developing countries and other donor countries,” says John Oldfield, CEO of WASH Advocates.

Most importantly, the Sanitation and Water for All High Level Meeting on April 20 featured developing country governments making stronger commitments to solve the safe drinking water challenge in their own countries, including Kenya, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and Benin.

Notable participants at the April 20 Sanitation and Water for All meeting included former President of Ghana John Kufuor, USAID Administrator Raj Shah, Executive Director of UNICEF Anthony Lake, and His Royal Highness Willem-Alexander, The Prince of Orange.

###

About WASH Advocates

WASH Advocates is a nonprofit advocacy effort in Washington DC entirely dedicated to helping solve the global safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) challenge. Our mission is to increase awareness of the global WASH challenge and solutions, and to increase the amount and effectiveness of resources devoted to solving the problem around the developing world. Please visit our website at www.WASHadvocates.org.

About SWA

Sanitation and Water for All is a global partnership aimed at achieving universal and sustainable access to sanitation and drinking-water for all, by firmly placing sanitation and water on the global agenda with an immediate focus on achieving the Millennium Development Goals in the most off-track countries. More information is available at www.sanitationandwaterforall.org.

WASH Advocates is hiring: Global Partnerships Director

noreply@blogger.com (John Oldfield) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:12:00 +0000

Please let folks know - this is a really good opportunity for the right person!

Position description: Global Partnerships Director, WASH Advocates

WASH Advocates is the successor organization to Water Advocates, the first independent, full-time advocacy organization within the United States dedicated to increasing the amount and effectiveness of funding for safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in developing countries. WASH Advocates (WA) seeks to substantially increase awareness of the global WASH challenge and the amount and effectiveness of US public and private funding directed to this crisis.

Advocacy for WASH still pales in comparison to other international development causes. WA supports the US WASH community in moving the US Government and US citizens into a stronger global leadership position on safe drinking water and sanitation on several fronts, including the level of international development assistance; general awareness of the global water and sanitation crisis; sustainability of WASH programming; private and corporate philanthropic efforts; prioritization of WASH within the US Department of State and USAID; and the integration of WASH and other global development activities.

Description: The Global Partnerships Director reports to the CEO and is a peer to the four other directors. The primary duties of the Global Partnerships Director include engaging corporate, foundation, civic, faith, academic, nonprofit, the US public sector, and other stakeholders to increase:

a) awareness of the global WASH challenge,

b) the amount and effectiveness of investments (predominantly philanthropic) for WASH efforts in developing countries, and

c) the number of partnerships dedicated to pursuing global WASH objectives.

The Director will be creative, selective, and results-focused in establishing and maintaining relationships with current and potential WASH donors, and in catalyzing new partnerships focused on programs which see communities in developing countries achieve sustainable access to WASH.

The Director will work in the WASH Advocates office in Washington, DC. At the outset of the engagement, he/she will develop a work plan in cooperation with colleagues. This work plan will outline key milestones and deliverables on an annual and quarterly basis, and will focus on catalyzing partnership activity that generates a measurable increase in funding for the WASH sector. Activities will include, but not be limited to:

- conduct outreach to current and potential supporters of global WASH in the philanthropic, corporate, civic and faith sectors;

- maintain and expand the network of WASH stakeholders through participation in conferences regarding participation or philanthropic investment in the WASH sector;

- work with the WASH Sustainability Director at WA to educate donors on WASH sustainability, monitoring and evaluation, and partnership models.

On a case by case basis, the Director will:

- Serve as a pro bono philanthropy advisor and corporate social responsibility consultant;

- Work with WA’s Communications Director and others to help create and support campaigns that lead WA in a direction that is most useful for the issue and the sector;

- Work with the CEO and colleagues to launch a peer-to-peer networking group for private foundations and other philanthropists interested in WASH grantmaking;

- Strengthen relationships with the public/private partnership offices of the US State Department, USAID, and potentially other US Government agencies;

- Work with colleagues at WA and beyond to ensure a successful World Water Day each year and leverage other annual events/days;

- Create tools and guidelines to streamline the partnering process;

- Engage US citizen sector in grassroots and grasstops advocacy on behalf of the WASH issue and relevant federal legislation;

- Perform other tasks as required.

Desired Skills

The ideal Global Partnerships Director will have attributes and demonstrated abilities as below:

- Commitment to values, mission and vision of WASH Advocates; engagement in global health and/or environmental issues, preferably with a particular focus on WASH;

- Minimum ten years of experience working with diverse constituencies including private foundations, corporations, the federal government, and civic and religious organizations;

- Degree (Masters preferred) in a relevant field;

- Strong ability to develop and foster alliances;

- Ability and desire to support and motivate colleagues, and to work in a consensus-oriented environment with different work styles and to facilitate staff communication;

- Excellent oral and written communication skills;

- High-energy, love of challenge, and ability to be effective in a constantly changing environment;

- Excellent research skills, and the ability to deliver compelling arguments to new and existing funders (strong written and oral communication);

- Able to travel occasionally and to work independently and creatively.

Successful completion of a writing test will be required.

This is a full-time exempt position located in Washington, DC. Salary range is commensurate with experience. Minimum travel, primarily domestic, will be required. WASH Advocates is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action employer that is committed to diversity in the workplace. Please send résumé and cover letter to John Oldfield at joldfield@WASHadvocates.org. No phone calls please.

USAID joins Sanitation and Water for All Partnership - great news

noreply@blogger.com (John Oldfield) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 23:57:00 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 20, 2012
Public Information: 202-712-4810

www.usaid.gov

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah announced that the U.S. Agency for International Development has joined the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) Partnership. The SWA Partnership brings together governments, donors, civil society organizations, and development partners to achieve sustainable sanitation and drinking water.

USAID and the U.S. Department of State are committing a total of $1 million to the World Bank's Water and Sanitation Program. The investment will support the SWA-led National Planning for Results Initiative, which promotes national planning efforts related to sanitation and water. The economic gains from investing in sanitation and water are estimated at $170 billion per year.

"The United States Government considers sanitation and water and our related partnering activities to be a critical component of our overall international development assistance effort," Administrator Shah said during remarks at the SWA High Level Meeting. "We look forward to maximizing the potential of this partnership, which brings together such a range of tools, experience, and approaches. Working together, we can not only reach full coverage, but we can also do it in the most effective, efficient, and collaborative way."

Established in 2010, SWA's biennial High Level Meeting brings together Ministers of Finance from developing countries, Ministers of Development Cooperation from donor countries, and high-level representatives from development banks and other donor institutions.

Last month, the United Nations announced that the Millennium Development Goal for a 50 percent reduction in the number of people living without access to safe drinking water had been achieved in 2010 - five years ahead of schedule. Even with that target met, more than 780 million people, particularly those in fragile states and poor communities, still live without access to safe water.

Progress in sanitation has been slower. Today, 2.5 billion people still lack access to improved sanitation and it is unlikely that the Millennium Development Goal target for sanitation will be met by 2015.

Aspen Institute: "A Long Walk to Water: Women, Population, & Access to Safe Water"

noreply@blogger.com (John Oldfield) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 01:46:00 +0000

Please join me at this event organized by our friends at the Aspen Institute:

7 BILLION: CONVERSATIONS THAT MATTER
"A Long Walk to Water:
Women, Population, & Access to Safe Water"

Wednesday, April 18, 2012
12:00-2:00pm
The Aspen Institute
One Dupont Circle NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC

Aspen Global Health and Development invites you to join us
for this 7 BILLION series event, featuring:

Salva Dut, Founder and President, Water for South Sudan. A former "Lost Boy" of Sudan, Salva is the subject of the recent book A Long Walk to Water. Water for South Sudan Inc. drills borehole wells which bring safe drinking water to the people in South Sudan's remote villages, transforming lives in the process.

Shewaye Deribe, Project Coordinator, Ethio-Wetlands and Natural Resource Association (EWNRA). EWNRA seeks to integrate socio-economic and environmental/biodiversity issues at watershed level, using an integrated, community-centered approach to restore the watershed, create alternative livelihoods, strengthen health systems, and improve reproductive health.

Jaehyang So, Manager of the Water and Sanitation Program (WSP). WSP is a a multi-donor partnership administered by the World Bank to support poor people in obtaining affordable, safe, and sustainable access to water and sanitation services. Ms. So has a background in urban service delivery, utilities and corporate restructuring, and public-private partnerships.

Moderated by Peggy Clark, Executive Director, Aspen Global Health and Development, and Vice President, Policy Programs at The Aspen Institute. Peggy provides strategic oversight and guidance to the Institute’s 26 policy programs and leads programs promoting breakthrough approaches to global development.

A buffet lunch will be served.
Please RSVP at www.aspeninstitute.org/GHD/7Billion

Media: For more information or to RSVP, please contact Carol Miller at +1-202-306-0130 or carolmiller100 (at) gmail (dot) com

Job at WASH Advocates: Director of Operations and Special Projects

noreply@blogger.com (John Oldfield) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 17:47:00 +0000

Position description: Operations and Special Projects Director, WASH Advocates

WASH Advocates is the successor organization to Water Advocates, the first independent, full‐time advocacy organization within the United States dedicated to increasing the amount and effectiveness of funding for safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in developing countries. WASH Advocates (WA) seeks to substantially increase awareness of the global WASH challenge and the amount and effectiveness of US public and private funding directed to this crisis.

Description: The Operations and Special Projects Director reports to the CEO and is a peer to the four other directors. The Operations and Special Projects Director will:

· Ensure the effective and efficient operation of WASH Advocates, including managing the human resources and finance functions of WASH Advocates, either in-house or via a contract with a fiscal agent;

· Manage WASH Advocates’ systems and policies (knowledge management, IT and related equipment, building, procurement, personnel policies, etc.) and train/coordinate with colleagues on all of the above.

· Lead on special projects, both time-sensitive and ongoing, that will make significant contributions to WASH Advocates’ advocacy work in the US and abroad; special projects are to be negotiated depending on the needs of WASH Advocates, its current staff, and the strengths/interests of the Operations and Special Projects Director. Projects could include World Water Day and other related activities, outreach to businesses/foundations, grasstops/grassroots advocacy focused on Capitol Hill, standalone communications initiatives, and/or efforts to link WASH to other important development challenges; projects will likely involve many partners outside WASH Advocates.

Necessary Competencies

To be successful, the Operations and Special Projects Director will:

· Have experience in managing the human resources and finance departments of a nonprofit organization, either in-house or via a service provider, and in managing the operations of a small organization;

· Be highly disciplined and detail-oriented;

· Work well in a small and highly productive team and foster collaboration among a diverse set of stakeholders;

· Engage partners inside and beyond his/her organization to actively participate and contribute to the sector with time and resources;

· Exercise creativity and opportunism in finding ways of raising the profile of WASH issues;

· Have strong and persuasive oral and written communication, facilitation, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement skills.

Minimum Education and Skills

The successful candidate will have:

· Commitment to values, mission and vision of WASH Advocates; engagement in international development issues;

· Masters degree or commensurate experience in operations, project management, international development, communications or a related field;

· 5-10 years of experience in operations and international development work (ideally WASH-related);

· Excellent communications skills – oral, written, online/offline;

· Strong ability to develop and foster alliances; ability and desire to support and motivate colleagues, and to work in a consensus-oriented environment with different work styles and to facilitate staff communication;

· High-energy, love of challenge, and ability to be effective in a constantly changing environment;

· Able to travel occasionally and to work independently and creatively.

Successful completion of a writing test will be required.

This is a full‐time exempt position located in Washington, DC. Salary range is $60k - $75k. WASH Advocates is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action employer that is committed to diversity in the workplace. Please send résumé and cover letter to John Oldfield at joldfield (at) WASHadvocates (dot) org. No phone calls please.

“Get Schooled on WASH”

noreply@blogger.com (John Oldfield) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 19:29:00 +0000

Great to see many of you at the World Water Day “Get Schooled on WASH” Learning Sessions last month.

The event was a great success with over 120 participants from over 75 organizations discussing WASH basics, WASH sustainability, emerging issues in WASH, WASH as it relates to other development sectors, and multi-stakeholder partnerships.

Check out sustainablewash.org for copies of the power point presentations, the flash drive content, and to view the recordings of WASH 201, WASH 301 and WASH 401. Explore the website for other WASH sustainability past events, materials, and webinars.

Please join WASH Advocates and partners for the upcoming webinar on Wednesday, April 25, 2012 at 11:00 am EDT "Equity and Sustainability: Making them a WASH reality." Participants will learn how marginalized populations contribute to the sustainability of WASH projects. For more information, contact Jackie Powell at wash.event (at) gmail (dot) com.

Foundation Funding for Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene

noreply@blogger.com (John Oldfield) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 16:16:00 +0000

This research brief from the Foundation Center is an important tool for all of us looking to increase the amount and effectiveness of funding for the global WASH sector.

Here is the brief:

http://water.issuelab.org/research/listing/foundation_funding_for_water_sanitation_and_hygiene

And some of its key findings:

The total number of foundations awarding WASH grants jumped from 24 in 2003 to 78 in 2010.
U.S. foundation funding for WASH comprises less than 2% of U.S. foundation giving for international causes.
From 2009 to 2010, 30% of all grant dollars went to Africa, the largest share of any geographic region, while 18% went to Asia and 9% went to Central/South America.
The largest proportion of foundation grant dollars support water sector policy and administration (20%), followed by basic drinking water supply (17%), WASH research (14%), and basic sanitation (14%).

Water and sanitation: An opportunity for donors | EurActiv

noreply@blogger.com (John Oldfield) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 12:50:00 +0000

Water and sanitation: An opportunity for donors | EurActiv

Europe, the US and other donors have an opportunity to be a more catalytic part of the solution to global water and sanitation needs by strengthening the capacity of developing countries to solve these challenges themselves, writes John Oldfield.

John Oldfield is chief executive of WASH Advocates, a non-profit advocacy group in Washington, DC, dedicated to helping solve the global safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) challenge.

"This world has never been richer, smarter, or more abundant than it is in 2012. Yet there are currently almost one billion people without access to safe drinking water, and 2.6 billion people without a safe place to go to the bathroom.

Hundreds of millions of women around the world continue to be used as water infrastructure, and millions of children under the age of five die from preventable waterborne diseases each year.

So why does this fundamental global safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) challenge continue to exist, when we have known how to solve this problem since at least Roman times?

There are many answers to that question. The most intriguing to me is when people respond: “The problem is not solved because of a lack of political will.” Once that statement is made, the conversation typically dies, because most people look at politics and elected officials as part of the problem, not part of the solution.

While I do not deny that politics may be problematic in some instances (in particular as my own country, the United States, dives into its next far-too-lengthy presidential election cycle), politics and political leaders are the solution to solving the world’s drinking water and sanitation challenge.

At a recent dinner with four other non-profit leaders and the former prime minister of a sub-Saharan African country, I asked the prime minister: “What made it possible for you to strengthen policies and increase your national budget for safe drinking water, sanitation and basic public health while you were in office?” He told me that to do so he needed two very simple things:

He needed to hear about the problem from his own people.
He needed to see how the problem is solvable.

For the remainder of that dinner I pondered our education and advocacy work at WASH Advocates in Washington, DC, and the complementary efforts we seek to support in developing countries. I concluded that although no two advocacy efforts are ever precisely the same at a working level, they are essentially all the same philosophically.

How can we all make it possible for each government around the world to prioritise safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene? As the prime minister said, we in civil society have to let our governments know this is an important issue for us - their constituents - and that the challenge is solvable. Taking it one step further, we also have to show our governments how we are already solving the problem, and ask them to support and complement our efforts with stronger policies and increased budgets.

This approach has proven successful around the world and across the ages. Franklin Roosevelt was president of the United States in the 1930s and 1940s. In the 1930s, during the Great Depression, progressive leaders came to President Roosevelt and asked for various concessions, including new pro-worker policies as part of his efforts to turn the economy around. President Roosevelt was quite progressive and pro-union, and said: “I want to do what you are asking me to do, but I can’t do it politically yet. I need you to go out there and make it possible for me to enact those policies.”

So the union leaders did just that: In 1937 there were thousands of labour actions whose impact on the economy made it possible for President Roosevelt to enact those policies.

We do not need to strike for WASH. We simply need to make political support for WASH possible by being stronger educators about both the gravity of the challenge and its solvability. There is no politician anywhere in the world who does not want to provide his or her people with 100% access to safe drinking water and sanitation. However, many cannot yet make the political commitment to universal coverage – the risk is too high because WASH competes with so many other important development priorities (roads, schools, hospitals, jobs).

The job of civil society in the developed and developing world is to convince governments that what was once unavoidable (millions of deaths due to waterborne disease) is now unacceptable. That simple equation will provide those elected officials with the political cover they need to do what they already want to do.

The international donor community has an opportunity to be a more catalytic part of the solution than in the past. Certainly donors (in Europe, the United States and beyond) still need to continue funding safe drinking water and sanitation programs around the world. However, government and private donors also need to increase their financial and technical support for initiatives that will strengthen the capacity of developing countries to solve the water and sanitation challenges themselves.

Leading up to World Water Day (22 March), there are many ongoing efforts which deserve a closer look: strengthening community water board associations in Latin America, building the capacity of national and sub-national civil society WASH networks in Africa, partnering early and directly with mayors in developing countries instead of just inviting them to ribbon-cutting ceremonies, and bringing creative and leveraged business and financial approaches into the water and sanitation sector.

Perhaps one of the most worthwhile political efforts is the Sanitation and Water for All Partnership and its Liberia Compact recently signed by Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

The end goal of many of these emerging political efforts is to make it unacceptable for senior political leaders throughout the developing world to commit to anything less than universal coverage of water and sanitation for their constituents. It is a worthy goal and warrants the increased support of the international donor community."

OOSKAnews / World Water Day Edition of International Water and Development Weekly

noreply@blogger.com (John Oldfield) — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 00:58:00 +0000

Our friends at OOSKAnews have produced a dynamite World Water 2011 Edition of their International Water & Development Weekly newsletter and kindly made it available at no charge here. It's a powerful, informative newsletter - please read.

This issue features a good write-up of the World Water Day events in Washington DC including a strong policy speech from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and a signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on water between the US Government and the World Bank.

We are grateful to OOSKAnews for their coverage of these events and for making this edition of their newsletter available for free.

CARE is hiring / WASH Senior Sector Specialist

noreply@blogger.com (John Oldfield) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 11:08:00 +0000

From our friends at CARE - great job opening for the right WASHy person!

WASH Senior Sector Specialist

Location: TBC
Close date: 10/4/11

Previous applicants will be considered and need not apply.

The Senior Sector Specialist position provides overall leadership for CARE International (CI) in the Emergency Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector, within the framework of CI's overall humanitarian policies and integrated emergency strategies. The position is responsible for developing sectoral policies, strategies, best practices and guidelines for CARE's global work in the sector by:

•Supporting the development of CARE's human resources capacity in the sector
•Representing CARE International at the global level in the external emergency sector community
•Developing strategic partnerships and identifying funding opportunities to support CARE's work in the sector
•Ensuring that CARE offices receive effective technical assistance in the sector during emergency preparedness and response
•Guiding, learning and evaluating CARE's work in the sector and contributing as appropriate to CARE International's overall humanitarian policies and strategies.

View the Position Description

To apply complete and submit the online application form and send your CV and response to the selection criteria (found in the Position Description) to jobs ((at)) careaustralia.org.au

Making the Unavoidable Unacceptable

noreply@blogger.com (John Oldfield) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 23:40:00 +0000

Making the Unavoidable Unacceptable

Submitted by John Oldfield, Managing Director of the WASH Advocacy Initiative, a nonprofit advocacy effort in Washington DC entirely dedicated to helping solve the global safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) challenge. Its mission is to increase awareness of the global WASH challenge and solutions, and to increase the amount and effectiveness of resources devoted to solving the problem around the developing world.

On World Water Day, March 22, safe drinking water and sanitation experts gather across the globe both to celebrate successes and to develop more effective, sustainable ways of meeting this vital development need. One element of those conversations is that the lack of safe drinking water and sanitation in developing countries poses a number of multidisciplinary challenges:

This is primarily a global public health challenge, but requires primarily public works solutions.

Water and sanitation are important in their own right, but both are also vital to sustainable progress for other important development challenges including health, nutrition, education (especially for girls), poverty alleviation, and human security.

Solutions require innovation, but most importantly they require appropriately and sustainably scaling the answers known since Roman times, or at least since the introduction of chlorine into New Jersey’s municipal water supply in 1903.

As challenging as it is, however, we can undeniably achieve universal access to water and sanitation with today’s technology, funding, and political leadership.

That last statement resonates most loudly for the 884 million people who lack safe drinking water today, and for the 2.6 billion people who lack improved sanitation facilities. The approximately two million deaths due annually to unsafe water and sanitation, and the waterborne diseases causing those deaths, can for the most part be prevented. And preventing them is not simply smart development policy for the United States; it is a life and death situation for millions of people, and a significant leadership opportunity for this Administration and country.

The village of Al-Mamaleek is part of the EMPOWERS (EURO-MED Participatory Water Rescources Scenarios) project which is co-funded by CARE. Al-Mamaleek is situated alongside Bahr Youssef, a branch of the Nile. Children play at one of the villages water pumps. Photo Credit: CARE

On World Water Day let us recognize that this challenge is not simply solvable. It is being solved by communities all over the world, and the government of the United States and its philanthropies, corporations, and citizens are helping in often very effective and sustainable ways. Health specialists, engineers, and economic development experts work together to not just drill more wells and build more latrines, but to strengthen capacity of indigenous groups and communities in developing countries to provide these services themselves.

So as USAID and its partners in the United States and abroad continue to implement fully the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005[PDF], some suggestions follow on how to accelerate that progress and make sure the work sustains itself over the long run:

2011 is the year of quality, effectiveness, and sustainability in the water and sanitation sector. Implementing agencies of the U.S. Government and outside entities (nonprofits, philanthropists, civic groups like Rotary International, corporate philanthropies, and private citizens) should always ask themselves the tough questions during the early stages of each program:

Is the activity they are implementing or supporting likely to endure technically? Are local businesspersons trained and incentivized to manage a supply chain?

Is the financial model in place to ensure that the funds will be available locally to repair, upgrade, or expand the system?

Is the ribbon-cutting ceremony not just the self-congratulatory end of the program, but simply the next step toward a sustainable water and sanitation intervention that endures 15-20 years?

Is there an ongoing monitoring and evaluation program whose successes and failures are frequently updated and knowable to all stakeholders?

In today’s tight fiscal times we need the answer to these questions to be “Yes” more frequently than in the past. This will get the biggest possible bang for our dollar, be it a development assistance or a philanthropic dollar.

So on World Water Day let us take a closer look at sustainably tackling the lack of safe drinking water and sanitation. This is an unassailably grave yet solvable development challenge, and a multi-trackdiplomacy opportunity with almost unlimited upside. The United States government and citizens have an opportunity to prevent more waterborne illness and mortality and should redouble efforts to do so in a sustainable, scalable fashion. Let us work together to turn water-related death and disease from an unavoidable fact of life to completely unacceptable.

World Water Day events in the Washington DC area: www.waterday.org
The United Nations World Water Day website: www.worldwaterday.org
UNICEF / WHO Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation: www.wssinfo.org

UNC Chapel Hill / Water / Sanitation / Where Science Meets Policy Conference

noreply@blogger.com (John Oldfield) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 20:15:00 +0000

Those of you who were at UNC's conference last October know that you don't want to miss the 2011 show either. Fantastic learning opportunity. Here is a hint at what this year's event includes:
__
Networking/Workshop Events 2011 Water and Health: Where Science Meets Policy Conference

Workshops and meetings are already being organized for the 2011 Water and Health Conference, to be held October 3-7 at UNC Chapel Hill. Our first workshops to announce are:

• "The United Nations, Global Health Policy, and Evolving Frameworks for Accountability under the Human Right to Water" co-convened by The Parr Center for Ethics at UNC

• Annual Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage (HWTS) Network Meeting convened by WHO, UNICEF & The Water Institute

• "The new age of rapid methods for water quality applications: blending scientific advancement with routine monitoring needs" convened by the Institute of Marine Sciences at UNC

Don't miss this opportunity to network with and learn from the unique array of national and international experts to build and sustain a capable and proficient knowledge base in a new topic, and to expand upon existing knowledge and skills. http://whconference.unc.edu/networking.cfm