www.oxfam.org.au

AUSTRALIA AFRICA COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SCHEME 2011 - 2016WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE (WASH) END OF PROGRAM REPORTSOUTH AFRICA AND ZAMBIA

1

Abbreviations 2

Acknowledgements 2

Introduction and Purpose of the Report 3

Methodology 5

Oxfam Australia Africa Community Engagement Scheme: Aim, Objective and Approach 9

AACES Aim, Goals and Objectives 10

Oxfam AACES WASH Approach and Design 13

The Results of the Oxfam WASH Program 16

Reach of the Program 17

Improvement of the Health and Quality of Life of the Poor and Vulnerable in Targeted Communities

in South Africa and Zambia 19

Strengthening Community Voices, Engaging with Duty-Bearers, Influencing and Advocacy 26

Innovative Practice 31

The Value for Money Approach and Practice 35

What Happened in Practice? 36

People-Centred Development 37

Collaborative, Incremental and Inclusive Planning 38

Engagement and Influencing Duty-Bearers 38

Making the Theory of Change Practical 39

Linking, Learning, Sharing and Capacity Building 39

Sustainability 40

Conclusion 42

Appendices 44

Annexure 1: Theory of Change - Oxfam AACES Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Program 44

Annexure 2: List of the Oxfam AACES WASH Documents 49

References 55

Credits 56

2

AACES Australia Africa Community

Engagement Scheme

CCW Community care-worker

CLTS Community Led Total Sanitation

CREATE Community Based Rehabilitation

Education and Training for Empowerment

DFAT Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

(Australia)

DRR Disaster risk reduction

ECD Early childhood development

EE Equal Education

FS Fancy Stitch

GBV Gender based violence

IEC Information and education communication

KZF Keepers Zambia Foundation

LIMA LIMA Rural Development Foundation

M&E Monitoring and evaluation

MDIC Maputoland Development

and Information Centre

MEL Monitoring, evaluation and learning

MTR Mid-term review

NGO Non-government organisations

OHAP Oxfam HIV and AIDS Program

OVSA OneVoice South Africa

PRA Participatory rural appraisal

PSS People’s Participation Services

PWD Person with a disability

RAPCAN Resources Aimed at Preventing Child Abuse

and Neglect

SBA School-based facilitator

SHA Sanitation and hygiene ambassadors

STC Save the Children

TOC Theory of change

TREE Training and Resources in Early Education

TU Tholulwazi Uzivikele

VfM/V4M Value for money

War rooms Ward Council Meeting

WASH Water, sanitation and hygiene

WM Woza Moya

YWCA Young Women’s Christian Association

ZAFOD Zambia Federation of Disability Organisations

ZAPD Zambia Agency for People with Disability

The researcher would like to thank all who participated in this end of program review for their time,

information, willingness and openness in sharing their experiences, views and insights into the program.

In addition, it is important to thank the Oxfam country offices for conducting field work and the support

provided during this end of program report.

4

South Africa and Zambia are faced with many water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) challenges, despite

progressive policies and government intentions to implement policies and improve WASH at community level. The

Oxfam Community Led Access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene program, funded by the Australian Department

of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), through the Australia Africa Community Engagement Scheme (AACES), has

been implemented by Oxfam in targeted communities in Zambia and South Africa. Oxfam is a global confederation

of seventeen affiliates dedicated to fighting poverty and related injustice around the world, through working

together to achieve greater impact by their collective effort. The Oxfam program has been implemented over

a five-year period (2011-2016), and presented an opportunity for linked programming and learning towards

positive, sustainable change in the lives of people living in poverty. The AACES program enabled Australian

non-government organisations (NGOs) and their partners to contribute to the DFAT strategy for Africa, through

a partnership program focused on community-based interventions across the sectors of water, sanitation and

hygiene, food security and maternal and child health.

As the program reached the end of its lifespan, an end of program review was conducted. The end of program

review used a summative approach in order to provide a consolidated overview of the program across the two

countries, as well as to explore overall program effectiveness and to develop evidence-based generalisations

that contribute to program sustainability and international development policy and practice. An extensive Mid-

term review (MTR) was conducted in March 2014, and the findings informed the development of the program and

strengthened implementation in both countries. The end of program review builds on the MTR findings by not only

focussing further on the outcomes of the program, but also exploring how the results were achieved through

program management, innovation and sustainability.

The end of program study objectives were to:

a) Determine the relevance, effectiveness and efficiency of the program design and implementation activities

against the predetermined outputs, objectives and envisaged impact, including the focus on gender equality

and disability inclusion.

b) Highlight the contribution of the program to achieving the overall AACES outcomes.

c) Determine how the program identified, managed and addressed risk, innovation and sustainability.

d) Based on the evaluation findings, detail the country program approaches and compare, to highlight the

similarity or differences of the approaches, and seek to analyse and synthesise best practise to consolidate

key lessons around these models to inform learning around an integrated WASH program. The purpose of this

is to determine the criteria, context determinants and lessons of each model that contribute to program

sustainability or to increase the sustainability of the program, and for possible scale-up or replication.

This is documented in the Oxfam report entitled Facilitating Active Civic Engagement: From Consultation

to Participation (2016).

The purpose of this report is to provide the evidence and findings of the end of program outcomes which can

be shared for program learning across the Oxfam Confederation and DFAT more broadly, as well as with the

Oxfam partners. The next section of the report explores the methodology used; the third section presents a

consolidated overview of the program aims, objective and approach; section four discusses the results of the

program; section five explores how the results were achieved; and the final section summarises and concludes

the report.

6

ExISTING MONITORING AND EVALUATION DATA

The Oxfam AACES WASH program, from the design phase, included a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework,

which had a set of qualitative and quantitative indicators. The framework provided the foundations for the

development of partner quantitative and qualitative data collection methods and procedures, M&E systems,

reporting data, as well as M&E activities during the project’s life-span. Six-monthly, snapshot reports were

compiled, annual reports submitted by partners, annual partner reflection and learning work sessions held, and

ongoing development of materials, identified research and documenting of changes were undertaken. Baselines

were conducted in year one of the program, the mid-term review was conducted in year three, and quantitative

data was collected and reported on every six-months against the AACES-stated core indicators (refer to Table 4).

DESIGN OF THE END OF PROGRAM STUDY

The existing monitoring and evaluation data provided a large collection of documents produced during project

design and implementation. These documents provided a rich repertoire of evidence across the program

lifecycle (design, implementation, management, monitoring, finances, participation of partners, beneficiary

reach and changes etc.) and therefore the end of program evaluation aimed to firstly consolidate the documents

to provide an overview of the program, and secondly determine achievements since the MTR findings (based

on the parameters set out in the evaluation objectives). This included exploring further how the program was

implemented, the effect of Oxfam’s capacity-building approach with partners and the developmental practice

(primarily on WASH), and how elements of risk management, innovation and sustainability were incorporated into

the program as it unfolded.

A further research activity was identified to document the two-country model to accompany the end of program

evaluation. This was seen to be important by Oxfam and the partners (as discussed at the May 2015 annual

reflection meeting) as although this is one program in two countries, both countries have different policies,

different governmental implementation approaches, and program partners who implemented the WASH

activities differently, but with the same outcomes in mind. The focus of this was to determine the common and

differentiating essential practises from Oxfam and the local implementing partners that might best represent

two concise models of high-impact community engagement processes and implementation activities under the

umbrella of the AACES program. These findings have relevant implications and applications for further health,

social and economic developmental programs in Southern Africa (as discussed in the final section of this report).

THE END OF PROGRAM STUDY PROCESS

The evaluation process included the following:

1. Collaborative development of articulating and agreeing to the purpose, scope and utilisation of the evaluation

by Oxfam in Australia, South Africa and Zambia. The broad scope was discussed with the partners to get their

buy-in and input on how the results could benefit their work, Oxfam, DFAT and the broader development

sector. The initial terms of reference were then developed further and two consultants appointed: one for

the evaluation and one for the documenting of the two-country model.

2. The compilation of the existing documents, reports, materials and products developed or produced during

the five-year period (refer to Annexure 2).

3. A desk-top review of these documents to develop the first draft of the program overview, and to inform

the development of the evaluation tools.

7

4. Development of the study questions, research methods and tools developed, sample, transcription/reporting

templates and administration guide for implementation. This included training Oxfam staff on the tools for

implementation. The administration guide aimed to standardise implementation of the tools across all sites,

highlight ethical issues and practice, and included ‘trouble-shooting’.

5. Field work conducted in the two countries during the period October 2015 to January 2016. The field work for

the documenting of the two-country model occurred in February 2016.

6. Data analysis conducted in December 2015 to January 2016 using cross-sectional theme coding and

categorical indexing (for example across duty-bearers, participants, Oxfam program staff).

7. Report writing and presentation of preliminary results at an Oxfam meeting with partners in Zambia in

January 2016.

8. Finalisation of the report and submission to DFAT (March 2016).

STUDY METHODS AND SAMPLE

The following research methods were used to collect the relevant data:

• KeyinformantinterviewswithOxfampartners,includingthedirectorandprogramstaff;

• Focusgroupswithapproximately10participantsandbeneficiariesfromthepartnerorganisations

participating in the Oxfam AACES WASH program;

• Keyinformantinterviewswithstakeholdersinbothcountries(asidentifiedbypartners);

• Semi-structuredinterviewswithfourofthetechnicalpartnersinSouthAfrica;

• Semi-structuredinterviewswithfouroftheOxfamNoLongerVulnerableprogrampartnersinSouthAfrica

who had taken on WASH activities but were not part of the AACES program;

• Documenting‘MostSignificantChangeStories’inZambiabetweenOctober2015andJanuary2016;and

• DuringthepartnermeetinginZambiainJanuary2016,furtherinformationwasgainedpertainingto

management of risks, innovative practice, decision-making and sustainability.

The sample is presented in Table 2 below. All the Oxfam partners were invited to participate in the study, however,

due to the timeframe and previous commitments, not all partners were able to participate in the study.

LIMITATIONS

Oxfam staff conducted the field work in South Africa and Zambia as the evaluator was abroad at the time of field

research. The staff were briefed on the research protocols and tools. The interviews and focus groups were

conducted in the language of the participants and then translated for the researcher. Some of the nuances

of the responses may have been lost in the translation and in the collation of the findings. The study was

undertaken during year 5, prior to the close of the program due to Oxfam Australia withdrawing from South Africa,

given the changes in the international affiliate organisational structure. Therefore, the results from the second

half of year 5 are not considered in the analysis because the program was not completed.

8

COUNTRY SAMPLE SECTOR

SAMPLE SIZE(# of people) RESEARCH

METHODNOTES

MALE FEMALE TOTAL

SOUTH AFRICA

AACES WASH Partner: director and management

6 8 14Key informant interview (KII)

Field worker notes and

observations

Partner participants / community members

16 55 71 Focus groupField worker notes and

observations

Duty-bearers 15KII and 1 Focus

Group (12 women)

Field worker notes and

observations

Technical partners 3 3Key informant

interviewSkype interviews

conducted

No Longer Vulnerable partners

4 4Key informant

interviewConducted via

Skype and email

Previous AACES WASH partner (no longer

participating in program)1 1

Key informant interview

Conducted via email

ZAMBIA

Community participants

26 13 39 9 Focus Groups Focus groups conducted and

transcripts translated into

English5 2 7

Individual Interviews

Duty-bearers 13Key informant

interview

Key informant interviews conducted

and transcripts translated

into English

Various participants 41 36

92(15 =

sex not noted)

Most Significant Change Stories

Most stories were told in Silozi

and translated into English

PROGRAM

Oxfam program staff: South Africa

1 4 5

Key informant interview and

field work feedback

Conducted via Skype, and during feedback of field

work

Oxfam program staff: Zambia

2 2Key informant

interview

Conducted face-to-face and via email

Oxfam staff: Australia 1 1 2Key informant

interviewConducted via

Skype and email

TABLE 1: Sample of participants reached during the end of program study

Note: The titles and names of people interviewed are not included to uphold ethics and confidentiality

10

AACES AIM, GOALS AND OBjECTIVES

The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), through the Australia Africa Community

Engagement Scheme (AACES), funded the Oxfam Community Led Access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

program in South Africa and Zambia. Oxfam is a global confederation of 17 affiliates dedicated to fighting poverty

and related injustice around the world, through working together to achieve greater impact by their collective

effort. The Oxfam global program in South Africa and Zambia is being implemented in targeted communities

(refer to Figure 1), where common themes present an opportunity for linked programming and learning towards

positive, sustainable change in the lives of people living in poverty1. The AACES WASH program was implemented

over a five-year period (2011-2016) and aimed to enable Australian NGOs and their partners to contribute to the

DFAT strategy for Africa, through a partnership program focused on community-based interventions across the

sectors of water, sanitation and hygiene, food security and maternal and child health2.

FIGURE 1: Map of Southern Africa – Oxfam AACES WASH Operational Areas

The AACES objectives are threefold: that marginalised people have sustainable access to the services they

require; Australian aid policy and programs in Africa are strengthened, particularly in their ability to target and

serve the needs of poor and vulnerable groups; and to increase the opportunity for the Australian public to be

informed about development issues in Africa. The Oxfam program goal was to improve the health and quality of

life of poor and vulnerable people in targeted areas of Zambia and South Africa. Within this goal, there were five

Oxfam objectives, which cover all three of the AACES program objectives (see Table 2).

1 Oxfam AACES WASH Mid-Term Review, 20142 Oxfam AACES WASH Terms of Reference, M Roper. Dec 2014.

SOUTHAFRICA

ZAMBIAWESTERNPROVINCE

KWAZULU-NATAL

NAMIBIABOTSWANA

ZIMBABWE

MALAWI

MOZAMBIqUEANGOLA

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

TANZANIA

11

AACES OBjECTIVES OxFAM OBjECTIVES:

1 Marginalised people have sustainable access to the services they require

1 Increased access to, and the effective use of, improved, integrated and sustainable water supplies, sanitation and hygiene services

2 Reduced WASH-related inequalities in the delivery of services to women and vulnerable groups in the target areas

3 Strengthened capacity of stakeholders to manage and implement WASH programs on a sustained basis

2* Australian aid policy and programs in Africa are strengthened, particularly in their ability to target and serve the needs of poor and vulnerable groups

4 Improved WASH governance and effectiveness

3** Increased opportunity for the Australian public to be informed about development issues in Africa

5 Documenting and sharing the learning that informs policy, public engagement and program development and growth

Oxfam worked in partnership with a number of organisations (partners) in South Africa and Zambia to implement

the program, as illustrated in Table 2 below. These organisations worked directly with community structures and

members in the targeted areas (refer to Map 1). Organisations and individuals were contracted over the lifespan

of the program to provide technical assistance and/or capacity-building (referred to as technical partners) of

partners to support and deepen implementation practice. Organisations such as Community Based Rehabilitation

Education and Training for Empowerment (CREATE) focussed on disability, Training and Resources in Early

Education (TREE), Equal Education (EE) (advocacy in South Africa) and Resources Aimed at Preventing Child Abuse

and Neglect (RAPCAN) supported the program in South Africa. In Zambia, the Young Women’s Christian Association

(YWCA) focussed on anti-GBV campaigns, Zambia Federation of Disability Organisations (ZAFOD) and the Zambia

Agency for Persons with Disability (ZAPD) on disability. In addition, a collaborative approach was developed with

local authorities to implement the program, and with the Zambia Police Services on child protection. In South

Africa, Oxfam’s partners on the No Longer Vulnerable program were invited to participate in the annual meetings,

workshops and training events in order to support their development in responding to WASH challenges in the

communities in which they work.

TABLE 2: The five Oxfam objectives within the three AACES objectives

* The second objective was reworded after the mid-term review due to the changes in Australian Aid Policy

** The third objective was removed after the mid-term review due to the changes in Australian Aid Policy

12

PARTNER COUNTRY CORE PROGRAM APPROACH AACES WASH APPROACH

Fancy Stitch (FS)

(Left program end of year 2)

South Africa Sustainable food security through income generation for women in Ingwavuma, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Water harvesting through erecting a shed in two women’s vegetable garden projects.

School-based improvements to accessing water, sanitation and hygiene education.

Increasing access and improved WASH services at beneficiary household level.

Keepers Zambia Foundation (KZF)

Zambia Sustainable livelihoods. Development of community structures to respond to WASH, and to train women in construction.

LIMA Rural Development Foundation (LIMA)

South Africa Rural development including food security in South Africa.

Community development of vegetable gardening through parish councils.

Design of toilets for children at crèches.

Maputoland Development and Information Centre (MDIC)

(Left program end of year 2)

South Africa Facilitating development interventions in the Umkhunyakhude District, KwaZulu-Natal, including food security.

Water harvesting at schools

Improving access to water and sanitation in communities.

OneVoice South Africa (OVSA)

South Africa Engages with young people on HIV, AIDS and TB. Development and implementation of secondary school WASH material as part of the life skills curriculum.

Promoting WASH management and menstruation management in secondary schools.

People’s Participation Services (PPS)

Zambia Sustainable livelihoods. Development of community structures to be responsible for their own development and respond to WASH challenges.

Save the Children (STC)

South Africa Child Protection through increasing capacity of early childhood development (ECD) centres to meet norms and standards for registration.

Implementation of WASH materials for the ECD sector.

Capacity-building of ECD District Forum to improve governance and management of ECD.

Tholulwazi Uzivikele (TU)

South Africa Community empowerment and HIV and AIDS. Training of staff and learners at schools and crèches on WASH.

Empowering community members to be WASH ambassadors.

Facilitating capacity-building of Water Users Associations.

Village Water Zambia Zambia Provision and supply of water and sanitation. Drilling boreholes, constructing latrines, innovation and building local business enterprises.

Woza Moya (WM) South Africa A holistic HIV and AIDS program in the Ufafa Valley, KwaZulu-Natal.

Implementing WASH crèche materials in the Woza Moya crèche.

Water harvesting at schools, and engaging youth.

WASH demonstration site.

Building capacity of community care-workers to respond to WASH.

Young Women Christian Association

Zambia Gender justice and sustainable livelihoods. Empowering community members, particularly women, to participate effectively in decision making and combating gender-based violence/child abuse.

TABLE 3: Implementing partners of the Oxfam AACES WASH program

13

OxFAM AACES WASH APPROACH AND DESIGN

The Oxfam AACES WASH Program Design document (2011)3 presented the approach Oxfam intended to take in

the two countries. The design process included a review of the WASH context in both South Africa and Zambia; a

literature review to consolidate policy documents, program evaluations and knowledge in the public domain; a

situational analysis of both countries to inform the strategies and determine geographic locations for implementation;

the strategic approach which included a theory of change and a focus on cross-cutting issues such as gender and

Oxfam’s ‘one-program approach’; detailed descriptions of the strategic objectives for the program, accompanied with

envisaged major activities; the identification of risks and the risk management approach; details on the inclusion of

the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) approach and indicators; the sustainability strategy; and how DFAT/Australian aid

policy requirements would be met. The program design was reviewed within Oxfam, as well as by peers.

In summary, as articulated in the design document the approach was articulated as follows:

“The program approach can be summarised as working through existing partnerships and seeks to: strengthen

the effectiveness of government programs; strengthen WASH management (including accountability and

transparency by all government officials); and strengthen WASH capacity of beneficiaries, communities, and

other private/public stakeholders. Additionally, the program aims to assist partners to advocate for better

services including improved service delivery through: increased community awareness around WASH issues;

mobilisation of beneficiaries/communities or creation of networks to secure real commitments; encouragement

of demand-driven, sustainable solutions; securing increased financing and increasing the prioritisation

of WASH by government structures; developing and strengthening institutional and human capacity; and

promoting and capturing learning that is used to influence policies and strategies”

(OxFAM, AACES WASH PROGRAM DESIGN, 2011).

Further detail on core elements of the program design are summarised below.

One-prOgram fOcus: integrating WasH intO existing prOgrams

The Oxfam AACES WASH program was based on Oxfam’s ‘one-program approach’ to bring about change,

whereby strategies were “…broadly grouped as long-term development, responding to humanitarian crises and

campaigning” (Oxfam, AACES WASH Program Design, 2011). Thus, all the strategies engage with “power relations

within all spheres and at all levels of society”. As a result, Oxfam took the deliberate approach of focussing on

integrating WASH activities into existing health, sustainable livelihood and child protection programs in South

Africa and Zambia. The focus of the activities was not therefore on WASH infrastructure, but rather on building

the capacity of communities to facilitate WASH and broader development outcomes.

tHeOry Of cHange

In order to achieve the wash and broader development outcomes, the Theory of Change (TOC) was articulated in

the design document. The TOC was based on the work of Rao and Kelleher’s (2005) “integral framework” which

provides a matrix for change across four levels: the individual level; the systemic level; the informal; and formal

level. This was an important design element as it guided activities within and across the domains, and provided

the framework for integration of WASH activities into programs. The TOC was articulated further during the sharing of

the mid-term review findings, and this provided an opportunity for all partners to engage in developing the pathways

of change and to understand the approach in greater detail. The post-MTR TOC is presented in Annexure 1.

3 Oxfam, AACES WASH Program Design, 2011 post peer review.

14

partnersHips

Central to Oxfam’s approach to supporting locally-driven community development, the AACES program was

implemented through supporting local partner organisations (refer to Table 1). Oxfam’s partnership principles

include capacity-building and a shared commitment to flexibility to ensure ownership and sustainable outcomes.

Consequently, the Oxfam partners are autonomous, independent, accountable organisations that share

Oxfam’s core values and beliefs and work towards common goals on a long-term basis. Oxfam partners were

selected for their strong commitment to community engagement and ownership principles and their grounded

focus at community level. At the start of the program, effort was made to identify capacity-building needs and

opportunities to support the growth of partners, and to build their capacity in WASH and community development.

The program (Oxfam, AACES WASH Program Design, 2011) recognised the importance of ensuring space was

provided for people to exchange ideas and information, and to reflect, learn and adapt practice through the life

of the program. One of the approaches to achieve this was to establish a collaborative, learning and sharing

approach. This included annual reflections, exchange visits, partner coordination and management meetings,

documenting and sharing practice, as well as participating in forums nationally and internationally to promote

local practice. Refer to Annexure 2 for a list of materials and documents produced during the life of the program.

gender and vulnerable grOups

The approach to including women and other vulnerable groups, such as people with disabilities, was clearly

articulated in the design document:

“The program will up-skill women and other vulnerable groups in leadership, WASH knowledge and technical

skills and will create opportunities for them to get involved in consultative processes and be members of

community WASH forums. It will work with men to generate support and opportunities for women’s leadership.

At the same time Oxfam will ensure that women and other vulnerable groups have the confidence and

leadership skills required to participate in decision making at all levels; to be able to defend their WASH rights

at the community level and represent and advocate for their communities’ WASH rights at the local and national

government levels. Oxfam will work with both women and men on these issues so that the gender outcomes can

lead to strategic changes in terms of the change in power relationships and increased access to resources by

women and other vulnerable groups”

(OxFAM, AACES WASH PROGRAM DESIGN, 2011).

sustainability

The program design included a focus on the sustainability of the outcomes and results of the activities in Zambia

and South Africa. The design document articulated how the program elements would establish a foundation for

sustainability and would:

“…raise awareness of WASH issues and their rights, and develop capacity building plans to build technical,

management and advocacy knowledge and skills. Furthermore, operation and maintenance, resource

mobilisation as well as monitoring, evaluation and learning systems will be strengthened to ensure proper

construction and that the WASH improvements and facilities are used effectively. In addition, participatory

and rights based approaches and processes will be implemented, not only to ensure effective community

participation in decision making, but also to ensure affordable and appropriate technologies and approaches

are used within the program and to create individual agency and community effectiveness in generating,

15

developing and maintaining WASH programs and their benefits. In particular, an advocacy capacity building

approach will be taken in order for communities to influence decision makers, call for an extension of services

to underserved and un-served areas, influence public policy and resource allocation and create a space for

negotiation between communities and authorities. The program will also focus on interventions and processes

to ensure gender equality and inclusion of vulnerable groups in order to bring to bear full community potential

in the planning, resourcing, implementing and maintaining WASH services”

(OxFAM, AACES WASH PROGRAM DESIGN, 2011).

The focus was not only on the program elements, but also on developing and mentoring strong and well-

functioning structures, institutions and processes at community level and through its partnerships with civil

society organisations and relevant government structures. The aim was to establish platforms and networks whereby

communities could influence government structures and duty-bearers. As stated in the design document:

“...sustainability, in this program, will inhere in knowledgeable, skilled and confident individuals and

communities; quality WASH facilities and services; adequate WASH systems and processes; and strong well-

coordinated community structures and duty bearers”

(OxFAM, AACES WASH PROGRAM DESIGN, 2011).

RISKS

The risks for the program as identified in the program design (Oxfam, AACES WASH Program Design, 2011) included

a concern regarding the cross-country operational structure of managing the program; poor implementation as

the focus was on two countries and rural communities, the need for sound financial management across both

countries and with operational partners; varying levels of partner capacity to manage, implement, and monitor the

program; working in an uncertain political context; and logistical limitations given the rural focus of the program.

Risks identified at the beginning of the program by partners included needing to manage community

expectations, sustainability of funding of program activities; friction between traditional leaders, government

and community members; retaining skilled staff; and the community not participating or actively blocking

activities around WASH.

The operational management structure and mechanisms established by Oxfam Australia and the country offices

aimed to manage these risks, and engage with implementing partners through existing monitoring structures, as

well as through the annual reflections to mitigate the impact of these risks. Risks were continuously managed

by the implementing partners during program implementation; these were managed both by practical day-to-

day responses through proactive and reactive interventions, as well as through annual reflections. Mitigating

strategies were developed by organisations, and through the sharing or discussions (formal and informal) during

the annual reflections.

Management and program staff were key to responding to the challenges, and in identifying and managing

risk: and it appears to a large extent that partners integrated this into the management meetings, program

reviews and planning (annual and monthly). The consultation and engagement with community at the start of

the program was important and the continued engagement and prioritising the relationship in practice focussed

efforts on facilitating community engagement and continuous engagement in identifying and responding to risks.

The next three sections of this report explore how the design was implemented in practice and the results that

were achieved as a result of the design approach.

17

The reach of the program, the impact on the quality of lives of people, the influencing work of the program and innovative practice of the AACES program are described in this section.

REACH OF THE PROGRAM

The AACES Core Indicators4 were tracked during the 5 years of the program. In year 1, the focus was on

establishing the project and engaging with communities. Actual project activities undertaken bore results in year

2, and, as a result, statistics were not produced in year 1. The second half of the year 5 results have not been

included in these tables as the program was still operating at the time of this report.

In total, as a direct result of the program’s activities, 46,668 people have accessed sustainable and safe water

in South Africa and Zambia, of whom 54% were female and 46% male. In addition, 27,019 people have access to

appropriate sanitation (50.3% female and 49.7% male), and 835 people with disabilities now have access to WASH

and other services. A large focus of the program was on increasing hand washing facilities, particularly through

teaching community members how to build tippy taps in South Africa and in Zambia through Community Led

Total Sanitation. Over 4,600 locations now have hand washing facilities. In South Africa, there are 36 additional

universally-accessible facilities, and in Zambia there are 22 facilities, as a result of the work of the partners.

These are illustrated in the table 4 below.

INDICATOR SOUTH AFRICA ZAMBIA TOTAL

Number of additional people with access to sustainable and safe water

12,726 33,962 46,668

Number of additional people with access to appropriate sanitation

12,996 14,023 27,019

Number of additional people with disabilities accessing services

436 339 835

Number of additional locations with hand washing facilities and soap

2,315 2,350 4,665

Number of additional universally-accessible facilities in public buildings and/or institutions

36 22 58

TABLE 4: Core indicator reach for South Africa and Zambia over three and a half-year period

4 AACES Core Indicator Matrix and AACES Aggregate Development Results Matrix, 2015, Oxfam.

18

A review of the reported data, as presented in the graph below, illustrates the increase in access to sustainable

and safe water over the three-year period. It is noticeable that in year 2, South Africa achieved a significant

increase in reach to improve access across both genders, and in years 3 to 5, the most significant increase

occurred in Zambia. In South Africa, the program worked in defined communities over the three-year period and

therefore the focus was on the depth of the service rather than on extending the reach to new communities. In

Zambia, the engagement with communities took time to develop (as described in the next section of the report)

and gained strength and increased reach over the duration of the program. Consequently, there is a significant

increase in reach in the last six-months of the program in Zambia, as illustrated in the graph below.

GRAPH 1: Number of additional people with access to sustainable and safe water over three and a half-year

period in Zambia and South Africa (july 2012 – December 2015)

GRAPH 2: Number of female and male participants reached with increased awareness of rights over three and a

half-year period in Zambia and South Africa (july 2012 – December 2015)

Over the three-and-a-half-year period, 177,352 people were reached in both South Africa and Zambia in terms

of human rights awareness sessions. As illustrated in Graph 2 below, work gradually built up over the three and

half-year reporting period. In South Africa, the focus was on hygiene awareness as well as human rights. In

Zambia, the focus was primarily on human rights and advocacy.

12,000

70,000

0

0

3,000

17,500

6,000

35,000

9,000

52,500

Female Yr2

Female Yr2

Female Yr3

Female Yr3

Female Yr4

Female Yr4

Female Yr5

(6 months)

Female Yr5

(6 months)

Male Yr2

Male Yr2

Male Yr3

Male Yr3

Male Yr4

Male Yr4

Male Yr5

(6 months)

Male Yr5

(6 months)

ZAMBIA

ZAMBIA

SOUTH AFRICA

SA HYGIENE/AWARENESS SA RIGHTS/AWARENESS ZAMBIA RIGHTS

19

IMPROVEMENT OF THE HEALTH AND qUALITY OF LIFE OF POOR AND VULNERABLE PEOPLE IN TARGETED COMMUNITIES IN SOUTH AFRICA AND ZAMBIA

imprOved HealtH and quality Of life

The WASH activities conducted by the partners in both countries have made a significant contribution to the

health outcomes of individuals, families and the community. The analysis of the interviews and focus groups

conducted as part of the end of program study indicate the increased awareness of hygiene and improved

sanitation practices; the change in knowledge related to health-seeking behaviours and how this awareness

has influenced households and school settings; the importance of accessible and clean water for learners,

and for ‘survival’; the reduction in diseases such as diarrhoea through improved hand washing and access to

facilities (such as tippy-taps) and improved management of household utensils, reduced malaria as water is not

lying around, use of latrines rather than the open bush; and an improved environment through management of

rubbish and having latrines. The results also demonstrate how water, sanitation and hygiene plays a central role

in enabling individuals and communities to take control of their own development. The following quotes from

participants and duty-bearers in both countries illustrate these changes, which are discussed in greater detail in

this section of the report:

“Health related messaging topics have been drilled into the young learner’s minds to the point that pre-

school children are now able to identify symptoms of TB among household members. An example was given

of a child who had a relative seriously coughing and reported the issue to the teacher. The relative was

later encouraged to go for screening and tested positive for TB. The relative has since been cured of TB

and thanks to the young mind”

(STC DUTY-BEARER TRANSCRIPT, 2015).

“We also have reduced risks because by using the bush we were risking our lives and our health because

community now use latrines. There is also a reduced number of malaria diseases because people now use

rubbish pits for garbage. In the past community left utensils carelessly on the ground but with the use of

traditional stands utensils are well kept and maintained”

(FEMALE, V-WASH COMMITTEE, MONGU DISTRICT, ZAMBIA, 2015).

“Through workshops and meetings at a community level, mind-sets of many people are beginning to change.

This can be seen through people’s appreciation of accessing clean drinking water, treatment of water collected

from rivers and water sources before drinking, cleaning and maintenance of toilet facilities, cleaning of the

general household environment, as well improvement in personal individual hygiene practices”

(FEMALE, SAVINGS CLUB, SOUTH AFRICA, 2015).

The change in Zambia of people moving from open defecation to the use of latrines required not only awareness

and the construction of accessible latrines, but also to address normative behaviour and cultural practices, as

illustrated in the three quotes below:

“Some villages have reached the open defecation free stage through WASH activities because they now use

latrines and drink safe water, though for some villages the sanitation is opposite because people still depend

on poor wells due to lack of permanent water points”

(FEMALE, WARD DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, MONGU DISTRICT, ZAMBIA, 2015).

20

“During community sensitisation meetings on hygiene and sanitation, those who were using the bush to answer

the call of nature had a negative view about the [WASH] programme because they felt it was an insult, but after

a number of sensitisation meetings they started to respond positively by constructing latrines in the villages”

(MALE, WARD COUNCILLOR, MONGU DISTRICT, ZAMBIA, 2015).

“Before, people were not using latrines due to some cultural norms, because people were shy to use latrines in

the presence of other family members especially in-laws and children. But currently people use toilets without

feeling shy and considering some cultural norms”

(FEMALE, WARD DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, MONGU DISTRICT, ZAMBIA, 2015).

“Sanitation has improved in many communities because people have started to use toilets. Today almost every

household has a latrine with a hand washing facility including the schools”

(MALE, COMMUNITY FACILITATOR, LUAMPA DISTRICT, ZAMBIA, 2015).

Improvements in health outcomes were noted by ECD practitioners in the South African crèches through the work

of Save the Children, TREE, Tholulwazi Uzivikele and Woza Moya. Furthermore, these partners have noted that

children have taken the messages and practice to their homes, which has resulted in improved hygiene practices

at the household level. Other health outcomes at schools included improved menstruation management at the

secondary schools by OneVoice South Africa; and improved hygiene and sanitation, as well as access to water, in

secondary schools by Woza Moya and Tholulwazi Uzivikele.

The focus on WASH and improved health outcomes contributed to a focus and increase in sustainable livelihoods

and increased economic empowerment of women. In Zambia for example, establishing and working with savings

groups provided not only an opportunity to build capacity to respond to WASH and enhance health seeking

behaviours, but also to start saving schemes and groups, small business, and to access to funding:

“Before WASH programs diarrhoea and other water related diseases affected community, but through the

information of saving groups where we discuss issues of hygiene the problems of diarrhoea seems to be over”

(MALE, SAVINGS GROUP, LUAMPA DISTRICT, ZAMBIA, 2015).

“Through these community savings groups our lives has improved because we were able to start small

businesses from the savings. The initiatives have helped a lot of people even to address issues of hygiene

at household level”

(FEMALE, SAVINGS GROUP, LUAMPA DISTRICT, ZAMBIA, 2015).

“In addition, a number of women in my community, their lives have improved through community saving groups.

We had women especially widows who were highly affected by poverty, today these women can feed their

families and take their children to school. Most of them are now engaged in small businesses which they

started from group savings”

(MALE, AREA CHIEF, LUAMPA DISTRICT, ZAMBIA, 2015).

Similarly, in South Africa, the work by LIMA and Fancy Stitch on vegetable gardening to increase food security

contributed to the economic empowerment of women:

21

“Initially the group was started as a subsistence project providing enough for household consumption, however

over the year and through the implementation of the water reticulation system, the group is now able to store

enough water during winter and continue to till the land. They reported that they were now able feed their

families as well as sell extra surplus within the neighbouring community, thus despite the hardship of drought

their lives is somehow improving through their gardening project”

(FOCUS GROUP, LIMA, SOUTH AFRICA, 2015).

Although Fancy Stitch left the AACES WASH program in year 3, the engagement with the organisation during

the end of program study illustrates how their participation in the program contributed to the empowerment of

women, and how activities can be sustained beyond the timeframe and resources of the program. For example,

the rain water harvested off the shed in the community garden continued to supply water for crop growing until

the severe drought which is currently being experienced. But because of the increase in knowledge about finding

solutions to increase access to water, the women’s group consequently sought support to access water tanks

and roller water collectors to support their households. Furthermore, the women continued to water and produce

crops in their individual vegetable gardens for household consumption, and to sell excess when possible.

Through the WASH program focus on building women’s capacity in Zambia to engage with traditional leadership,

to participate in community structures, and encouraging and supporting their voice and leadership, the empirical

evidence from this study indicates that there has been an increase in the participation of women in raising

issues that concern them, as well as engaging with leadership and governance structures. As illustrated in the

following two quotes, this change has been noted:

“Some women have been empowered to position themselves in leadership participation or equality and are

capable to give their options without fear or interference in open community meetings and forums”

(MALE, COMMUNITY FACILITATOR, MONGU DISTRICT, ZAMBIA, 2015).

“Zambia has made significant work with women in general and made a real effort to include community members”

(OxFAM STAFF MEMBER, 2015).

The inclusivity approach further focussed on integrating people with disabilities into the program, and in

addressing barriers not only to them accessing water and sanitation services, or increasing their hygiene

practices, but also on their inclusion in program and community activities and structures. The changes are

evident in both countries:

“The enhancement of disability inclusion has influenced the existence of some structures that accommodate

people with disability such as some water points”

(FEMALE, COMMUNITY FACILITATOR, MONGU DISTRICT, ZAMBIA, 2015).

“Disability issues are now being incorporated into every program design that is now being implemented”

(WOZA MOYA, SOUTH AFRICA, 2015).

“I think all kinds of people in my ward have highly benefited from this WASH programme including people with

disability. Both women and children, including people with disability have been having access to safe drinking water.

The activities were inclusive so to say for example women were receiving capacity on leadership equality”

(FEMALE WARD COUNCILLOR, MONGU DISTRICT, ZAMBIA, 2015).

22

School-based duty-bearers in South Africa acknowledged the necessity and achievements of increased

access to clean water for learners and staff, including kitchen staff. This was achieved through rainwater

harvesting systems as well as hygiene awareness programs. Changes in the cleanliness of toilets, improved

hand washing after toilet use, which continues to increase amongst learners, as well as improved dialogue and

relationships between the school community members, including school cleaners, teachers and kitchen staff.

In addition, duty-bearers noted that the school management team and school governing bodies have taken ‘full

responsibility’ for water and hygiene management at the high school in Ufafa, South Africa. They ensured that the

school security employee has been trained on the operation and maintenance of the water operating system, as

well as encouraging meetings between the school, parents and learners to reduce vandalism. Furthermore, the

learners have increased hygiene and sanitation awareness in the community, for example around the negative

impacts of open defecation. As one school administrator stated:

“You can’t survive without clean water”

(WM, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR, 2015).

The following short case-study on the changes in one school in South Africa through the development of

sanitation and hygiene ambassadors (SHA) as part of the Tholulwazi Uzivikele WASH program, highlights the level

of engagement and commitment that is required to bring about sustained change in a school. The case study

further illustrates the depth and range of activities that contributed towards the integrated WASH management

and leadership approach in a school that involves, and benefits the entire school community:

“Before the introduction of the sanitation and hygiene ambassadors (SHA) the school was littered with

papers but ever since the introduction of the project learners are able to hold each other accountable for the

cleanliness of the environment. Whilst the school toilets were cleaned by toilet cleaners, leaners noted that

they never used to take responsibility for maintaining cleanliness, so with the introduction of ambassadors

they now support the cleaners through monitoring and enforcing proper usage by other learners. For instance,

before there used to be boys who will urinate all over the toilet seat or behind [the] toilet but over time

ambassadors have been able to hold them accountable and report them to educators. Vendors used to use

the ground to sell their food but after [the] introduction of ambassadors they were encouraged to have basic

wooden tables and also to keep the environment clean. Kitchen staff are now being supported by SHA to

maintain the cleanliness of the kitchen and surrounding environment. All learners have been encouraged to

recycle through making of toys. SHA are currently composing WASH songs in order to maintain the drive for

WASH – with the hope of including other arts activities that might include theatre and drama to easily convey

[the] WASH message to minors. All in all the SHA appeal to be well informed of WASH related issues around

the school but with … more focus around hygiene and sanitation [and they] felt appreciated by both school

authority, vendors, cleaners, kitchen staff as well as other learners. They expressed that their voices were

being heard by authorities, for instance the time that they are given during the school to talk about WASH and

also given time to participate in [the] local schools WASH competition. Another last change noted has been

the exchange of the WASH related information with the parents, e.g. learners highlighting importance of hand

washing and the ‘how’ after each toilet use”

(TU, SCHOOL BASED FOCUS GROUP, SOUTH AFRICA, 2015).

23

Inclusivity is a cross-cutting theme of the AACES WASH program, which addressed not only the inclusion of

women and girls and people with disabilities, but has a focus on child protection. The focus in South Africa was

on internal policies and practice that influenced programmatic approaches, the rights of children, and WASH

practice and services. In Zambia, the focus was on child-rights through building the capacity of communities

(via the Ward Development Committees) to ensure children had equal access to WASH services, to education

and health outcomes. The development of ward plans using the collaborative rights-based, people-centred

development approach highlighted that many children are denied education through child-labour and child-

marriage. As a result, the program developed a collaborative partnership with the Zambia Police Service to

facilitate work sessions and community-based activities to raise the awareness of these issues, and how

communities and families could address incidents.

For example, through integrating a rights-based approach, and in particular, addressing the practice of child-

marriages in Zambia and how this affects girls, there has been a change in the customary practice which denied

children access to education:

“Some parents have finally started taking their girl children to school after realising the dangers of forced child

marriage. YWCA has been conducting some awareness messages on early marriages, GBV and human rights”

(MALE, COMMUNITY FACILITATOR, MONGU DISTRICT, ZAMBIA, 2015).

Not only has the program addressed early marriage, it further provided an opportunity to engage with parents and

community structures on issues of child labour which denied children their rights to education and accessing

services:

“We also have reduced child labour cases and a wide spread of knowledge in governance issues precisely

on advocacy and lobbying”

(FEMALE, COMMUNITY FACILITATOR, MONGU DISTRICT, ZAMBIA, 2015).

In South Africa, there has been an increased awareness within the partner organisations in terms of both

child protection policies, as well as how children are involved, affected or benefit from the activities. This has

translated into increased child protection awareness and safeguarding practice by the partner organisation

as well as by the ‘champions’ (such as ambassadors, youth facilitators and community caregivers) in their

engagement with households, schools and children.

impact Of WasH On tecHnical partners

There were a number of technical partners who were contracted to the program to provide specific services,

including to develop WASH materials (TREE), building capacity and to support partners to implement WASH

(CREATE, Equal Education), or to provide a policy assessment on cross-cutting work, such as child protection

(RAPCAN). Feedback from these partners during this end of program study indicates that the technical work not

only built capacity within the organisation or provided resources for the partners to use, but that it also created

an opportunity for them to either engage in the longer-term with one or more partners where there was a fit or

commitment to taking the work further, and it created opportunities for the technical partner to engage and

integrate WASH into their work.

24

Below are a few examples to illustrate this:

• CREATE is a community-based rehabilitation organisation that came on board to bring an inclusive

development approach to disability into the program. Disability was new to the organisation, although it is

articulated in international and national disability focused programs. The inclusion of disability in the program

provided an opportunity, and learning curve, for CREATE to engage with community development partners

working across other sectors. CREATE indicate that they had to learn about playing a technical role and

“become more adaptable in learning to adapt the different ideas to include disability inclusivity” (CREATE key

informant, 2015). They learnt how to accompany a partner, to inspire and to encourage them through

mentoring. CREATE’s vision was to encourage inclusive practice rather than focus on policies. The success

of this approach is seen in that “everyone to some extent has taken up disability as an issue and beyond what

we have done with them” (CREATE key informant, 2015). After initial discussions or training, partners

undertook one or two activities, and are now running inclusive activities within their programs. This

has increased awareness of community practitioners, built skills for people to engage appropriately with

community members, provided opportunities for active engagement by people with disabilities in the work

of the organisation and their activities, increased services for people with disabilities, and has now

developed to partners themselves networking with relevant local disability organisations. The results

“have gone beyond what we thought” and “sustainable beyond Oxfam funding” (CREATE key informant, 2015),

for example ECD practitioners asking to be trained in sign language, as well as CREATE attending international

conferences as part of the program. A key element that contributed to the success of the inclusivity,

according to CREATE, were the opportunities for sharing, developing relationships and learning about each

other’s work that was created during the residential gatherings. This built trust, respect and meant “we were

able to adapt our interventions to their specific situations and build relationships for ongoing work beyond

the life of Oxfam” (CREATE key informant, 2015).

• RAPCAN came on board at the beginning of the program in South Africa to provide support to partners to

understand the importance of child protection safeguarding policies. Initially some partners viewed the

policies purely in terms of compliance, but as RAPCAN engaged further with partners and shared the rights-

based orientation and practice, so partners confronted not only their internal policies, but also reflected

on their programmatic approaches, inclusive and right-based practices and consciously considered how

child protection and safeguarding work within their programs. The learning however worked both ways, with

RAPCAN also benefitting from the program: “We learned about rural development. We met wonderfully

committed practitioners. We gained so much knowledge on management, development practice, leadership”

(RAPCAN key informant, 2015). There was also appreciation of the collectiveness and collaboration that

developed over the duration of the program and which will continue to sustain the outcomes of the program:

“When organisations work together, learn together, grow together, the personalities attributes strengthened

capacities become part of a pool of expertise to be drawn on in perpetuity” (RAPCAN key informant, 2015).

• TREE provided technical input to develop program material for children through crèches and ECD practitioners.

They developed a curriculum specific for the ECD sector in South Africa, which also contributed to

strengthening broader ECD teaching and management practice. As a result, TREE were able to not only share

this and build capacity of WASH partners, but also to take this forward within their accredited training and

25

ongoing work with the ECD sector in South Africa. This has moved forward to further engagement with primary

schools in engaging with them on health and sanitation issues that affect children at school and at home.

This was an opportunity for the organisation to grow in scope both in terms of areas of expertise, and also in

terms of engaging with municipal structures in the development of the material and therefore in their

influencing work. This has enabled ECD practitioners to have conversations with municipalities on the ECD

minimum standards and how they can support the crèches. The WASH aspect has now been integrated into all

aspects of TREE’s work: the curriculum, training, and equipping marginalised communities to start

“engendering appropriate practices” (TREE key informant, 2015). Thus WASH will continue beyond the program

and beyond the direct geographic sites.

impact On OtHer Oxfam partners and develOpment cOmmunity

Beyond the direct AACES WASH partners and technical partners, the program has had an impact on Oxfam

partners in South Africa who were invited to participate in the annual meetings, and in Zambia, the program

has had a wider influence on WASH and developmental approaches in the country. For example, households

and villages beyond the program communities have constructed tippy taps in both countries; the construction

of ward committee offices in other wards in Zambia; neighbouring schools are asking for advice on water

harvesting (South Africa); and other programs are taking up the WASH and development issues included in the

Ward Development Plans. For example, the pilot project on climate resilience funded by the World Bank and

implemented by the Provincial Administration in Zambia acknowledges the value of the WDC and plans and is

building this mechanism into their funded programs, as illustrated below:

“In 2013 the World Bank introduced the PPCR project under the Provincial Administration and Mongu Municipal

Council. One of the wards under the pilot project was Imalyo which was also supported under the AACES

programme. By the time the PPCR project started, Mongu Municipal Council had already established a Ward

Development Committee and had facilitated the participatory production of a ward development plan with

support from Oxfam and its implementing partner. The PPCR project built on what was already done and within

the first 100 days Imalyo ward became the best example of community leadership and effective implementation

of community projects. As a result of the performance, in Imalyo ward, the World Bank and the Provincial

Administration changed their approach in all the other wards and provinces; they made the existence of a

Ward Development Committee and Ward Development Plan a pre-condition for support, in line with the national

decentralisation process. Members of the Imalyo Ward Development Committee and members trained by Oxfam

who were elected to lead the PPCR project committee became role models, and shared their experiences widely

in stakeholder meetings organised by the World Bank”

(OxFAM, ZAMBIA, 2016).

Other partners within the Oxfam programs have also taken up WASH activities. For example, the No Longer

Vulnerable partners in South Africa (CHoiCe Trust, HIV and Aids Prevention Group, Refugee Social Services,

Thusanang Trust) participated in the workshops and annual meetings because of the relevance of WASH to

their existing work, and they saw the opportunity to not only learn about WASH, but to take practice, materials,

capacity and lessons forward. This illustrates the integrated nature of WASH, and how it is a fundamental

building block to rights-based work, dealing with health and social development challenges.

26

STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY VOICES, ENGAGING WITH DUTY-BEARERS, INFLUENCING AND ADVOCACY

engagement WitH duty-bearers and strengtHening tHe vOice Of marginalised peOple

The governance structure and approach to the implementation of WASH differs in both countries, although

in both countries, legislation places the responsibility and accountability for delivery of services within

government. In Zambia, there was a greater openness and collaboration between government and the

developmental partners (such as Oxfam and Village Water Zambia) to provide infrastructure and services to meet

developmental goals, while in South Africa the government approach is that government will provide services

according to budget cycles and operational plans, and consequently there is less flexibility to engaging with

civil society partners or community structures to mete service needs out of the government expenditure cycles.

In both countries, development is about power and is consequently political in nature (Oxfam, 2016). The AACES

WASH program is about increasing the voice of marginalised people to engage in the power dynamic pertaining

to access to water and sanitation service delivery, as well as promoting accountability of those mandated to

provide such services (the duty-bearers).

All the partners engaged with various structures and duty-bearers with the purpose of: building their capacity

to manage, implement and sustain WASH activities; strengthening collaboration and engagement between

themselves, the community and the duty-bearers to respond to development challenges; and encouraging

accountability and implementation of rights-based approaches relevant to each country’s legislation and policy.

Examples of this engagement are provided below.

In South Africa, initial efforts to engage with duty-bearers, particularly elected local ward councillors and

local authorities was exceedingly difficult (as documented in the MTR), and was frustrating for the partners.

However, over the past two years there appears to have been a shift in this engagement. Partners, through the

developmental approaches underpinning their activities and the successes of their systemic activities, appear to

be making significant inroads into a collaborative engagement with duty-bearers who have a direct responsibility

for WASH activities in the sites where they are working. For example, the ECD forums established by Save the

Children (STC) and later by Tholulwazi Uzivikele began with engaging ECD practitioners who collectively began

engaging with relevant service providers such as nurses and the police, and the forum is now is engaging with

the departmental officials. There is greater involvement of a range of government services and local departments

in ECD centres. For example, health assessments and referrals are routinely conducted, and the officials are

more aware of the importance of hygiene and are promoting WASH messages and practice (STC key informant,

2015). There has furthermore “been a marked improvement of ECD inspection in support of accreditation or

registration of the ECD centres” (STC duty-bearer transcript, 2015). These duty-bearers further acknowledge that

a “holistic and cooperative approach” is required to address the challenges and blockages for ECD centres to

register, and to meet the norms and standards.

Through WASH the ECD forum has united itself and their voices are being heard as one, an example was the

recent march by the crèches against child abuse and challenging SAPS and Social Workers to come and

support. Through the WASH meetings, SAPS and social workers have given their support in attention to issues

arising from within the crèches and there are by improving the health outcomes of the young learners

(FEMALE, ECD FORUM, SOUTH AFRICA, 2015).

27

Another example of engagement with duty-bearers is the ongoing engagement with school management and

governance (Woza Moya; OneVoice; and Tholulwazi Uzivikele, South Africa). The duty-bearers are both the school

management team, as well as the district and departmental officials. Through the WASH training provided,

community members are now engaging with these duty-bearers, as illustrated in the following quote:

The respondent did acknowledge that some community members have become empowered through the WM

training to confront the local leadership especially the Ward Councillor and Induna when in need of related

services. Through the voices of the Ufafa community many households have received toilet facilities and piped

water system is currently being constructed across the valley by the government

(FEMALE, SAVINGS CLUB FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION, SOUTH AFRICA, 2015).

At the start of the program in Zambia, Oxfam and the partners began to engage with duty-bearers and build on

an existing Oxfam program in Zambia which had established the foundations of collaboration in the targeted

districts. The selection and training of male and female Community Facilitators, and the establishment and

support of Ward Development Committees (WDC) contributed to the development of a structured approach to

community-government relations in Zambia. How the WDC has contributed to this is illustrated in the following

dialogue from a focus group held in Mongu District (2015) and the views of one officer from Mongu Municipal

Council (Most Significant Change Stories, Zambia, 2016):

MALE: “The Ward Development Committee [WDC] through community ownership has the capacity

to channel and influence developmental rights of the people to duty-bearers which was

not the case in the past”

INTERVIEWER: “How was the situation in the past?”

MALE: “It was hard to influence issues without a well-coordinated structure in the past; people

had fear because they were intimidated and the Area Development Committee served no

purpose due to political interferences.

FEMALE: “In the past we had lots of challenges to mobilise the community for meetings and other

activities because we were used to entrusting everything to the duty-bearers and NGOs,

however we no longer face any major challenges; whenever we wish to take the views of the

community to duty-bearers [not] like before, and this is an indicator of ownership”.

MALE: “Before the Ward Development Committee, it was difficult for individuals or community

structures to approach duty-bearers and currently this engagement between duty-bearers

and the community by the WDC we no longer face any challenges”.

“These ward development committees, report to the Municipal Council and are an entry point for development

activities in the community. Since the formation of these wards development committees in the three

mentioned wards, a number of changes have occurred in the affected communities. What is…[occurring]

now is that members of the community come up with their own developmental projects. They tell their ward

development committee who in turn come and report to the Council what type of development project people

from that particular area want”

(DISTRICT FACILITATOR, MONGU MUNICIPAL COUNCIL, ZAMBIA).

28

influence and advOcacy

The foundations for the influencing and advocacy strategy within the Oxfam AACES WASH program began prior to

the design and start of the program. Oxfam, through the Oxfam HIV/AIDS Program (OHAP), commissioned a study

in 2012 to map the advocacy work that their South African partners were engaged in. Most partners focussed

on their core service delivery work, and Oxfam wanted to find out what they were doing, if anything, in terms

of influencing work and what the constraints were to doing such work. The key finding (Influencing Change,

2012) which emerged was that partners were intimidated and overwhelmed by the use of word advocacy, and

thought it came with a special skill-set, expertise, training and money behind it. What was also found was that

partners had low levels of confidence in doing this type of work, because they did not have the requisite skill-

set as they focused on their core business. However, the research found that in practice, the partners were

doing influencing work, but were unable, and uncomfortable, to frame their work as ‘advocacy’. The work they

were doing was not seen by them as the conventional approach to advocacy, but more about influencing work.

This was an important distinction for Oxfam, and for the partner’s approach, as it shifted their work away from

advocacy to influencing, and these opened possible pathways and showcased existing practices within existing

work. It illustrated that partners could, and did, do influencing work while doing service delivery work. This mind-

set created the space for partners to gain confidence in what they were doing, to articulate their approaches

more clearly, to identify areas to strengthen, and to be more strategic about what they do.

The findings of the above research informed the approach Oxfam took in South Africa to include advocacy and

influencing work within the AACES WASH program. Given that some partners were more aware of, and confident in

addressing elements within their services, it was necessary to build on this work incrementally at partner level while at

the same time being strategic across the program level. The approach was based on three interconnected levels:

LEVEL 1: a focus on building capacity at partner level to plan strategic influencing activities, increase

skills, mentoring of partners, conduct exchange visits and build on small wins. the focus was

locally driven issues and small change, and to drive change at local level. visual (dvd/video)

story-telling was used to enable and show partners how they could use visual story-telling to

profile issues, and how to use this to lobby local government. further support was also

provided by bringing in technical support to help partners in strategically thinking about what

plans could look like in practice.

LEVEL 2: While the activities of partners focussed on doing influencing work at local level, it was also

necessary at a program level to channel the issues, information and evidence base upwards to

influence local, provincial and national campaigns and issues. therefore, two strategic

partners were brought on board, equal education (ee) and tree. ee were involved nationally in

school-based campaigns where they facilitated processes to enhance civic engagement of

young people; and tree were involved in strengthening curriculum development and practice

using WasH as a theme for learner participation and to ensure the transferability of knowledge

across school-curricula.

LEVEL 3: this level focused on identifying the approach and role that Oxfam could play during the

program, and within the above approaches. this meant exploring when and how Oxfam could

leverage the brand when necessary, but also how they could fill gaps, mentor and maximise

the efforts on the previous two levels. their role therefore was that of the ‘critical thinker’ and

consolidator of efforts across the program. this involved commissioning research into

community led total sanitation (clts), and on menstrual management in schools. the focus

29

on menstrual management was both an issue raised across partners working in schools, but

also by the department of education who had released the norms and standards for schools

which was heavily based on water and sanitation infrastructure, but lacked a prioritisation of

hygiene and lacked a focus on the gendered nature of WasH for girls in schools. consequently,

the research was commissioned to gather data and evidence relevant to the south african

context in order to influence the norms and standards, as well as practice. equal education

(ee), working with Oxfam, are championing the cause of the norms and standards to be more

gender sensitive, and as the program comes to the close-out phase, discussions are underway

on how the research can be taken forward by ee and beyond the aaces program.

This approach has been successful in initiating both activities and results within a short time-frame. The capacity-

building approach with EE was successful, for example, collaborating with OneVoice to build the capacity of youth

facilitators and learners to implement curricula based advocacy activities in the school setting and structures. Initially

Oxfam played a role in trying to facilitate an ongoing strategic relationship between the two organisations, and

then stepped back as the two partners continued to focus on their direct areas of influencing work.

The success of the involvement of TREE is not only on the materials and influence on the practical application of

the ECD norms and standards with the Department of Social Development, it has also been on TREE’s awareness

of the role they can play in advocating for changes and influencing policy and practice beyond WASH, for example

on non-WASH related norms and standards.

All the partners engaged with EE at the annual reflections meetings and workshops, and there was a lot of initial

enthusiasm, interest and sharing of ideas. However, it is only in the last few months of the program that the

initial discussions began to materialise into practical responses. The influence of the approach, and the capacity

building, is bearing results with the partners, as illustrated by the following quotes:

“The ECD forum has created a platform for government policy holders to discuss issues as well as received

feedback from the ECD community”

(ECD DUTY-BEARER, KZN, 2015).

“The provincial Department of Health continues to be influenced as it reviews its policies especially on

health promoting ECD policy … There is a need to create a balance between ECD policy formulation and the

realities on the ground”

(ECD DUTY-BEARER, KZN, 2015).

“The sanitation and hygiene ambassadors (SHA) have been able to identify and raise issues within the school

and of later as young advocates who are now able [to voice] their concerns around WASH. There is hope that

young advocates will further be able to approach [the] municipality with the WASH related issues in schools”

(TU INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT, SOUTH AFRICA, 2015).

The approach towards advocacy and influencing work differed in Zambia. Zambia started off their program with

an influencing approach and used WASH strategically as an entry point into advocacy and a focus on broad

community development outcomes. “The approach was driven by the desire to demonstrate far reaching and long

lasting impacts using marginalised people’s testimonies on how the programme contributed to their wellbeing

and development” (Oxfam, Zambia, 2016). This meant using WASH as an entry point to enabling an empowered

community to work with government and other external players to achieve shared community development

outcomes. As illustrated in the following quotes, the training and process has led to improved engagement

between duty-bearers, and a more collaborative rights-based practice:

30

“Through trainings we now have adequate capacity to engage duty-bearers, specifically local government

on WASH and the people have demonstrated this by using and constructing latrines, traditional stands as

well as rubbish pits”

(MALE, COMMUNITY FACILITATOR, MONGU DISTRICT, ZAMBIA, 2015).

“Through advocacy skills we can now influence duty-bearers and some NGOs on how we want

developmental issues to be done in our community. We speak to duty-bearers without fear and

intimidation because we know our rights”

(MALE, COMMUNITY FACILITATOR, LUAMPA DISTRICT, ZAMBIA, 2015).

“In my position as a duty-bearer I have received and acquired a lot of knowledge on good coordination and

transparency because activities were conducted openly in my ward without shortcuts. The establishment

of WDCs was an excellent initiative that will influence policy through dialogue with duty bearers. The

engagement of duty-bearers in the programme is very critical on issues of accountability and practice”

(FEMALE, WARD COUNSELLOR, MONGU DISTRICT, ZAMBIA, 2015).

The story of the 23rd bridge in Mongu illustrates the agency of communities as a result of skills gained in WASH

advocacy. In 2014 the community in Lumbo Ward succeeded in convincing government and a Chinese contractor

to include an extra bridge on the multi-million Mongu-Kalabo road. During the construction of the named road,

the Chinese Contractor blocked a natural drainage channel in Lumbo community. This resulted in a state of

permanent flooding of agriculture fields. The community mobilised themselves after an advocacy training

by People’s Participation Services (PPS) and engaged government over one year through meetings and radio

programmes until the government conceded to including the 23rd bridge at Tapo community to prevent flooding of

agriculture land (Oxfam, Zambia, 2016).

In addition, Zambia partners have engaged with local radio stations to promote the rights-based approach and

increase the voice and participation of community members:

“We have managed to help the voiceless to be heard by duty-bearers. Through media the voiceless are

able to speak once given the opportunity… One of the lessons is that community is able to speak once you

give them the platform. Sometimes when duty-bearers refuse to speak we use the voice of the community

so that they are forced to speak”

(MALE, MEDIA PRESENTER, MONGU DISTRICT, ZAMBIA, 2015).

Although Oxfam supported EE to expand their activities using WASH as a lever into the KwaZulu-Natal province

in South Africa, the focus of the work of EE was on how children get to and from school. When EE went to the

rural schools in the province and engaged with the school community, they found that the greatest concern was

not about WASH, but about the safety and protection of children going to and from school. WASH was therefore

not the entry point of engagement with the schools, and as a result the focus shifted to addressing school

transport. This illustrates that although the two starting points were different, they both require creating space

for communities to identify issues and participate fully in developing solutions and processes to address the

broader social and developmental challenges.

31

The approaches in both countries differed because of the different contexts of the countries politically, as

well as in terms of the governance structures and systems in place, and have brought about different results

as illustrated above. In Zambia, the emphasis was on the approach, process and method of engagement using

WASH as a lever for change: in South Africa WASH was used as the thematic content with less of an emphasis

on the approach, method and process; in Zambia, one of the key successes of the program has been on the

communities’ ability to engage and influence government policy and practice, and the change in approach

towards people-centred developmental processes. In South Africa, the results are now starting to take

traction, however the challenge remains on how government, communities and civil society organisations work

collaboratively, as illustrated in the quote below:

“The challenge in South Africa has been, and continues to remain, the difficulty in working collaboratively,

or even influencing, elected counsellors and government structures and processes”

(OxFAM, 2015).

INNOVATIVE PRACTICE

The program itself was deemed as innovative in that Oxfam “took a risk” (Oxfam, 2015) in its initial submission

through the approach of integration of WASH into existing partners work, rather than establishing a separate

WASH program in both countries. Oxfam shifted the program focus away from the traditional WASH approach of

exclusively focussing on service delivery to focussing on enabling individuals and communities to take control

of their own development using WASH as an entry point. Oxfam understood from the beginning that these

approaches were best suited to achieving the AACES overall outcomes. DFAT supported Oxfam in this approach.

However, it took time for Oxfam and the partners to “get to the point of using WASH to do good community

development” (Oxfam, 2015).

This section explores seven program elements which were considered to be innovative by the Oxfam partners

across both countries during the end of program study. Innovation refers to a new technology, process, method

of doing things or an idea. Innovation within this program is also about working cost-effectively, seeking value

from the investment, maximising the benefits and reach of activities, and responding to and finding sustainable

solutions to WASH and other developmental challenges within resource constraints (such as money, capacity,

travel distances, and lack of resources such as electricity or piped water).

imprOving Hygiene tHrOugH tippy taps

Responding to WASH health challenges in communities in resource constrained contexts requires cost-effective,

sustainable and easy solutions. Across the program, partners responded to this challenge to meet specific

requirements to demonstrate the integration of WASH in their existing work. One response in both countries

was to develop cost-effective, accessible and manageable hand washing facilities. The response was to

develop tippy taps. These are easy to build using accessible and affordable materials, accessible to people

of all ages and abilities, and easy to maintain. Partners report how the concept and practice spread rapidly

from a few households to becoming the norm in the community, and is now wide-spread in schools. This easy,

affordable solution has made a significant contribution to improved hygiene and health outcomes. Key factors

that contributed to the success were a large group of early adopters (for example Woza Moya caregivers, or

one school implementing them) and immediate validation of their use through hand washing behaviour change

activities (such as songs or drama). The consequences of improved hand washing had immediate results of

reduced incidents of diarrhoea and eye infections which in turn reduced costs associated with travel to the clinic

and reduced absenteeism from school or work.

32

WOmen in cOnstructiOn

The training of women in construction skills in Zambia, though not directly about WASH, was an innovative

approach to reduce gender inequalities within the program through economic empowerment and employment

creation; to challenge community stereotypes on capacities of women; to present alternative role models to

girls and boys; and to generate transformative debates on gender justice, especially regarding power, roles and

responsibilities of men and women in communities. This also generated conversations on encouraging women

to take up leadership positions. The quotes below show the impact of this innovation on the individuals and

community generally.

“As an individual I have realised that the training that I underwent has changed my life because these

days I can do the things that I never used to do, I can build, I can fix a door, I just feel proud of myself.

My community has also realised that involving a girl child in such activities is a normal situation because

traditionally a girl must keep herself busy with cooking, sweeping and washing and not construction - it

was a taboo! My community no longer travel long distances coming to Mongu looking for contractors, they

know that I am around. Being able to construct is the most significant change and I no longer fear doing

my job. I am saying this because I earn my living through construction”

(FEMALE BUILDING CONTRACTOR, IMALYO WARD, MONGU, ZAMBIA, 2015).

“The most important change I have seen is that this construction business is very real and has been

contributing to my household food security. This business is very good in my life … has brought about true

change that has come to stay and change our lives positively. Previously it was very difficult to find resources

to support myself and family but now I am able”

(FEMALE BUILDING CONTRACTOR, LUMBO WARD, MONGU, ZAMBIA, 2015).

“In my life so many things have changed, before, didn’t have an account, but after the training I opened one.

I couldn’t build my own house but now I’m able to do so. … I’m able to lead others than before, these days I

no longer depend on my husband to give me money or whatever I need. I’m now able to help my relatives by

sending them to school, I ‘m also helping my husband, buy food and even support my in-laws, produce more

food, employ people who do the farming for me etc.”

(FEMALE BUILDING CONTRACTOR, IMALYO WARD, MONGU, ZAMBIA, 2015).

“I used to think that construction was a job for men only not women. But there is change because I have learnt

that even women can construct ... The community now understands that what used to be done by men before

can be better done by women. This project has really changed my way of living and understanding things”

(FEMALE BUILDING CONTRACTOR, IMALYO WARD, MONGU, ZAMBIA, 2015).

cOmmunity drilling

In Zambia, access to water was a challenge in many communities. The traditional response was for partners to

bring in expensive drilling equipment, drill and once the water pump was put in, leave the area. However, this

approach did not contribute effectively to the maintenance and sustainability of the pump – not to mention the

costs associated with this approach. An alternative approach needed to be found. The result was a move to

manual drilling. Oxfam bought into and scaled up the processes started by UNICEF and Village Water Zambia to

build skills in and advocate for wider adoption of manual drilling in Western Province. Oxfam worked with Village

Water Zambia, with the community structures, including the traditional leaders, to develop a skills development

program. Community members were trained to create local business enterprises in manual drilling to create

33

employment opportunities and retain capacity and investments within the province to ensure sustainability of

outcomes. This innovation has had transformative impact on individual community members as shown in the

following quotes:

“Manually drilled boreholes were innovation because it promoted entrepreneurship and trade in the communities,

private sector participation, and increased income to women who participated in the program and beyond”

(OxFAM, ZAMBIA, 2015).

“The change is that I have now found the way of living through borehole drilling. I am no longer the same person

like the way I used to be because I now have knowledge. Even the people who never used to like or consider me

in the old days now have respect for me because I have money and I can take care of my family”

(FEMALE DRILLER, ZAMBIA, 2015).

cHildren’s access tO cHild-friendly tOilets

LIMA and Save the Children were confronted with the challenge of how children in crèches could access age-

appropriate, user-friendly, cost-effective and environmentally friendly sanitation. LIMA facilitated a process to

develop a design brief which involved appropriately experienced experts, which included creating an opportunity

for the end-user (children and ECD practitioners) to give input. The needs of safety, people with disability and

boys/girls were considered. Authorities have participated as well, and there have been positive responses. The

design is being built and tested, thereafter it will be refined. Once the design is refined, it will be made available

for further adoption of all or aspects of the technology. The value of this is not only to provide accessible toilets,

but also for crèches to meet the norms and standards requirements for registration, thereby contributing

to longer-term sustainability of the facility and the environment, employment and livelihood of the ECD

practitioners, and improved health, educational and social outcomes for children.

Water Harvesting tO increase access Hygiene and HealtH at scHOOls

The rain harvesting system by Woza Moya in schools, which has now been taken up by another school in the

area as a result of seeing the difference the rain harvesting has had during this past winter when the school

still had water. This technology is seen by the school management as something “that is likely to spread across

schools and public spaces as people become aware of how the technology functions and works” (Key informant,

WM, South Africa, 2015). The schools in South Africa reported that the program has led to improved coordination

between members of the school community (WM) as well as improved access to water, sanitation, recycling,

hygiene and waste management (WM, TU). Duty-bearers in the school interviewed noted the innovative use of

songs to bring about improved hygiene and sanitation, and how this led to the Head of Department creating

space during school assemblies to share information and increase awareness of WASH practice. In addition, they

noted the important role TU played in initiating a local inter-school WASH event in 2015.

ecd fOrums tO engage cOmmunities and duty-bearers

In the ECD sector where Save the Children have been working, duty-bearers noted that the “ECD Forum, and in

particular the integration of WASH, has provided a unique opportunity for the different stakeholders to meet

face-to-face, to put a face to the department instead of listening to a voice or a machine response over the

phone” (STC ECD Forum focus group report, Oct 2015). The establishment of the forum consequently enabled a

partnership to form between various crèches, local government, private business, churches, donors and civil

society organisations, which was not practiced before.

34

“i care abOut Her” - addressing gender-based viOlence tHrOugH men as cHampiOns

In Zambia, the gender approach is considered innovative (by the Oxfam partners during the Zambia partner

meeting, January 2016). Seventeen men were identified by YMCA Zambia with local partner organisations.

Training sessions were held for both the men as well as traditional leaders, in order for them to raise awareness,

address issues proactively, and to report GBV incidents. The initial group trained men in the community. Some

men are more active both in the program activities as well as in community engagement than others, and some

struggle to reflect or move beyond traditions and culture. However, if the traditional leaders are involved, there is

increased drive, motivation and support for change. For example, the Friday traditional court sessions regularly

promote “I care about her” messages and practice. Government officials, who are responsible for implementing

the Anti-GBV Law, are supportive of this program as it builds knowledge and supports appropriate practice.

Networks with police and the judiciary are being built, and the influence of the program on their understanding,

capacity and response, as well as support for this approach is now being seen, as illustrated in the quote below:

“Crime has reduced especially on child marriage, children are being returned to school, children did not know

about their rights hence we sensitised them on their rights and the importance of education”

(FEMALE POLICE OFFICER, ZAMBIA POLICE SERVICE, 2015).

The above quote further illustrates the collaborative nature of the program: the use of ‘we’ by the police official

indicates the collaboration and joint ownership of the activities.

The increased sensitisation of men towards GBV, through focussing on positive role-modelling, has contributed

to shifting of behaviour – women and men report a decrease in incidents and greater respect (dignity), or

appreciation, of the productive role of women in the community. Women are reportedly more involved in decision-

making processes. Issues being addressed as a result of this behaviour change program include child rights,

particularly early marriage and the effect of this on children, including the violation of their rights as indicated by

the following quotes:

“The Anti-GBV sensitization meetings which swept across the entire ward changed this area into a better place

by creating conducive atmosphere to live in … Unlike in the past, people now have changed their attitudes on

women, children and the girl child. Marrying off children, conflicts and abusing children are not as common as

it used to be in the past. Men have now realized that wife battery is not a solution to end conflicts in a home”

(FEMALE COMMUNITY FACILITATOR, LUMBO WARD, MONGU, ZAMBIA, 2015).

“After this training on GBV issues and the [Education] re-entry policy, I realised that marrying her off [young

girls] was wrong and a crime and that is how I re-enrolled her back into school in grade nine. Currently, the girl

is in school and will be re-sitting for her grade nine examinations later this year …”

(ANTI-GBV CHAMPION, LUMBO WARD, MONGU, ZAMBIA, 2015).

35

THE VALUE FOR MONEY APPROACH AND PRACTICE

Value for Money (VfM), although not stated in the Oxfam AACES WASH program design document (Oxfam, 2011) has

been considered by both the DFAT AACES program (Methodology Paper, 18 April 2012) as well as Oxfam (Bisley, Oxfam

VfM report’s, March 2014 and July 2014; and Roper, MTR report, March 2014). Within the DFAT AACES VfM framework

(April 2012), the AACES WASH NGO partners were given the flexibility to determine their own approaches for VfM.

Oxfam defined VfM saying:

“Value is about bringing about and contributing to significant changes in people’s lives, including women, men, boys and

girls. To achieve this, Oxfam engages a model that is equitable and rights based. Therefore, Oxfam’s definition of value for

money is ‘the best use of resources to contribute to positive significant change in the most vulnerable people’s lives’”

(OxFAM, 2014).

In the MTR, VfM was explored and two case studies developed, one for each country, to illustrate the VfM

approach and consider this within the Oxfam WASH program. Post the MTR, Oxfam explored VfM further and

developed a Value for Money tool which was piloted in Sri Lanka and South Africa (April/June 2015). The tool

aimed to “document the costs and inputs in relation to the different strategies/activities used to effect change

in different thematic and sectoral programs” (Bisley, April 2015). The Oxfam WASH partners in South Africa and

Oxfam Zambia team were part of this process. The focus of the VfM study was on the capacity-building approach

for inclusive WASH programming. The overall rating for this Oxfam WASH study was ‘excellent VfM’ across the

domains of efficiency, effectiveness, equity and economy.

This rating, and the findings, indicates the extent to which the WASH program is bringing about the expected

changes – as outlined in the TOC – which are expected to be sustained beyond the life of the program. In other words,

it assesses the strength of the outcomes produced and at the same time considers the costs and investment.

Furthermore, the tool and approach explored different interpretations of ‘value’ (i.e. different groups involved in the

program may have different views of value, and that value may only be realised after completion of the program).

The rating of the 2015 study suggests that the program has optimally utilised and balanced the domains to

achieve the outcomes. The different pathways of a program, as articulated in the program TOC, which differ

per partner and are context specific, are, as a result of this study, better understood from the investment

perspective of building the capacity of people.

The VfM studies conducted as part of this WASH program provided a learning opportunity to explore VfM within

the pathways and practice of the program, as well as to provide benchmarks on three elements of the program:

disability inclusion in South Africa; women in construction in Zambia; and capacity building for an inclusive WASH

program. The findings were used to embed and integrate VfM-thinking into the program management at the

cross-country program level, at the management level in the two countries, as well as with the implementing

partners. The increased awareness of VfM further informed the sustainability planning, monitoring and evaluation

of results and outcomes, and contributed to ongoing dialogues at annual reflections and partner-based

meetings about effective, efficient, economic and equitable pathways to change.

Section four of this report has explored and illustrated the results of the program activities in relation to the

Oxfam objectives. The findings illustrate the increased access to, and effective use of, improved, integrated and

sustained water, sanitation and hygiene services; the reduction of WASH-related inequalities in the delivery of

services to women, children, people with disabilities and rural communities; the strengthened capacity of duty-

bearers to manage and implement WASH programs; and improved WASH governance and effectiveness. The next

section explores the implementation and decision-making process that contributed towards these results.

37

The program has to a large extent met the revised program objectives (Table 2) according to the Oxfam staff, and

the program in South Africa and Zambia has demonstrated flexibility, adaptability and innovation in responding

to community needs and program objectives. Broad-based WASH activities were planned from the beginning to

generate greater development in the community. However, the actual results could not be determined at the

beginning as it was not possible to predict what communities could achieve with an empowering people-centred

approach. According to one Oxfam staff member:

“[The flexible approach has] been one of the most powerful elements of AACES. The fact that we pushed

for a design that was flexible, adaptable and one that could work on an annual basis so not building

the road to 2016 but paving the way as we went, and changing the course as needed … This gave us big

capacity to deepen the participation in decision-making which doesn’t happen in a rigid program, because

not space for people to participate”

(OxFAM, 2015).

The challenge, according to another Oxfam staff member, with AACES objective 3 (Table 2) was that it was not

sufficiently defined at the start of the program, and was difficult to achieve. Furthermore, the de-prioritisation of

WASH in their Africa programs by DFAT, and further changes within DFAT, meant that objective 3 was cancelled,

and this also contributed to lack of significant progress on objective 2.

The Oxfam team highlights a number of key shifts which occurred over the duration of the program which

contributed to the successful achievement of Oxfam ACCES WASH project goal to ensure marginalised people

have sustained access to the services they require. These shifts were either levers that were instrumental

in bringing about the changes, or conscious decisions that were taken at a point or points in the program

management and implementation practice. These changes are discussed below.

PEOPLE-CENTRED DEVELOPMENT

Firstly, it was significant that the approach of the program focussed on people, not infrastructure. In practice,

this meant adapting traditional WASH programmatic thinking of WASH provision from infrastructure to people-

centred development. The consequence was that program implementation had to move at the pace of the

community, regardless of if the community was a geographic site, a group of people such as caregivers, a

structure such as a forum or a facility such as a school. The first phase of the program focussed on consultation

and developing collaborative approaches to establish processes whereby the community themselves started

to find solutions to their WASH challenges, and later other health and social development challenges. This

transition from WASH to people-centred development involved training community facilitators in Zambia, and

community WASH champions (caregivers, ambassadors, youth, school learners, ECD practitioners) in South Africa,

and building or encouraging their enthusiasm to implement activities in specific sites. For example, establishing

savings clubs in communities, women’s economic empowerment through training women in construction,

anti-GBV in Zambia, building capacity of community members to promote and facilitate WASH practices in their

geographic settings (such as crèches, schools, households), and influencing norms and standards in ECD

centres in South Africa.

“Use water as a lever to achieve greater community development”

(OxFAM, 2015).

38

COLLABORATIVE, INCREMENTAL AND INCLUSIVE PLANNING

A second shift was in the collaborative development of plans based on needs identified by both the community

as well as in response to baselines (formal and informally conducted). These plans were either developed

‘formally’ as ward development plans by Ward Development Committees in the case of Zambia, or as ‘roadmaps’

of pathways of how to respond to community challenges, such as through establishing ECD Forums, or

incremental capacity building of community members (such as community caregivers and youth), or through

direct activities such as school and crèche-based curriculum development and implementation. Importantly, this

approach focussed on inclusivity of women, children, people with disabilities and addressed the cross-cutting

issues of child protection, gender norms, rights-based responses, as well as establishing decision-making

processes that included women and that engaged with duty-bearers.

“What we were looking at was people, not facilities. So needed to take people-centred approach rather

than facilities”

(OxFAM, 2015).

There were a series of decisions made about how to include the Australia Government policy priorities of gender,

child protection and disability throughout the life-span of the program. At the start of the program, there was

no clarity on how these elements would be incorporated. Initial efforts were exploratory and initiated problem-

solving or implementation decisions as the WASH approach became embedded in practice and organisational

programs. For example, in Zambia it became necessary to link people who have experienced GBV with key

stakeholders, and this included at a later stage bringing the police on board. YMCA actively engaged with

police officials, and because of the common goals articulated, they came on board and supported the initiative

proactively, as well as in responding to reports.

The flexible approach to the program meant that plans were incremental, based on previous activities, on

responding to emerging issues as the program unfolded, and as partner and community knowledge and capacity

grew. In addition, there was ongoing capacity building of both the partners (in areas such as M&E, advocacy,

and gender) as well as at the community level (for example engagement of youth in child protection training,

advocacy awareness and practice and legal training) to meet identified needs or to create opportunities to

strengthening skills and capacity.

ENGAGEMENT AND INFLUENCING DUTY-BEARERS

The third shift that occurred was the strengthened and collaborative engagement with duty-bearers. As

presented in the previous section, the evidence indicates that this was not an easy process, but necessary in

the people-centred and rights-based approach and practice.

“[It] dawned on us the program demanded more because increasing the voice of marginalised people to engage

with duty-bearers and building the capacity of duty-bearers, to respond to demand of marginalised”

(OxFAM, 2015).

39

The change which is noted in the previous section, illustrates a number of shifts in power. From the individual to

the collective, such as the collective agency of ECD practitioners, and from the informal to the formal response,

such as youth facilitators engaging with learners in schools, and later a more formal approach developed with

school management. This shift was built on not only the capacity building of individuals and structures, but

also on the focus of engaging with an influencing and active citizenship element of the program. After the MTR

recommendation to strengthen the practice of advocacy in the program, decisions had to be made in year 3

about the advocacy and influencing work: to be “jam-makers or tree-shakers”. In general, across the partner’s

the focus was on building capacity of people to increase their voice and engagement with duty-bearers rather

than demonstrating protest.

MAKING THE THEORY OF CHANGE PRACTICAL

As recommended in the findings of the MTR, the TOC was brought into the centre of partner dialogue and program

reflection and planning. At the beginning of the program it was difficult for partners to conceptually ‘fit’ within

the TOC, difficult for Oxfam to ‘socialise’ the approach, and difficult to articulate how the TOC approach applied

in practice. It was, however, important and useful for Oxfam program staff as it provided a basis for discussions

and ongoing conversations. The fourth shift occurred at the partner meeting in May 2014 where the MTR findings

were presented and Oxfam and partners engaged in developing pathways to achieve the outcomes. Over time,

the discussions engaged partners, who in turn facilitated relevant discussions to communities: it was not about

using the complex diagram (Appendix 1), rather it was about ‘talking about change’, addressing assumptions,

and exploring ‘how we get to where we want to’. This furthermore provided an opportunity to highlight the

integrated nature of the rights-based and people-centred approach to WASH, and to strengthen coordination

and sharing of materials, tools, and capacity across the partners (as was recommended in the MTR findings).

“Livingstone [where the MTR was shared and TOC was refined] was a gear change and mind shift; then partners

understood the approach was not about services, but about community change. We can’t just do civic

education on content, we must work on general rights and services”

(OxFAM, 2015).

LINKING, LEARNING, SHARING AND CAPACITY BUILDING

The focus on linking, learning and sharing through exchange visits, annual reflections as planned at the

beginning of the program, and increased monitoring and documenting capacity of partners brought about

increased and shared knowledge, linked capacity to respond to challenges and to share resources, and

contributed to the partnerships between the Oxfam partners. This brought about an enormous change (the fifth

shift) in both capacity as well as implementation momentum, whereby the individual partner ‘projects’ linked to

become a ‘program’. The cross-learning between partners and countries, as well as across the AACES program

in Africa, had positive results at both the level of partner capacity as well as implementation, for example Tholulwazi

Uzivikele developed a relevant, feasible and people-centred approach of SHA after the exchange visit to Malawi.

“The ‘Aha’ moment for TU’s WASH program came after the Malawi Exchange visit. Through being exposed to

WaterAid Malawi program, on return to South Africa, TU became convinced to strategically work in schools

rather than the community. All other exchange visits helped to reshape their program”

(TU FOCUS GROUP, SOUTH AFRICA, 2015).

40

SUSTAINABILITY

A sixth shift is the sustainability of the program. This has resulted in partnerships being formed between partners

and duty-bearers at a local level, across districts and provinces, as well as across the two countries. This

was built into the program approach, and was considered throughout the program timeframe. However, it was

only in the final year that there was real engagement with the reality of where WASH, within the partners was

going, how duty-bearers could continue to be engaged and be accountable for WASH, and how the outcomes

in communities were going to be sustained. The final reflection of the program (January 2016) highlighted that

the South Africa partners are prepared for the AACES program end, and that WASH is integrated into programs.

This demonstrates the value of the integrated approach in that WASH is ‘mainstreamed’ into the overall partner

strategy and programmatic activities, and that this is likely to continue due to internal capacity and external

champions. This preparedness is also partly due to the changes in Oxfam within that country which meant that

Oxfam has engaged with partners on the closure of the program and country office to allow for sustainability to

be incorporated into organisational strategic plans.

In Zambia sustainability of outcomes was “embedded in strengthened community structures such as Ward

Development Committees; specialised independent partners, such as Village Water Zambia and YWCA, who

will continue supporting community structures; self-sustaining local business enterprises and empowered

individuals and communities who have cleared indicated, in their testimonies, that they will not go back

to living in dirty conditions, abusing women and children and leaving their development to external players

without their involvement” (Oxfam, Zambia, 2016). The strengthened working relationship and communication

channels between communities and duty-bearers is viewed in Zambia as an important element on which further

development will continue.

“Strategically the program will continue with duty-bearers… Also the community, seem to [be] active and will

lobby for support from other stakeholders”

(OxFAM, ZAMBIA, 2015).

The ECD duty-bearers in South Africa were concerned with how WASH was going to be sustained beyond the STC

program, however they noted that the integration of WASH into the daily functioning and teaching (including

materials) at the crèches will ensure that it continues. The value of the ECD Forum was also noted and there is

a sense of commitment that this mechanism will continue. They acknowledge the value of strong mentorship,

coordination and having a clear succession plan. The integration into daily school functioning and teaching

was also noted by the TU school, and the role of the Sanitation and Hygiene Ambassadors (SHA) is seen to be

important. At the WM school, there is greater commitment to continue the rain harvesting and hygiene program,

whereby it is recognised that the School Governing Body has taken full responsibility for the investment, and

continues to support it through ongoing awareness raising, training and maintenance.

Going forward, sustainability is not about doing activities the same way as during the program, rather it is about

“behaviours and [the] thinking process” (Oxfam, Zambia 2015), for example the communities retaining the focus

on rights and working towards them, about keeping the community clean, influencing others to do the same, and

groups of people continuing to engage with duty-bearers. Community groups and champions are talking about

rights, laws and policies, and asserting their voice and making connections between rights, health practices and

41

the effect of this on their lives (Oxfam, Zambia and South Africa). This highlights the relevancy and importance of

the program approach which has led to the communities’ understanding of rights and how to work collectively

towards achieving them.

“Across both countries there are processes and ways of working that remain beyond AACES”

(OxFAM, 2015).

Key challenges that the program faces going forward include strengthening communication channels in Zambia,

not only telecommunications and verbal dialogue between government and communities, but also addressing

challenges of participation due to long distances between communities. Social media is being explored as a

means to increase dialogue between groups. Across both countries, continued mentoring by partners with

communities, access to resources and networks, and ongoing partnership development are also viewed as

critical elements going forward (Zambia meeting, Jan 2016). There is a sense amongst the Oxfam program staff

that the program has made a contribution to the achievement of rights, but that if the program had another two

to three years it “would have seen a very different program and more towards civil society building” (Oxfam). The

successes of the program are being affected by the drought across Southern Africa, however at the time of this

report, the challenges being experienced by communities in both countries were being explored collaboratively

by all the role-players and solutions are being sought.

Both countries face a challenge regarding the political nature of development and ongoing engagement

around power dynamics, particularly as local elections are eminent. Development is a complex mix of social,

political and economic systems, and the WASH program was about dealing with these complexities (Oxfam staff

member). No political champions (Zambia and South Africa), poor relationships with key stakeholders (South

Africa), threats that the political leadership may remove trained community facilitators and appoint their own

partisan agents who are not equipped (Zambia), and a concern that neither government is able to sustain or

even take on board WASH, or monitor activities, are some of the concerns the partners face in continuing to

engage, change and sustain the power dynamics and outcomes of the program. In essence, the concern is

that sensitised community members who are mobilised to take action and members who have leadership skills

may set up conflictual situations when traditional and elected officials are not taking action, or who may not

have the skills or experience in leadership to ‘engage’ communities. Local authorities, for example, may

fear losing their power and influence, and skilled community members may stand for election because of

their empowerment. In Zambia, partners indicated that there is concern that government may view Ward

Development Committees as ‘political opposition’.

Despite these concerns, there is a general sense that there is a good foundation on which partners and

communities can continue to engage with government, because there is not only knowledge and capacity

around WASH, but also a value placed on WASH and the processes of change (Bisley 2015; Oxfam interviews 2015

and 2016; key informant interviews, South Africa, 2015).

“In Zambia, models and learnings from AACES have been taken up by government as good practice, and in South

Africa, the fact that non-AACES partners are taking up WASH is a sign of the value now placed on WASH, which

has continued to be demonstrated outside of AACES”

(OxFAM, 2015).

43

The results indicate not only the reach of the program, but the depth of the changes to the lives of the program participants in the identified sites in both countries. The findings highlight that there has been an increase in people accessing, and in the effective use of, water, hygiene and sanitation services, as well as a strengthened capacity of communities and duty-bearers to engage in the management of appropriate hygiene and sanitation delivery and activities in the communities. The range of communities that have benefitted include households, villages, crèches, schools, as well as a positive impact on the broader environment. These sites and the participation of individuals and collective groups have facilitated the reduction of WASH-related inequalities in the provision of services to marginalised people – particularly children, women and people with disabilities. The program activities have led, as illustrated by the empirical evidence presented in this report, to improved health and social outcomes; increased engagement and decision-making by women; improved economic and livelihood opportunities particularly for women; established community-led structures and processes to respond to health and social challenges (such as child marriage and GBV); increased attendance of children at school; reduced inequalities particularly for girls at school, people with disabilities and women; and embedded rights-based approaches in how communities engage with duty-bearers.

There are numerous examples of the innovative response by partners to seeking appropriate, valuable and sustainable responses to WASH and broader development challenges faced by these communities in a resource-constrained environment. The value for money studies conducted during program implementation further indicate that the program has considered, and is practicing, the effective and efficient use of resources and these have been balanced against an economic and equity approach.

The engagement with duty-bearers at different levels, on commonly shared concerns, has had a duel effect of increasing the voice and participation of communities in community-led sanitation and broader development, as well as increasing the capacity of relevant stakeholders to respond to the community challenges. This has not been an easy process as discussed in this report, but progress has been made and the outcomes are beginning to be realised. Community members are aware of their rights and the responsibilities of parties, and community structures are beginning to hold duty-bearers accountable for these rights.

A number of factors (shifts) contributed to the achievement of the program’s results. The original implementation design provided a footprint for implementation and the broad direction of where the program needed to get to and how the elements could be woven together to reach the outcomes. The flexibility of this approach, although risky, gave genuine participation and ownership of the process to the partners and the community members. These shifts included embedding people-centred development in program practice rather than focussing on infrastructure provision; ensuring participatory and inclusive planning to foster collaboration at community level; building the capacity of communities to engage and influence duty-bearers; understanding the theory of change in practice; building the capacity of partners and using a learning approach to foster program outcomes; and, from the start of the program, focussing on sustainability. The decisions along the way provided opportunities to re-engage, reflect and affirm the program design elements of integration, partnership, inclusivity and sustainability. The theory of change provided initial guidance of the domains of change, and the later development of it provided an opportunity to explore the causal linkages and diversity of the pathways that could, and were, taken by the partners and the communities.

The challenge remains on how the processes and outcomes will be sustained at community level: how communities can continue to be mentored to address emerging challenges, for example the drought currently being faced, which puts further constraints on access to water, as well as continuing to engage in the political nature of development from a rights-based practice. The findings of this study, and the VfM (2015) study indicate that the foundational elements of capacity, structures, practice and a rights-based people-centred approach are being embedded in community practice.

In conclusion, the Oxfam AACES WASH program evolved over time and although challenging at times for Oxfam, partners and community members, there is empirical evidence for the results, outcomes and depth of the changes that have occurred.

44

Date: August 2014

backgrOund tO tHe prOgram

The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), through the Australia Africa Community

Engagement Scheme (AACES), funds the Oxfam Community Led Access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

program in South Africa and Zambia. Oxfam is a global confederation of 17 affiliates dedicated to fighting poverty

and related injustice around the world, through working together to achieve greater impact by their collective

effort. The Oxfam global program in South Africa and Zambia is being implemented in targeted communities,

where common themes present an opportunity for linked programming and learning towards positive,

sustainable change in the lives of people living in poverty. The program is being implemented over a five-year

period (2011-2016) and aims to enable Australian NGOs and their partners to contribute to the DFAT strategy for

Africa, through a partnership program focused on community-based interventions across the sectors of water,

sanitation and hygiene, food security and maternal and child health7.

Oxfam employs a range of mutually reinforcing strategies to bring about change in the areas in which it

works. These strategies comprise the agency’s ‘one-program approach’ and can be broadly grouped as long-

term development, responding to humanitarian crises and campaigning. Each strategy engages with power

relations within all spheres and at all levels of society. They range from campaigning at the global level as

Oxfam International to bring about structural changes in global institutions and norms, to working with partner

organisations to provide services in response to community need and where gaps in government service delivery

are identified. Oxfam works with local civil society organisations (CSOs) to transform the norms, attitudes and

behaviours that produce and reinforce unequal power relations – particularly between women and men – that

result in inequality and the unjust distribution of power and resources. Oxfam works to influence governments

– and other power bearers such as traditional, religious and business leaders – to ensure people, particularly

women, people living with a disability, and other marginalised groups, are able to claim and defend their rights

OxFAM AACES WASH PROGRAM: THEORY OF CHANGE

WHat is a tHeOry Of cHange?

The theory of change8 (TOC) maps pathways, and the building blocks, that aim to bring about the long-term and

sustainable change envisaged in the program goal. The TOC illustrates the types of activities and interventions

required to bring about the intended change (outcomes), and the various pathways towards these outcomes are

usually varied and inter-connected. The Oxfam AACES WASH program TOC illustrates how Oxfam and the partners

are contributing towards the AACES WASH program objectives as well as the broader Oxfam vision and goal.

ANNExURE 1: THEORY OF CHANGE – OxFAM AACES WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE PROGRAM

7 AACES WASH Terms of Reference, M Roper. Dec 2013.8 https://www.theoryofchange.org/what-is-theory-of-change/#2

45

Oxfam’s aaces WasH prOgrammatic apprOacH tO tHe tHeOry Of cHange9

(Below is from the original Oxfam AACES Design Document)

The two country contexts in which this program operates are complex, and the effective delivery and uptake of WASH programs in Zambia and South Africa will require change to occur in multiple spheres. These range from changes in cultural and institutional systems to changes at an individual level such as people’s attitudes and beliefs or their access to and control over resources. Acting to influence social change is inherently complex and the outcomes are reliant on external shifts in context. Given this complexity, the impact and sustainability of a program is contingent on its contribution to the capacity of women and men to claim their rights, respond to external trends and shocks, and influence those with power and to hold duty-bearers to account. For this reason, Oxfam’s approach to implementing AACES is a rights-based, participatory and capacity building approach that aims to support community members and social change organisations to improve their own, and their communities’ health and quality of life. This approach draws on current literature regarding theories of change10, research into the influencing strategies employed by a sample of Oxfam partners in South Africa11, regional and agency-wide reflection processes, regular program monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) processes in Zambia and South Africa, as well as data gathered throughout the AACES design process. Implicit in the formulation of the AACES objectives is a rights-based argument that the duty to deliver essential services such as WASH rests with the state, and that citizens should have a voice and active role to play in the design, implementation, governance and monitoring of these initiatives.

Rao and Kelleher’s ‘integral framework’12 (see Figure 1) provides a useful tool in articulating the approach of

Oxfam and its partners in working towards the objectives of the Oxfam AACES WASH program. The framework

suggests that in order to effect long-term, sustainable change in the lives of women and men, the social

systems and institutions that determine the distribution of power and goods must be transformed. The framework

provides a model of the various spheres in which change needs to occur in order to achieve this transformation.

FIGURE 1: The Integral Framework

9 Oxfam. AACES WASH Program Design.10 See Aragon, A. “A Case for Surfacing Theories of Change for Purposeful Organisational Capacity Development” in IDS Bulletin, Vol 41, No. 3, May 2010, 00. 36-46; Aragon, A. & Macedo, J. “A ‘Systemic Theories of Change’ Approach for Purposeful Capacity Development” in IDS Bulletin, Vol 41, No. 3, May 2010, pp. 87–99 and Reeler, D. A Theory of Social Change and Implications for Practice, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Cape Town: Community Development Resource Association.11 Phillips, M. Oxfam HIV & AIDS Program (OHAP): Partner Advocacy Mapping, 2011.12 See Rao, A. and Kelleher, D. “Is There Life After Gender Mainstreaming?”, Gender at Work, 2005.

WOMEN AND MEN’S ACCESS TO RESOURCES= IMPROVED ACCESS TO WASH SERVICES

WOMEN AND MEN’S

CONSCIOUSNESS= CHANGES IN

BELIEFS, ATTITUDES & KNOWLEDGE

FORMAL INSTITUTIONS, LAWS & POLICIES= IMPROVED WASH GOVERNANCE & EFFECTIVENESS

NORMS AND ExCLUSIONARY

PRACTICES= REDUCING

WASH INEqUALITIES

INDIVIDUAL LEVEL

SYSTEMIC LEVEL

FORMAL

INFO

RMAL

46

The strength of this approach is that it challenges assumptions that change in one area, such as the formal/

systemic arena of WASH policy reform at the national level, necessarily results in improvements in the ability of

individuals to access infrastructure, services and knowledge. Rather than presenting a theory of change in the

form of a linear logic model, this framework accommodates complexity and recognises that strategies to achieve

change in one sphere will have effects in others and can, therefore, be supported by complementary changes in

others. This analysis is particularly significant in the South African and Zambian contexts where delivery and effective

use of WASH services are highly inadequate despite the alignment of relevant policies to global ‘best practice’.

understanding tHe Oxfam aaces WasH tHeOry Of cHange diagram (see diagram belOW)

The vision and goal of Oxfam is a just world without poverty (top green box), and the expected goal of the AACES

WASH program (in the top purple block) – the improvement of the health and quality of life of the poor and

vulnerable people targeted areas in Zambia and South Africa – contributes to this goal. This goal, as well as

the five intended outcomes, contribute to the two AACES DFAT objectives. It is important to note that the DFAT

objective two has been reworded. The sustainability approach of the program (illustrated in the second green

box from the top) that underpins these goals focusses on the capacity building of men and women to claim their

rights; capacity building of well-functioning structures and institutions; partnerships to rest responsibility and

leadership for WASH interventions with partner institutions and community structures; and strengthening the

systems towards more equitable power relations. The AACES WASH program objectives and outcomes (in purple

box and text) formed the basis for the Oxfam AACES WASH program and are highlighted to illustrate how the

pathways contribute towards these outcomes.

In order to address the program objectives, outcomes and the four spheres that underpin the theory of change

(as illustrated in Figure 1), activities fall within three main pathways. The work of the Oxfam partners in South

Africa and Zambia is integrated across these three pathways, while at the same time the activities address the

formal, informal, individual and systemic spheres of the integral framework. The three pathways that contribute

towards the expected changes are summarised as:

1. The WASH access and utilisation pathway (brown) through increased knowledge and awareness in order

to increase access to services

Activities in this pathway contribute towards increasing access for poor and vulnerable groups to WASH

services, and increasing the use of these services. The activities contribute to facilitating and enabling

community members as individuals and as groups to participate in decision-making structures in the

community. A key strategy used in this pathway by partners is to build the capacity of people individually

and collectively to increase knowledge, change attitudes and beliefs, and increase awareness. This is

achieved through:

• IncreasingknowledgeandawarenessofWASH;increasingawarenessofrights;increasingawareness

and acceptance of the role of women and other vulnerable groups within the program; increasing the

ability of communities to hold duty bearers to account; increasing capacity to implement and management

elements of WASH.

• Facilitatingtheprovision,operationandmaintenanceofappropriate,sustainableWASHfacilities,either

through the provision of services by community based organisations or the government.

47

2. The WASH engagement pathway (blue) to reduce inequalities

The focus of this pathway is on increasing the engagement of individuals and community structures through

capacity building and the establishment of functioning structures to engage with duty-bearers who are

accountable for WASH services in their communities (at local, district, provincial and national level) to reduce

inequalities. In addition, for this to be effective, efforts are also needed to increase the accountability of

these duty bearers. The key driver for this pathway is increasing the voice and ability to influence and engage

duty-bearers.

• Thisisachievedthroughtheprovisionoffacilitiesandservicesthatmeettheneedsofwomenand

vulnerable groups; equitable access to WASH services by men, women, children and vulnerable groups;

improved participation of women and vulnerable groups within the design, management and

implementation of the program; and improved participation of women and vulnerable groups to claim

their rights at community and government level through increasing levels of participation, engagement

and advocacy.

3. The WASH policy pathway (pink)

Through building the capacity of partners and community members and structures to document, report, map,

facilitate and advocate for WASH, local evidence is gathered and strategically disseminated to inform forums,

duty-bearers and policy-makers to improve policy and program responses. Oxfam supports this pathway

further by facilitating links between partners and community structures for collective action and by taking

locally-based evidence to public debate spaces to influence developmental and government policy-making.

In this area, the approaches being undertaken by Zambian and South African partners differ:

• ZAMBIA approaches this through facilitating improved coordination amongst duty-bearers and

the community; enhancing participation of the poor and vulnerable in decision-making;

increasing transparency and accountability in the delivery and management of WASH

services; and increasing capacity of government bodies to engage communities to ensure

the provision of appropriate services.

• SOUTH AFRICA does so through facilitating the active involvement of the community in the WASH sector;

supporting partner assessment and monitoring of the provision of services by

government; and supporting community advocacy and engagement with government to

hold duty bearers to account.

Underpinning the work of the partners, and to support and build their capacity to continue with WASH

interventions, to integrate this into existing programs and for them to continue with their core programmatic

work in communities, Oxfam provides resources, linking and learning opportunities, spaces for experts to engage

with the partners, builds partnerships and builds capacity at individual and organisational level (green boxes at

the bottom of the page).

48

HOW dOes value fOr mOney fit intO tHe tHeOry Of cHange?

Value within the Oxfam AACES WASH program is viewed as bringing about and contributing to significant changes

in people’s lives, including women, men, boys and girls. To achieve this, Oxfam engages a model that is equitable

and rights based. Therefore, Oxfam’s definition of value for money is “the best use of resources to contribute

to positive significant change in the most vulnerable people’s lives”. Therefore, throughout the TOC, VfM is

interwoven and considered. VfM is seen “as a concept that is integral to standard processes, rather than a

separate or stand-alone component where additional data collection processes are developed and implemented.

Arguably, a VfM assessment should be able to be made to this initial level of detail across any of Oxfam’s program

components at any point”13.

DIAGRAM: Oxfam AACES WASH Theory of Change, 2014

13 Oxfam AACES WASH Value for Money. 2014

OxFAM AACES WASHTHEORY OF CHANGE(working draft 29 june 2014)

AACES WASH OBjECTIVES:

1. Marginalised people have sustainable access to the services they require2. DFAT policies and programs in Africa are strengthened particularly in their ability to target and serve the needs of marginalized people

Local evidence is gathered (MEL), documented (DVD, reports, research, MTR, newsletters, lessons, V4M, participation of young people) and strategically disseminated (roundtables, annual reports, publications, media, conferences, meetings, workshops) to community, stakeholders and forums to inform community and program responses (centres of excellence, HIV response, livelihoods, social protection), and policies (norms and standards, guidelines, strategies, policy)

Increased USE of services:• Training(increased knowledge, change in attitudes, skills and practice) in construction, maintenance, servicing, use and entrepreneurship• Awarenessofcommunity and stakeholders through demonstration sites, community days and meetings, expo’s, radio and media, IEC, theatre and targeting training eg DRR• Communitymobilisationto participate in structures and processes to engage, respond and implement WASH services• IncreaseuseofWASH facilities eg tippy taps, latrines and hand washing

Increased ACCESS for poor and vulnerbale groups to:• Hygiene(tippytaps,PHP through capacity building and participatory materials)• Sanitation9CLTS, demonstration sites, PHP, environment, management, access for PWD)• Water(rainwater harvesting, borehole mapping / provision / maintenance, portable water, protection of water sources and food

Community engagement and participation in identifying WASH related needs using a rights based and community development approach

Increased demand, access and use of WASH services (particularly for women), and reduced inequalities

Strengthened capacity of stakeholders to manage and implement WASH programs - marginalised people have greater voice and engagement with decision makers and duty-bearers

Increasing VOICE and ABILITY to influence and engage duty-bearers through:• Forums,collective action, campaign, media, round tables, dialogue, meetings• Raising consiousness level of community about sanitation in schools• Alliancebuilding and networking

BUILDING INFLUENCING CAPACITY of community members and structures• Training(develop knowledge, attitudes, skills) on WASH, rights, committee processes, influencing work, engaging with decision makers etc• Increaseinfluencing practice, leadership and championing of issues through mentoring, facilitation, activities and reflection

ENGAGEMENT of communities and duty-bearers• Directtraining(CLTS, WASH, gender, leadership, management etc)• Engagementstrategies (community dialogue, briefings, advocacy, lobbying, stakeholder meetings, community days eg GBV, posters, ward plans and war rooms, political influence, interactive theatre, networking)• Jointsolving of challenges

ACCOUNTABILITY of SGB, school principle, DoE and others• Increase understanding of roles and responsibilities• Facilitate spaces to sustain engagement with duty-bearers• Monitoringpolicy and practice eg Norms and Standards

Mobilize and facilitate particiation of marginalised individuals and groups to participate in decision making community structures - women, children

Facilitate and engage agents for change addressing WASH related rights, community participation and engagement, through for example CCW, SBF, ECD practitioners, ambassadors, teachers, community

Establish or engage community structures eg V-WASH, ECD Forum, SGB, District & Ward Councils, Parish Councils, Abantwana Kuqala and Abantu Kuqala

Imporved WASH governance and effectiveness - duty-bearers have greater capacity to deliver inclusive

Local issues and evidence informs policy formulation, implementation and program development

KEY DRIVERS TO SUSTAIN OUTCOMES:

• Increasedcapacityofmenandwomentoclaimtheirrights,respondtoexternaltrendsandshocks, influence those with power and hold duty-bearers to account• Establish,buildorstrengthenthecapacityofstrongandwell-functioningstructuresandinstitutions at various levels• Enablepartnerstocoordinatecommunitystructuresthroughtechnicalandfinancialsupport• ResponsibilityandleadershipforWASHinterventionsrestswithpartnerinstitutionsandcommunitystructures

Oxfam’s vision is a just world without poverty - a world in which people can influence decisions which affect their lives, enjoy their rights, and assume their responsibilities as full citizens of a world in which all human beings are valued and treated equally

The health and quality of life of poor and vulnerable people in targeted areas in Zambia and South Africa is improved

Increased partner capacity through training and support (MEL, WASH, finance, media, mapping, reporting, advocacy, facilitation, PRA, PWD, gender) to enable partners to lead and support communities to respond to WASH, and to integrate WASH into programming

Evidence-based policy through formal submissions AND Oxfam facilitating links for collective action with alliances and campaign

Oxfam advocates and influences global justice issues

Oxfam facilitates public debate on social justice issues and development by both informing debate and building awareness (including WASH). Accordingly the people Oxfam work with have held Oxfam, other INGO’s, governments and other development actors to account

RESOURCES:

Fundraising, budgeting, human resource management, governance, capacity building, materials eg WASH creche material, WASH school material

LINKING AND LEARNING:

Research, documenting and dissemination, communication, annual reflections, social media, technology, developing innovative responses

BROCKERING AND FACILITATING

spaces to bring in partners and experts to add value, and facilitate collective action, increasing visibility of program to local community and government

BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS

bewteen organisations, state, private sector and across sectors eg disability, gender, child protection and protection of the environment

CAPACITY BUILDING

and organisational developmentORGANISATIONAL

ATTRIBUTES

VISIONGOALS

INTENDED OUTCOMES

STRATEGYPATHWAYS

TOACHIEVE

OUTCOMES

IN SUMMARY

The TOC illustrates the types of activities and interventions required to bring about the intended outcomes.

The purple boxes and text illustrate the DFAT AACES WASH outcomes.

The green boxes illustrate Oxfam vision, sustainability approach, AACES WASH outcomes and organisational support provided to the partners in Zambia and South Africa.

There are 3 pathways to achieve the intended outcomes and vision:

1. The acces and utilization pathway (brown)

2. The engagement pathway (blue)

3. The policy pathway (pink)

49

PROGRAM DOCUMENTS:

TITLE AUTHOR DATE

AACES WASH Program Design Oxfam 2011

Context analysis RSA M. Galvin 2011

Context analysis Zambia S Comninos 2011

WASH literature review M. Galvin 2012

WASH resource review M. Galvin 2012

Zambia stakeholder review I Wilson 2013

Disability context in SA (Political, social &cultural) CREATE 2013

Advocacy Strategy U. Rajcoomar & M. Philips 2013

SAVE impact stories Save the Children 2016

Equal Education report Equal Education 2016

RAPCAN Case Study RAPCAN 2016

OxFAM ANNUAL PLANS:

Oxfam operational plan, and budgets, June 2011 – July 2012

Oxfam operational plan, and budgets, June 2012 – July 2013

Oxfam operational plan, and budgets, June 2013 – July 2014

Oxfam operational plan, and budgets, June 2014 – July 2015

Oxfam operational plan, and budgets, June 2015 – July 2016

OxFAM AACES WASH ANNUAL REPORTS:

Year 1, 2012

Year 2, 2013

Year 3, 2014

Year 4, 2015

ANNExURE 2: LIST OF THE OxFAM AACES WASH DOCUMENTS

50

OxFAM AACES WASH SNAPSHOT REPORTS:

TITLE AUTHOR DATE

Year 1 Oxfam 28/10/2011

Year 1 Oxfam 29/02/2012

Year 2 Oxfam 31/08/2012

Year 2 Oxfam 26/02/2013

Year 3 Oxfam 28/02/2014

Year 4 Oxfam 28/02/2015

Year 5 Oxfam 29/02/2016

OxFAM AACES WASH MID-TERM REVIEW:

TITLE AUTHOR DATE

Oxfam AACES WASH Mid-term Review M. Roper March 2014

Management Response to MTR Oxfam March 2014

OxFAM AACES WASH THEORY OF CHANGE:

TITLE AUTHOR DATE

Excel diagram and Word explanation M. Roper & M. Philips August 2014

OxFAM AACES WASH MONITORING, EVALUATION AND LEARNING:

TITLE AUTHOR

MEL AACES WASH Framework Oxfam

Indicator protocols DFAT

Oxfam AACES WASH indicator table Oxfam

Oxfam TOR guidance Oxfam

Oxfam TOR evaluation tools Oxfam

DFAT end program evaluation: Questions DFAT

51

OxFAM AACES WASH qUANTITATIVE RESULTS:

TITLE AUTHOR DATE

Oxfam AACES indicator matrix W. Lubbee February 2016

VALUE FOR MONEY:

TITLE AUTHOR DATE

Oxfam in South Africa AACES Capacity Building Value for

Money Assessment M. Besley April 2016

Value for money within the Oxfam community led access to

water, sanitation and hygiene program in South Africa and

Zambia: Mid-program review

M. Besley March 2014

Value for money: The development and pilot testing of an

emergent value for money framework for use by Oxfam - Phase 1C. Collet van Rooyan July 2014

OxFAM AACES WASH BASELINE REPORTS:

TITLE AUTHOR

RSA partners WM, FS, MDIC, STC

RSA baseline overview report M. Roper

CREATE (RSA) CREATE

RAPCAN (RSA) RAPCAN

Zambia partners’ baseline reports Oxfam

OxFAM AACES WASH PARTNER MEETING REPORTS:

2012, Durban, South Africa

2013, Jozini, South Africa

2014, Livingstone , Zambia

2015, Ballito, South Africa

2016, Livingstone, Zambia

52

ExCHANGE VISIT REPORTS:

Zimbabwe exchange visit, December 2013

Malawi exchange visit, August 2013

Zambia visit by South African partners, 2014

OxFAM AACES WASH RESEARCH AND OTHER DOCUMENTS:

Oxfam Zambia, I Care About Her, November 2013

Oxfam Occasional Paper 2, Addressing Southern Africa’s Sanitation Challenges through CLTS, May 2013

Oxfam, Driving change: Bringing together gender and HIV, South Africa, July 2008

Oxfam, Influencing Change, 2012

Moeti Kgware, Menstrual management research, April 2016

Community Led Total Sanitation round table report, September 2013

Most Significant Change stories, Zambia, March 2016

World Toilet Summit report, December 2012

Oxfam AACES Partner stories (Kristina Gubic), March 2016

Oxfam’s joint concept paper for the Australian Evaluation conference in Melbourne, March 2014

Permaculture report, August 2014

Oxfam, Write up on Child-friendly Sanitation Block Launched in Mbulula Crèche, November 2015

OXFAM, Nothing about us without us - Disability Inclusive Development Case study (Wendy Lubbee and

Nadege Bryan), September 2015

Unilever Presentation on Oxfam’s WASH program, February 2014

MATERIALS DEVELOPED BY PARTNERS:

CREATE

Short course on disability in the community: Facilitators Guide

Disability monitoring inclusion literature review

Disability Facilitators Guide

Disability and Inclusion and MEL case study for MEL workshop and Indonesia conference 2015

PowerPoint presentation on Oxfam and CREATES disability inclusion Workshop Melbourne

53

Report on Value for Money workshop in Melbourne

Understanding CBR disability training in South Africa

Disability inclusion: possibilities and inclusion – Case study on Umfolozi Local Municipality

EqUAL EDUCATION

Presentation on Norms and Standards for School Infrastructure

LIMA AND SAVE THE CHILDREN

ECD Toilet Design

ONEVOICE SOUTH AFRICA

Facilitator Manuals Grade 8 learners (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016)

Learner Notebooks Grade 8 Learners (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016)

Menstrual Management Flyer

Annual Report 2012-2016

Newsletters: March 2012, June 2012, September 2012, March 2013, June 2013, December 2013, March 2014,

June 2014, September 2014, December 2014, March 2015, October 2015

Educator WASH Training Feedback Report, 2016

Educator Manual for WASH Training 2016

Advocacy Project Feedback Reports 2013, 2014, 2015

Main Stakeholder Meetings Feedback Reports, 2013, 2014, 2015

RAPCAN

Case study on Child safeguarding and good governance (SA and Zambia), March 2016

SAVE THE CHILDREN

Wentworth and WASH stories booklet, February 2016

ECD Forum Documentation: Documentation of ECD Forum Appendices & SC ECD Model main report appendices

ECD Forum Documents: Extract ECD Forum Appendices & Extract WASH.

ECD Survey: Wentworth Crèche Forum Survey Phase 1 & Wentworth Crèche Forum Survey Phase 2

Save the Children, Hand Washing Documents

Save the Children, Wentworth ECD Forum - A Vision Made Real

Save The Children 2014 (videos)

54

Save the Children, Umzinto Crèche Photos

Save the Children, WASH Accreditation

Save the Children, WASH Questionnaire

Save the Children, Wentworth GHWD photos

TREE

ECD WASH materials

WASH Youth Materials

WASH Home Based Care Materials

WOZA MOYA

Case studies/newsletter

Woza Moya, Report of WASH Training for Woza Moya Staff 21 – 23 August 2013

PARTNER VIDEO/DVD’S PRODUCED:

SAVE THE CHILDREN / OxFAM

•WentworthCrècheForum

•SaveTheChildren

•KwaZulu-Natal

•WashFunday

•WASH

WOZA MOYA

Overview of Woza Moya https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpxtpwUilEo

WASH Infrastructures DEMO SITE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuTfXmPu2uw

Dingizwe School Rain Water Harvesting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJtZecc5y-k

Hand Washing Training with Peter Se https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzshV5PtpCA

WASH Software Training with Youth in Schools https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3poJ2qa_TI

WASH Baseline Survey Using Mobile Phones https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8_JbxK5-SU

WASH Challenges in Ofafa https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEI2gA5KLzM

WASH Case Study in eMahlathini Village, Ofafa https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRe8mSVFMFQ

55

Map available from:

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=map+of+southern+africa&biw=1366&bih=643&tbm=isch&imgil=mHana1I

aCHFkdM%253A%253BX6ltU2ncFrBMlM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fmaps-africa.blogspot.com%25252F

2012%25252F05%25252Fsouthern-africa-map-pictures.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=mHana1IaCHFkdM%253A%2

52CX6ltU2ncFrBMlM%252C_&usg=__fvReV-_zBYwdO_vHThP36rbKe9Q%3D&ved=0ahUKEwjLtM7zvMXLAhXEcQ8KHY

mRBpQQyjcIKQ&ei=lXXpVouWK8TjPYmjmqAJ#imgrc=dPTzbIgBmzaVrM%3A

56

Title: Australia Africa Community Engagement Scheme Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Program:

End of Program Report

Published: March 2016

Author: Margaret Roper

Proofreader: Caitlin Martin

Design: LUMO design & illustration (www.lumo.co.za)

Copyright: Oxfam gives permission for excerpts from this book to be photocopied or reproduced

provided that the source is clearly and properly acknowledged.

Disclaimer: The views in this publication are those of the respective authors and do not necessarily represent

those of Oxfam or any funding agency. The interview and review process was participatory and

consent around content and inclusion of personal information was given to Oxfam by interviewees.

Contact Details: OxFAM

Suite 1B, Strathway Building

Strathmore Office Park

305 Musgrave Road

Durban, South Africa

+27 (0) 31 201 0865

enquire@oxfam.org.au