In the SusWASH Programme in Kampong Chhnang Province, Cambodia, we used the WASH system building blocks to facilitate participatory discussions with government and non-government actors to identify where our efforts should be targeted. In each year of the programme, we discussed and analysed the strengths and weaknesses of each building block and assessed whether stakeholders thought the building blocks were weak, medium, strengthening or reaching a desired state (see example below of the assessment tool used in Cambodia). This helped everyone to identify what parts of the system were functioning well and what priorities we needed to work on together to improve further.

The pros and cons of using building block frameworks in WASH systems strengthening

After five years of using the building blocks for participatory assessments, what has the WaterAid Cambodia team learned about the value and limitations of using building block frameworks (PDF) in WASH systems strengthening programmes?

1. Participatory building block assessments can be a valuable tool for implementing systems strengthening programmes. Annual discussions among stakeholders provide a regular rhythm for reflection, action planning and programme adaptation.

2. Participatory building block assessments can introduce concepts of systems to stakeholders who are less familiar with thinking in this way. Talking about system building blocks helps to make the intangible ideas of a system more tangible (although they over-simplify and silo different system functions) and can provide a useful framework for building shared understanding among stakeholders about what they need to do together to improve the system.

3. Comparing building block assessments results over time can help to demonstrate changes in the system and contribute to evidence of the impacts of systems strengthening programmes, but should not be the sole monitoring approach. The results from building block assessments can add structure to programme monitoring when combined with qualitative evidence about programme activities and other context changes, as well as quantitative evidence of service level improvement. However, these building block assessment results should not be relied on as the only source of programme monitoring evidence.

4. Participatory building block assessments are not an ideal measurement of overall system strength. Comparing assessment results from year to year can help to visualise change occurring within the system over time, but each year’s assessment results are not a good measure of system strength at a point in time, because:

• The results are very subjective
• Individual building block assessments do not necessarily reflect how the whole system functions.
• Sensitive elements of the WASH system – such as relationships (both formal and informal), individuals’ use of political influence to progress/prevent change in the WASH system – are not well captured in the building block framework.
• Building block descriptions are more likely to reflect whether a system function (e.g. planning, budgeting) is being performed than the quality of the function.
• The assessment rubric (the descriptions of each building block at states of weak, medium or strong) represents the vision of the system by whoever defines it. For the rubric and results to reflect the vision of the local sector it should be co-created with stakeholders.

The above lessons indicate significant value in including regular participatory building block assessments in WASH systems strengthening programming to design (PDF), monitor and adapt interventions. In our new strategy, we are integrating these assessments as one approach in our monitoring and evaluation of systems strengthening.

You can read more about the lessons we have learned about using building blocks for designing, implementing and monitoring systems strengthening programmes in our learning synthesis report (PDF) or on our SusWASH project page.

Fraser Goff is Regional Systems Strengthening Technical Lead at WaterAid Australia. Sokkung Sou is Head of Programmes at WaterAid Cambodia. Tina Chum is Provincial Coordinator at WaterAid Cambodia.