Presented by:

Shahrukh Mirza, Strategic Support Specialist Bangladesh

Co-authors:

Ranjan Kumar Ghose, Programme Officer-Advocacy

Mahfuj-ur Rahman, Equity and Rights Specialist

Driving Change: Piloting a Human Rights-

Based WASH project in Bangladesh

7th Rural Water Supply Network Forum 2016

Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire

www.wateraid.org/bangladesh

» 2 Union Parishads (lowest

tier of local government) in

northern Bangladesh

» Riverine char islands isolated

from mainland

» Poverty and food insecurity

» Floods and river erosion

» Lack of access to public

services: health, education,

social services

Context

www.wateraid.org/bangladesh

» Part of global WaterAid Action

Learning initiative (HRBA-ALI)

implemented in 8 countries

» Initiated in 2013 with local

partner SKS Foundation

» Challenging to translate

theory to practice

» Initial implementation showed

signs of reverting to service

delivery approach

Background

“Community people heard the

project was about ‘WASH

rights’. They knew that meant

they had to talk about WASH,

so they did.” – SKSF frontline

staff

www.wateraid.org/bangladesh

» Working from the community’s priorities to entry points

Project design

COMMUNITY

UNION

PARISHAD

DIGITAL

CENTRES SCHOOLS

EQUAL PAY

EDUCATION

HEALTH

TRANSPORT & COMMUNICATION

WATER SUPPLY AND

SANITATION

SOCIAL SAFETY NET

ALLOWANCES

COMMUNITY

CLINICS

www.wateraid.org/bangladesh

Project design (cont’d)

CHANGE AMONG EXCLUDED(Mindset + Behaviour + Capacity)

CHANGE AMONG DUTY BEARERS(Mindset + Behaviour + Capacity)

SYSTEMIC CHANGE

SUSTAINABLE CHANGE(change of power

equations + system)

LIMITED CHANGE

Claiming of rights / entitlements by

marginalized based on INTERNATIONAL HR

LIMITED CHANGE

Service delivery of rights / entitlements by duty

bearer based on NATIONAL LEGAL

STRUCTURE

STAGES /KINDS OF CHANGE•Awareness - Information

KnowledgeAbility to Analyse

•Voice•Influence•Limited Enjoyment of Right/

Entitlement

STAGES /KINDS OF CHANGE•Effective Implementation•New /Modified laws/schemes•Adequate Resources•Change in the “helping” agency•Sustainable Enjoyment of Right/

Entitlement

STAGES /KINDS OF CHANGE•Accessibility•Transparency•Responsiveness•Willingness to Sanction non-

performance•Limited Enjoyment of Right/

Entitlement

Aspects/Outcomes of HRBA (Human Rights Based Approach)

www.wateraid.org/bangladesh

» A more accountable Union Parishad

› Selecting social service beneficiaries with the

community

› Regular ward meetings, budget meetings

Initial results: Union Parishad

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Initial results: Digital centres, school

and clinic facilities

» Improved governance systems,

improved services

» Beneficiaries from isolated areas

gaining access to services and

information

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Initial results: Community

empowerment

» Orientation right to water and sanitation, local

governance processes, advocacy, negotiation, etc.

» Interacting and claiming services from UP, within own

community

“Before, I would not dare to go

into the Union Parishad. Now

when I go, they say, give

madam a chair.”

– Community group member,

Gazaria Union Parishad

www.wateraid.org/bangladesh

» Iterative project design, with the option to go back

to the drawing board

» Multi-team engagement: cross-fertilization of ideas

» Multi-level buy in: championing from senior

management to implementation

» From small victories to community-wide change

» Multiple points of intervention, linked together for

systemic change

Analysis: Project design and

management

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» Selecting and developing partnership

» Supporting frontliners through the process

» Finding ways to track intangible outcomes:

milestone tracking

Analysis: Implementation and

monitoring

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» Sustainability and scaling up

› Contextualising HRBA

› Challenges of conventional financing and reporting

› Engaging with the government

» Deeper structural issues

› Connecting upwards to sub-district and district level administration

Conclusion: Emerging issues and

questions

“You need some time to go from zero to hero!” – UP

member, Fazlupur

www.wateraid.org/bangladesh

Shahrukh Mirza, Strategic Support Specialist

ShahrukhMirza@wateraid.org

Thank You!