Support robust Humanitarian WASH advocacy
Set up an advocacy strategy
It is important for the WASH coordination platform to define an advocacy strategy endorsed by the SAG, in which priority advocacy themes are defined, based on local context and WASH strategic objective. It is important to avoid partners to feel that advocacy is the mere responsibility of the WASH Coordination Platform. Partners can also play an important role, and undertake advocacy action themselves at country, regional or global level, provided that they are agreed by other partner and the coordination platform.
Undertake operational advocacy actions
Once operational gaps have been analysed and identified (slow response, lack of access etc.) the WASH coordination platform is in general not in a position to directly address them, having no operational capacity, few staff or budget available. However, it should inform adequate decision making persons of the issues through operational advocacy actions (raise issues in cluster meeting, one to one meeting with partners, email communication, etc.), and follow up on their resolution. Having no direct authority on the partners, advocacy is the main tool of the WASH sector coordinator when it comes to address issues reported during monitoring. If advocacy at sub-national level is not sufficient, WASH sector coordinator can also contact partner's capital office, HQ, or donors.
Apart from partners, WASH sector coordinator can also build strong partnership with WASH-relevant ministries and other public institution, and with donors, and address advocacy action directly them when needed.
Identify concerns, and contribute to high level messaging and actions
Apart from operational concerns that can often be solved in the field, other issues will require to be brought at higher level, mostly to the HC/HCT, or to the Global WASH Cluster. These issues can be related to non respect of humanitarian principles, or important quality shortfall that can lead to reputational risk or representing a risk for human life.
Many issues in the response are caused by factors external to WASH partners: low availability of skilled national personnel or locally available quality material, security issues preventing field monitoring, non respect of humanitarian principles by some actors etc. While WASH partners can overcome some of them by adapting their implementation strategies, many others can be solved only by high level actors such as OCHA, who are in contact with higher level of governmental officials, military authorities, UN peacekeepers and donors. Usually WCC is not in direct contact with the HC and the HCT, but can report pressing issues to the inter-cluster coordinator and/or the UNICEF representative, who can group concerns from various clusters and address them. The global WASH cluster is also a platform where important issues can be reported by both WASH sector coordinators and partners, and discussed and address by partners' HQ WASH managers