Guide pooled funds allocation for the WASH sector

WASH coordination platforms have in general no direct role in the allocation of funds to the WASH partners, with the exception of Country Based Pooled Funds (CBPF). CBPF are allocated by OCHA to partners based on the review of their proposal by a Strategic Review Committee (SRC). The SRC includes most of the time the WASH Cluster coordinator and members of the SAG. Prioritization/vetting of projects submitted by cluster partners to CBPF is done according to agreed criteria, using a vetting matrix (see Field Examples on top of these page). These criteria are defined by SRC for each funding process; they are linked with the Humanitarian Response Plan. One of the criteria is that proposals are in-line with WASH sector's Operational Response Plan and Strategic Operating Framework, making pooled funds a powerful tool to implement the cluster strategy. Other are linked with Gender Markers and Environment Markers. Review of proposals needs to happen in a timely manner, often to meet very short deadlines. Pooled-funds proposal review represents a significant workload for cluster coordinator. It is critical for WASH sector coordinator to ensure that the selection/prioritization criteria are clearly communicated early on in the process, and that the allocation process is transparent.

CERF (Central Emergency Response Funds) is another type of pooled funds. OCHA allocates CERF to each cluster lead agencies (ex: UNICEF) who disburse them to partners based on their proposals. CERF WASH proposals are reviewed by UNICEF WASH country teams, with no direct involvement from partners or the sector coordinator. One of the major criteria for CERF funding is the life-saving nature of the activities proposed

Coordination of non-pooled funds

Some donors will recommend or even oblige their partners to follow cluster strategy and guidance in their proposal. But WASH coordination platforms have in general no direct role in the allocation of non-pooled funds. This can represent a great challenge in terms of coordination. To overcome this issue, WASH sector coordinators must keep a high level of communication and build effective partnership with non-pooled donors.

Key web links

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