Document Library
The document library features summaries and links to editorially-selected publications on the key themes of health, education, nutrition, social protection and WASH. The documents are sourced from academic research, policy papers and global development organisations.
Between 2013 and 2017, Education Development Trust designed and delivered a large-scale education reform programme in Kenya, intended to improve the life chances of some particularly disadvantaged girls. This was funded by the UK government Department for International Development (DFID) as part of the UK global Girls’ Education Challenge (GEC) Step Change programmes. Education Development Trust called their project ‘Wasichana Wote Wasome’ (WWW); Kiswahili for ‘let all girls… Read more
While online learning holds increasing potential for high quality learning opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, there are reputed to be challenges, in particular legal frameworks that do not allow for the recognition of online degrees. However, increasingly institutions need to provide flexible access to tertiary education for people who may be working, have… Read more
The Delivering Reproductive Health Results (DRHR) programme used social franchising (SF) and social marketing (SM) approaches to increase the supply of high quality family planning services in underserved areas of Pakistan. The authors of this paper assessed the costs, cost-efficiency and cost-effectiveness of DRHR to understand the value for money of these approaches. Financial and… Read more
This resource, written by Aguaconsult and WaterAid, has been developed primarily for WaterAid staff and partners to help in the selection of the most appropriate management models for piped water supply systems in rural and small-town contexts. The guide is also being made available as an external resource for other organisations, including national governments and… Read more
Based on the lessons that emerged from the UN Millennium Development Goals and the Education for All movement 2000–2015, there is now a global consensus that universal school enrolment is necessary but not sufficient for children to learn. This report captures what might be learnt from a selection of the world’s most interesting examples of technology-assisted in-service professional development in lower-income countries… Read more
This article presents the findings of a theory‐based evaluation of the Sierra Leone Free Health Care Initiative (FHCI), using mixed methods. Analytical approaches included time‐series analysis of national survey data to examine mortality and morbidity trends, as well as modelling of impact using the Lives Saved Tool and expenditure trend analysis. We find that the… Read more
While ‘accountability’ has become an increasingly popular buzzword in health systems debates and health service delivery, it has multiple – and contested – meanings. From 19-21 July 2017, Institute of Development Studies (IDS) brought together 80-plus activists, researchers, public health practitioners and policy makers to examine critically the forces that shape accountability in health systems, from… Read more
Diarrhoeal diseases are very common causes of death in low and middle-income countries. The aim for this systematic review was to show which promotional approaches might change handwashing and sanitation behaviour, and which implementation factors affect the success or failure of such promotional approaches. For community-based approaches, involvement of the community, enthusiasm of community leaders,… Read more
If WASH services are to deliver continuous benefits to users, they must be supported by strong, responsive, permanent in-country institutions. Strengthening permanent institutions is very challenging in difficult operating environments and requires approaches that work beyond the delivery of taps and toilets alone. This document is aimed at WASH practitioners and policy-makers developing management and support processes that ensure service… Read more
The Cost of Water Project supports the effective planning and sustainable management of water supply systems in refugee camps and settlements. Launched in 2014 by the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Unit in DPSM’s Public Health Section in partnership with IRC, the project measures the overall costs of providing effective water systems in a variety… Read more
In early 2017, WSUP commissioned a situation analysis of urban sanitation services in Bangladesh, Ghana and Kenya, in order to identify potential research areas as part of the DFID-funded Urban Sanitation Research Initiative. Here, Goufrane Mansour (Aguaconsult, lead expert for the study) and Sam Drabble (WSUP, Research and Evaluation Manager) reflect on common findings across the three… Read more