The USAID STAWI MIS Project in Kenya's ASAL Regions
Written by Binepe Bwambale
A non-functional borehole in Oldo/Nyiro, Isiolo North, Isiolo, Kenya, due to low water levels. Water is scarce in the area.
Since 1993 the Government of Kenya has declared drought as a national disaster 7 times. These declarations were during the droughts of 1992-93, 1996-97, 1999-2000, 2005-06, 2008-09, 2010-2011 and 2016-2017.
In September 2021, the Kenya Government declared another drought affecting parts of the country a national disaster. These drought conditions resulted from three consecutive below-average rainy seasons beginning with the October–December 2020 rainy season. Consequently, 3.5 million people were estimated to face acute food insecurity and needed humanitarian assistance in March–May 2022.
More than 23 counties in the (arid and semi-arid) ASAL region were affected by these droughts. Following the devastating 2010-2011 drought, the Kenyan Government launched a Medium-Term Plan for Drought Risk Management and Ending Drought Emergencies (EDE) for 2013-2017. The EDE committed to ending drought as an emergency by the year 2022 by strengthening institutional and financial frameworks for drought risk management. To this end, the EDE established the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) to provide leadership and coordinate drought risk management plans, interventions, policies, and stakeholders across national and county levels.
As a result of these efforts, multiple other key stakeholders have come together to try and hold hands in supporting these most affected ASAL regions, one being USAID.
On January 25th, 2023, USAID launched a 5 year Sustainable, Transformational. and Accessible Water Interventions Project (STAWI), which is aimed at working alongside county governments across nine ASAL counties to advance water security for social, economic, and environmental needs, helping to reverse historic neglect and enabling USAID and the GOK to achieve their ambitious objectives for inclusive economic growth while building resilience to the region’s unique shocks and stresses. The nine counties are Garissa, Isiolo, Marsabit, Samburu, Turkana, Wajir, Kitui, Makueni, and Taita Taveta.
To achieve lasting water security in these ASALs, STAWI took on an Integrated and Inclusive Water Security approach, working across built and natural systems in both rural and urban areas, and key to these was developing county-specific management information systems to foster WASH data management in these counties.
USAID contracted mWater under the name Solstice as one of the STAWI sub-contracts with a mandate to support the project in improving and expanding county-wide asset management systems, undertaking formative research to understand problems related to rural water service delivery, including understanding data needs, sources, incentives, and use cases for stakeholders at county, sub-county, service provider, and community levels.
Solstice’s role in County MIS development.
Solstice, as manager of the mWater platform, is developing Management Information Systems (MIS) for each of these nine arid and semi-arid counties in Kenya to enhance water management and service delivery. The MIS are being created to centralize and digitize water infrastructure data, such as water points, water systems, and assets, through the following steps
Identify, geolocate, and update existing databases on water infrastructure, including water point mapping data, water service provider data, and water supply project data.
Update and verify data on public water supplies by conducting a county-wide census and adding water supplies that are missing in current databases.
Obtain a snapshot of water supply coverage, access, functionality, and management for all public water supplies in the county.
This information is then integrated using GIS technology and custom-designed visualization platforms into a county MIS tailored to each county's unique needs.
To achieve this, Solstice is collaborating closely with local stakeholders, including county water offices, water companies, and USAID representatives, to gather valuable data and customize the MIS to fit their operational contexts through a combination of strategic planning meetings, stakeholder engagement, and intensive training sessions.
Our progress
In February of this year, H.E. Governor Andrew Mwadime launched the first MIS for Taita Taveta, which has over 931 water points across the county.
"This system will prevent the duplication of efforts by investors; this is a significant step towards fulfilling our manifesto of ensuring water availability for all." Taita Taveta county Governor Mwadime.
"The implementation of this digital system signifies a significant milestone in our efforts to enhance water governance. By harnessing the power of data, we can make informed decisions, allocate resources effectively, and ensure equitable access to clean water for all our residents”. County Executive Committee Member Grantone Mwandawiro.
Launch of the Taita Taveta MIS
Since then, we have expanded to cover more counties and are taking steps to expand to other countries.
In Marsabit County, over 650 water points and 37 water schemes have been mapped and surveyed, while in Isiolo County, the numbers stand at 560 water points and 150 schemes. Each of these water points and systems has been comprehensively documented, including detailed data on their functionality, coverage, management concerns, and ongoing operation and maintenance (O&M) requirements. This extensive mapping effort ensures that local authorities have the critical information to optimize water resource management and effectively address their communities' needs.
Implementation Approach
Stakeholder Engagement and Strategic Meetings.
This process involved a series of strategic meetings with key stakeholders across the targeted counties, aligning local needs with the project's objectives, gathering primary data, and planning for training.
Isiolo County (June 19, 2024): In Isiolo, Solstice held a number of productive meetings with key stakeholders. A key example was a meeting with the data manager at the Isiolo Water and Sewerage Company (IWASCO). This meeting provided important GIS files on which we based the maps shown in above.
Kitui County (June 13, 2024): Solstice CEO Annie Feighery led a strategic planning meeting with the Kitui County Water Office. The focus was on expanding the mWater platform’s support for asset management.
Samburu County (August 14-15, 2024): Solstice Kenya Country Data Manager Douglas facilitated discussions with various stakeholders, including the County Executive Member for Water and Irrigation, Samburu Water and Sanitation Company (SAWASCO), and USAID STAWI representatives. The meetings focused on digitizing Samburu's water infrastructure, precisely mapping water points, systems, and assets.
Meeting SAWASCO Staff.
County Executive Committee Member (CECMs) office with Eng Macharia, Deputy Director of Water and Eng Wainanina from USAID STAWI.
Training and Capacity Building Initiatives
Solstice conducts a thorough process of selecting and training enumerators in each county to enhance the technical skills and capacity of local young people and institutions. Around 25 qualified candidates are chosen and trained. After an initial round of training and evaluation, 22 candidates who show strong engagement and performance are selected to participate in the data collection activities. The training program includes instruction on using the mWater platform and the fundamentals of data collection, along with more specialized training on mapping water points and piped water schemes. This ensures that enumerators are equipped to handle both types of data collection effectively. The training spans about four days, with at least one day dedicated to field practice.
Field training of Taita Taveta data enumerators.
Isiolo County (June 19, 2024): Senior Researcher Sydney Hubbard conducted a training session for the Isiolo Water and Sewerage Company (IWASCO) team.
A team of 30 Enumerators poses for a group photo after an intensive 3-day training session in Isiolo county.
Data Collection
Solstice manages the baseline data collection in each county by deploying trained enumerators to gather detailed information on water points and piped water schemes over approximately two weeks. A multi-stage quality control process is in place to ensure data quality, incorporating real-time monitoring of critical data variables. Field supervisors, selected from the top-performing enumerators, review each submission for completeness and accuracy, immediately returning incomplete or incorrect surveys to the enumerators in the field for correction and resubmission. Solstice staff conducts secondary quality checks on aggregate enumerator performance and key data quality parameters, providing real-time feedback to supervisors on any issues. Geographical metadata and photos of water infrastructure are being used at both quality control stages to verify the survey data's accuracy. Meanwhile, STAWI facilitates access and coordination with local authorities and WSPs, supports logistical challenges, provides allowances to enumerators, and offers logistical support to Solstice throughout this data collection period.
Thinking Long Term
The updated data collected and MIS developed will enable data-driven management by entities tasked with service delivery, improve asset management, support tracking of water sources, and improve capacity for water resource management at the country level. In an interview with Douglas Odhiambo, Solstice Country Data Manager, he emphasized the project's potential impact:
”If the management information system is utilized to even 70% of its capacity, it will have a big impact. While it is still too early to quantify the exact impact, I remain confident that the project will yield significant positive outcomes and solve the water crisis in these counties”.
Douglas also addressed the challenges faced in the project, particularly in data collection and mapping. He noted that some counties involved in the project are vast and remote, making it challenging to collect data comprehensively. Additionally, security concerns in specific areas further complicate data collection efforts, potentially leading to gaps in reporting on water points.
Despite the challenges, Douglas remains optimistic about the project's success and its potential to transform water-deficient zones into areas that meet standard water requirements according to the Sustainable Development Goals.