In Ethiopia, USAID’s Sustainable WASH Systems Learning Partnership (SWS) is using organizational network analysis (ONA) to measure change over time in the relationships and network structure of WASH actors in four separate locations. The analysis is being used to understand progress, as well as to inform continuing SWS efforts to improve local water and sanitation service sustainability.
SWS activities are focused on rural water in the woredas (districts) of South Ari and Mile and focused on urban sanitation in the small towns of Woliso and Debre Birhan. In each of these locations, SWS recruited organizations (NGOs, public institutions, academic institutions, and private sector organizations) actively providing or contributing to the provision of WASH services to participate in a learning alliance. Learning alliances are locally led platforms brought together to increase collaboration and knowledge sharing among stakeholders for improved efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability of local WASH services. Improving the underlying structure of the network of relationships among learning alliance participants is a critical part of the learning alliance approach, with relevance to their current effectiveness and future sustainability.
A baseline ONA was conducted before formation of the learning alliances to assess networking behavior prior to any intervention. LINC conducted this midterm ONA to understand the current network of relationships among these organizations to identify strengths and opportunities and to compare the current state to the networks that existed during the baseline analysis. The midterm analysis will also be used to reflect on and inform learning alliance goals, activities, and associated relational structures. An endline analysis is planned for FY 2021 to track further changes in each network over the life of the project.
