Building Evidence and Partnerships to Strengthen WASH Programming

Tetra Tech is improving global water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programming through strategic partnerships, technical assistance, and implementation research on key sanitation and hygiene interventions.

According to the World Health Organization/United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Joint Monitoring Program, an estimated 2 billion people worldwide lack access to safely managed drinking water services, and 3.6 billion people worldwide do not have access to safely managed sanitation services. Lack of access to water, sanitation, and hygiene contributes to malnutrition, stunted growth in children, and 484,000 deaths from diarrheal diseases each year. WASH programming must be improved through evidence-based, high-impact WASH interventions to improve health outcomes and achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Tetra Tech is leading WASH intervention research and building strategic partnerships through the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Partnerships and Learning for Sustainability #2 (WASHPaLS #2) project. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded project aims to improve service sustainability and behavior change. This project builds on the research and learning of USAID/WASHPaLS implemented by Tetra Tech from 2016 to 2021.

To further develop an evidence base and strengthen future WASH programming, Tetra Tech is collaborating with our consortium partners—FHI 360, FSG, IDinsight, and Iris Group—to:

  • Conduct implementation research on key sanitation and hygiene interventions, including area-wide and market-based sanitation and social behavior change
  • Conduct a sector-wide sanitation and hygiene capacity needs assessment
  • Implement a small grants program to support project-wide research efforts
  • Support and strengthen USAID’s participation in new and existing strategic WASH partnerships
  • Provide short-term technical assistance to USAID missions worldwide
  • Support WASHPaLS#2 implementation research activities through small grants

Throughout the activities of WASHPaLS #2, Tetra Tech and our partners are integrating cross-cutting themes, including gender equality and social inclusion, co-learning and capacity building, and local system engagement and strengthening.