DATA IN WASH PROGRAMMING

In the story of The Adventures of the Copper Beeches - part of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Collection by Arthur Conan Doyle - Sherlock Holmes declares “Data! Data! I can't make bricks without clay”.

From the first case of the COVID-19 pandemic in Zambia in 2020 to the cholera outbreak in 2023 that claimed more 700 lives to the current drought that is affecting 9.8 million Zambians, WASH practitioners have dealt with increasingly complex and varied data and interventions that require a thorough understanding of the capricious contexts and the issues they raise. In order to prepare, reduce, respond and recover effectively in emergencies, and to implement interventions that are truly adapted to the needs of targeted populations, WASH practitioners have found themselves rapidly collecting all kinds of data on a variety of topics.

And this presents dual problems: inadequate data and poor quality of the available data. Programme management should endeavor to demystify data management systems and create a conducive rapport between technical staff and data managers. This is because, in most organizations, Monitoring and Evaluation Departments (MEAL, MEL, PME, etc.) often work and behave like medieval witch hunters or the proverbial ‘Reviewer 2’ in research, who is symbolized by rudeness, committed to pet issues, and unwilling to treat the authors as peers. Forgive my bias here; you can guess which side is my strong point.

The lamentations above by Sherlock Holmes provides an excellent analogy for the importance of good data when making informed and impactful decisions. Without accurate and comprehensive data, policymakers, practitioners, and end users cannot develop, implement, and evaluate effective WASH programs.

In the book of Genesis Chapter 5 verse 6 and 7, we find Pharaoh as a way of punishment, ordered the slave drivers and overseers to stop supply the slaves with straw for making bricks and instead he expected them to look for their own straw and then make bricks. This story supports the importance of having a functional data management system in WASH programming. By ensuring that fit for use data is collected and utilized, WASH programs can operate more effectively, efficiently, and economically. This leads to better resource allocation and accountability, streamlined processes and integration, adaptability and continuous improvement, and ultimately enhancing public health.

In addition to the above, WASH data is important:

1.????? Data is important for the attribution of resources

2.????? Data is important to demonstrate value for money

3.????? Data is important to humanize development work

4.????? Data is important to avoid unintended consequences such as the cobra effect. ?

Cautions must be made here, however. The data management system should never overwhelm people with unnecessary tools, indicators or monitoring activities that are never used to improved programming. Whilst studying Health Management Information Systems (HMIS), I came to the realization that many times we have designed data tools and asked people to collect data that we have no use for. This stresses the systems, fatigues personnel and the data loses credibility once people know that what it collected has no use. The redundancy in the system, clutter and complexity that can arise from hoarding too much information should be avoided. The system should avoid the unnecessary agglomeration of data. WASH data management systems should be designed in a simple, easy to understand and use manner, however the common practice of complicating and compartmentalisation of systems makes the entire data chain susceptible to data dishonesty and corruption.

In conclusion, you cannot account for what you cannot count and conversely, you cannot count what you cannot account for. Data not transformed into information and information that is not transformed in to intelligence to guide decision makers is of little value.

In God we trust, all others must bring data. - W. E. Deming