Regional capacity for WASH sector knowledge management and learning in West and Central Africa

This paper assesses regional capacity for supporting governments in West and Central Africa in the development of their respective WASH sectors through knowledge management and learning. The assessment is based on a survey of relevant institutions and individuals in the region and takes into account assessments of the sector knowledge management and learning initiatives in eleven countries in the region. The main finding is that existing capacity at regional level is fragmented and not utilized to its full potential. Central to this is the absence of a clear link between the “supply” of knowledge products and the “demand” by users. Key conclusions include the need to (i) adapt the WASH learning agenda to the specific regional and national contexts, (ii) make better use of contributions from academia and the private sector and (iii) reinforce leadership roles of relevant continent-wide, regional and national bodies for knowledge management and sector learning.