Mapping and Monitoring Inclusive WaSH Facilities at Schools

There is significant data regarding Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) at different levels from various organizations, but data regarding inclusive WaSH is scarce. The winning team of the 2016 Global Innovation Challenge, Team Veritas, aims to develop strategies that motivate key actors to prioritize inclusive WaSH in schools, in turn, promoting the education of all children, irrespective of gender, age, or ability (inclusive education).

They aim to develop a school level map of inclusive WaSH facilities that includes a mechanism to monitor quality. Creating such a map requires extensive data collection strategies with periodic feedback. Team Veritas will study the possibility of incorporating crowdsourcing and technology in the data collection and monitoring pipeline using a participatory GIS mapping approach. They will validate their strategy by performing a pilot study at schools in a low- and middle-income country. This tool will offer manifold insights to students with special needs, the general public, policy makers and funding agencies.

Team Veritas conducted a literature review of WaSH in schools and efforts to mainstream inclusive WaSH. They reviewed the methods applied to acquire data of WaSH provision and maintenance to understand the available data sources and gaps, and the strategies and challenges involved in filling the identified gaps.