Short presentation of a hybrid form of distance learning in the water sector (case Ethiopia by IRC and partners)

1. Hybrid Distance Water
Learning in Ethiopia
Review of experience
Jan Teun Visscher
Martine Jeths
Hugo de Vos
Lenneke Knoop

2. Staff capacity for WATSAN sector
 Very important need for capacity building in
the Ethiopian water and sanitation sector
 Staff is already working in the field, but they
need to learn more about how to facilitate the
water committees and the community to
sustain their water and sanitation systems
 To help them at their place of work a
consortium of AAU, MetaMeta, LeAF, IRC,
and SNV have developed two distance
learning courses

3. Hybrid distance learning
 Guided practice based self learning at
the place of work (paper based, CDRom,
Internet)
 Learning with colleagues
 Sharing experience with trainers (by
postal mail or email) and getting
feedback
 Getting support on the workplace by
visiting trainer or resource person

4. Four modules
 Community water supply dealing with the
complexity of water supply and presenting an overview
of systems that are applied in Ethiopia
 Water quality introducing both chemical and
microbial water quality assessment through water
quality analysis and sanitary inspections
 Management of water quality hazards
presenting an overview of hazard categories and
options to manage these hazards in the water cycle at
community level
 Water safety plans bringing together the
learning in the first three modules and developing a
structured plan for water supply improvement and
control

5. Participants
 Review materials and testing through
self assessments
 Apply and submit results (Description of a
community water supply, Simple sanitary
survey)
 Submit larger assignment (Water safety
Plan; Sanitation Service Plan)
 Make arrangement for field visit by
trainer
 Make final assignment

6. Approach used in the programme
1. Preparing materials with partners
2a. TOT WQ&WSP
21 trainers
2b. TOT WW
10 trainers
Inception
AWASSA
6 trainers12 trainees
Promotion meeting
Inception
Wolisso
8 trainers
20 trainees
Inception
ADDIS
10 trainers
11 trainees
3 meetings, 2 field visits
9 trainers / 11 trainees
5 meetings, 2 field visits
4 trainers / 12 trainees
1 field visit
4 trainers / 12 trainees

7. Training of trainers (5 days)
Learning by doing
in TVETC in
Wolisso
The only water
source in summer
Instilling
sanitation habits
Looking at risks in different systems

8. Some problems that trainers identified

9. The challenge: Help WATSAN staff to better assist
communities to help themselves, if needed with
some external support

10. Main Results
 Positive results overcame initial doubts about
applicability of distance learning
 Trainees were very enthusiastic and want to
make more Community Water Safety Plans
(CWSP) and get additional HDL training
 Staff from Water Bureau and TVETC worked
together in the field, showing keen interest
 CWSP encourages integrated thinking and
action on the ground (Handpump wells were
improved, water committee was replaced etc.)

11. Reflection
 Trainers and trainees considered HDL useful for
themselves and for colleagues and were
positively surprised about community interest
 Many systems can be improved and better
managed with local means, but larger
interventions require some external support
 Collaboration TVETC and WaterBureau is
important
 Expanded HDL course under development
which already counts with support from SNV
and RiPPLE

12. Potential for using it elsewhere
 What do you think about the approach
 Write one positive point and one limitation
Please inform Martine and Jan Teun if you
see potential in areas where you work