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Freshwater Action Network

Dialogue for better water and sanitation services

The Freshwater Action Network (FAN) works to improve water supply and sanitation services worldwide, and has grown from its foundation in 2000 to become the leading international voice for community-based organisations in its sector.

One of FAN’s priority projects is to boost the capacity of small civil society organisations in the poorest countries to influence World Bank policies and investments in water and sanitation, to ensure that local knowledge and concerns are taken fully into account.

FAN and the World Bank discussed how liaison between the organisations could work, and then commissioned Public World to carry out a scoping study and identify potential candidates for pilot projects.

In addition to desk research and interviews, we brought together key World Bank officials with representatives of FAN’s regional bodies in a two-day dialogue meeting that designed a framework for ongoing liaison, including procedural rules to govern the relationships.

With both FAN and World Bank support, Public World prepared a candid commentary on the exercise and its lessons, which you can download here.