Policy and research

Right from the start in 2003/2004 a strategic decision was taken to focus on communication to increase WaterAid's profile in Burkina Faso and thus facilitate its access to the country's higher authorities.

Until now, no significant political advocacy actions have really been carried out. This strategic decision has led to the recognition of WaterAid Burkina Faso by the government and the public to the extent that it was even distinguished with an award in 2004.

This recognition has placed great expectations on WaterAid Burkina Faso along with an increase in demand for its expertise.

Over the next five years WaterAid Burkina Faso will develop its competency in policy advocacy and its learning ability based on field experience and evidence. This will lead to it tackling sector policy issues while focussing on the need for vulnerable people to gain access to water and sanitation.

WaterAid Burkina Faso will take advantage of the existence of the sector coordination bodies to share its good practices with a wider audience. To achieve this, it will develop staff capacities in both the country office and of partner organisations, to document and share their experiences with sector players.

Over the next five years, WaterAid Burkina Faso's policy advocacy work will be focused on the following areas among those identified for international advocacy purposes:

• Affordable sanitation: sanitation strategies need to be informed by current field work. In urban areas, people's only sanitation option is the VIP latrine which is very expensive. The country programme will document and share its good experience from its sanitation work with sector stakeholders in order to inform future urban sanitation strategies.
• Local government capacity: the country programme will increase local understanding of the Millennium Development Goals, through the framework of decentralisation.
• More scrutiny and accountability of water and sanitation service providers: WaterAid will work in close collaboration with the sector coordination bodies to make sure that all stakeholders are accountable to sector and the communities.

This shift will help the country programme address the unplanned urban areas left alone without assistance and financial barriers.