USAID updates the Indicator Handbook to align with the Global Water Strategy

From accelerating water services through public-private partnerships in Tajikistan to building climate-resilient solar water systems in Kenya, the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) water security, sanitation, and hygiene (WSSH) portfolio can look very different in different places. In order to bring together the global impact of USAID’s work, it is a requirement for USAID-funded activities to report on a set of standard indicators, as applicable. These indicators complement activity-specific custom indicators and allow USAID and the American people to track progress toward targets, explore our impact, and capture the story of American investments in global water security.

From accelerating water services through public-private partnerships in Tajikistan to building climate-resilient solar water systems in Kenya, the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) water security, sanitation, and hygiene (WSSH) portfolio can look very different in different places. In order to bring together the global impact of USAID’s work, it is a requirement for USAID-funded activities to report on a set of standard indicators, as applicable. These indicators complement activity-specific custom indicators and allow USAID and the American people to track progress toward targets, explore our impact, and capture the story of American investments in global water security.

As new learnings influence programming, partners and colleagues provide feedback on specific indicators or launch new strategies, we take time to update these standard indicators and make sure they remain efficient to collect, relevant to programming, and as useful as possible.

Following the October 2022 launch of the Global Water Strategy, USAID has updated its standard WSSH-related indicators and revised its Indicator Handbook that provides additional guidance on monitoring WSSH programming through standard and custom indicators. We wanted to share a few of the main changes that implementing partners and USAID Missions should be aware of, including clarifications for existing indicators and replacing some indicators with new ones.

All of the significant changes are summarized below. Use this new Indicator Checkup Tool to see updates most applicable to you.

2023 Updates to Indicator Handbook

1. The name has changed! 

We have updated the name of the handbook from “Water and Development Indicator Handbook” to “Global Water Strategy Indicator Handbook.” The change mirrors the new strategy, which encompasses more than development assistance and even water directive resources. 

2. Elevating Marginalized Populations

Aligned with Principle 2 of the Global Water Strategy (Focus on Meeting the Needs of Marginalized and Underserved People and Communities and Those in Vulnerable Situations), water and sanitation-related indicators that count people with water services (i.e., HL.8.1-1, HL.8.1-2, HL.8.1-3, HL.8.2-2, HL.8.2-3. HL.8.2-7) have a new disaggregate for capturing the marginalized people reached with that service. This disaggregate requires completing an inclusive development analysis before use to identify marginalized populations. Additionally, collecting data about people’s marginalized identities can create significant safety risks for those about whom data is being collected, and these risks can outweigh the value of data collection. Only use this disaggregate if it does not put any people at risk.

→If you were reporting on HL.8.1-1, HL.8.1-2, HL.8.1-3, HL.8.2-2, HL.8.2-3, or HL.8.2-7, keep reporting on these and add the marginalized population disaggregate if you have completed an inclusive development assessment and can safely report on marginalized populations. See Annex II of the Indicator Handbook for related PIRS.

Learn more in our WSSH and inclusive development technical brief. 

3. Streamlining How to Count Institutions Strengthened

The U.S. Global Water Strategy has a target to strengthen 1,000 water-security institutions across 30 countries. To help ensure we are accurately capturing our global work on strengthening institutions, we have clarified and updated this indicator. The revised indicator text clarifies that activities can be counted based on a simple performance metric, and a full institutional assessment index is not required. Importantly, the indicator now includes water and sanitation service providers. Also, new disaggregates have been added, including a required disaggregate for those institutions first strengthened in the reporting year. This disaggregate is essential because it allows us to count the cumulative number of institutions reached over the life of an activity. Finally, disaggregates have been added for sub-sectors, including water resources management.

→If you were reporting on institutions strengthened, continue reporting on these and make sure you are basing your reporting on documented progress for an objective performance metric. Additionally, make sure you add the required disaggregate on “institutions first strengthened this year” so that we can count those institutions toward the Global Water Strategy target of 1,000 institutions across 30 countries. 

→If you were not reporting on this indicator because the “institutional assessment index” was too burdensome or because the institution was a service provider, you should modify your Activity Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan (AMELP) as needed to begin reporting on this indicator. 

4. Simplifying How to Account for Schools and Health Care Facilities with Basic Sanitation

In order to better capture the number of institutions with water and/or sanitation access, we have replaced the old basic sanitation in institutions indicator (HL.8.2-4) with a new indicator (HL.8.2-8). This new indicator counts the number of institutions with basic sanitation rather than the number of squat holes. This change aligns the indicator with the corresponding water indicator, makes it easier to report, and allows us to tell a clearer story about USAID’s work.

→If you were reporting on HL.8.2-4, modify AMELPs as needed to switch to HL.8.2-8 and start counting institutions with sanitation improvements rather than number of squat holes. This should reduce burden while using the same data sources. 

5. Clarifying Water Resources Management Impacts

Aligned with Strategic Objective 3 of the Global Water Strategy, we have replaced our previous water resources management indicator (HL.8.5-1) with one that provides a clearer description of how it should be used and what can be counted (HL.8.5-2). This new indicator focuses on physical interventions that improve water resources management and provides clearer guidelines on how many people can be counted as benefiting. 

People can be counted if they live in the sub-watershed where a physical intervention has occurred, if they were personally impacted by watershed improvements, or if they live downstream and benefit from measurably improved water resources. Because most activities will primarily count people living in the actual watershed where a physical intervention has occurred, we have developed a new tool that allows you to estimate that population with a single click. Explore the tool! Note that any policy or strategy work is no longer captured under this indicator (unless it leads to physical changes).

→If you were reporting on HL.8.5-1, modify AMELPs as needed to switch to HL.8.5-2 and spend some time getting familiar with the Performance Indicator Reference Sheets (PIRS) as well as reviewing the relevant section in the Indicator Handbook. Reach out to Emily Bondank or Sarah Alexander (via waterteam@usaid.gov) if you want to discuss how this indicator applies to your work!

6. Emphasizing Professionalized Service Delivery

Aligned with Strategic Objective 1 and recognizing the value of investing in professionalized water service provision, we have updated the indicator for improved service from an existing drinking water service (HL.8.1-3). This indicator now notes that services can be counted as “improved” if they are available regularly or more frequently because “mechanical failures are addressed more quickly.” This can be a result of more responsive and professional management and maintenance services. 

→If you were not reporting on HL.8.1-3 because reliability improvements were based on better management rather than increased water supply, modify AMELPS as needed to begin counting HL.8.1-3. 

7. Tracking Climate-Resilient Finance

Aligned with USAID’s commitment to mobilize $1 billion for climate-resilient water and sanitation services as part of President Biden’s PREPARE Climate Initiative, we have updated our finance mobilization indicator (HL.8.4-1) to include a new disaggregate. This new disaggregate is aligned with the methodologies described in the Joint Report on Multilateral Development Banks’ Climate Finance and includes all finance that meets a set of relevant criteria, described in more depth in the PIRS and the Indicator Handbook. 

→If you were reporting on HL.8.4-1 and funds mobilized are being used to improve climate resilience, modify AMELPs as needed to include the climate-resilient disaggregate and review the PIRS and Indicator Handbook for specific guidance. 

8. Contributing to Climate Resilience

Recognizing that 90 percent of climate crises are water-related, the revised Indicator Handbook provides clear guidance on reporting on climate indicators in addition to HL.8 indicators. As a reminder, these climate indicators are required as applicable, regardless of funding source or activity focus.

→Use the table below to determine what climate indicators you should be reporting on. 

9. Archiving Household Water Treatment Indicator

Given the limited reporting on household water treatment and the growing emphasis on sustainable water services, we have archived the indicator tracking the percentage of households in target areas practicing the correct use of recommended household water treatment technologies (HL.8.2-6).

→If you were reporting on HL.8.2-6, discuss with your Agreement Officer’s Representative/Contracting Officer’s Representative whether this is still useful for monitoring activity performance. Note it is no longer “required as applicable.”

About The Author

Brian Banks is the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Analytics and Data Advisor, as well as a Management and Program Analyst at USAID. In these roles, he supports the Center for Water Security, Sanitation, and Hygiene to improve planning and development results through the use of data-driven insights. Throughout his career, Brian led the global WASH Sustainability Forum series, developed the Water Point Data Exchange, and supported implementation of multiple corporate water stewardship programs with a focus on monitoring and evaluation. Brian holds a master’s degree in International Affairs and a bachelor’s degree in International Studies from American University.