The context
The first step in any large scale government program is training, which is often used synonymously with capacity building but seldom produces the same outcomes. While some of these sessions are held in person, the virtual mode of training has been tried out in several programs, particularly those dealing with the post-pandemic new normal. While the trainers put in their best efforts, they mostly end up being one-sided communications with information overload for the participants, who may or may not find it adding value to their everyday work.
Capacity building is the foundation of any participatory program, and it is important to execute it well, especially for programs on the commons that require multi-stakeholder, multi-disciplinary efforts, such as water. Keeping this in mind and observing a gap in the sector, Arghyam and the INREM Foundation partnered to design and execute a large-scale virtual training program on water quality that actually made a difference to the actors.
About the training program
The scale of water quality problems in India is not small. A report published by Niti Aayog in 2018 ranks India 120 out of 122 countries on the Water Quality Index, with nearly 70% of its water being contaminated. The type and degree of contamination also vary widely across different geographies and require many foot soldiers with knowledge of the local context to work with communities to overcome this problem.
Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), the flagship program of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India has rightly emphasized the importance of safe water delivery to every household in the country through the Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance (WQM&S) component of the program. But a lack of capacities and trained people has been an ongoing challenge. INREM Foundation, a sector parter of JJM on water quality, launched the Water Quality Management (WQM) course in August 2021 to build a network of trained water quality professionals to close this capacity gap in the programs and in the water sector overall.
As of December 2022, 14 batches have been completed. Around 1,500 participants from 28 states and 350 districts have been a part of this course and have been championing water quality in their respective geographies since then. They have also been made digitally visible to the ecosystem through an application known as Participatory Digital Attestation (PDA). While the verbal feedback received from the participants during the course was encouraging, INREM Foundation and Arghyam conducted a more detailed assessment of the course to understand if their participation in the WQM course has enabled the JJM stakeholders to translate the knowledge acquired into actions that are more effective in meeting program goals on water quality.
The assessment
135 participants were sampled using self-selection techniques for the study. A majority of these respondents were at the district level. 46% of respondents were involved in one or more government programs, while 35% were involved with non-governmental organizations. But the majority (67%) were directly involved in JJM at different levels. The respondents were asked multiple questions related to two key areas: [1] content and [2] knowledge and confidence.
[1] Content: All the content used across the 9 modules of the course was shared digitally with the participants using PDA and they were able to access it and share it with others beyond the training. 68% of the participants had utilized the content, mainly to train others, such as community members, some of whom had the content translated into their regional languages. They were also able to use the IEC tools, such as Safe Water Learning Cards or the Five Finger Concept that were taught to them during the program with the communities.
[2] Knowledge and confidence: Several trainees in the program have taken up an additional Trainer Certification program and have responded that, after both courses, they were able to deliver training on water quality better. These champions feel more confident now, and the sessions that they conduct have more positive outcomes.
For detailed survey findings, please refer here.
After the survey, 60 participants were sampled using stratified random sampling for in-depth interviews and qualitative insights. Respondents spoke about how this training exposed them to new and innovative tools for IEC and interactions with communities on water quality, helped them connect with other champions and identify themselves as a part of this network, and built their subject matter expertise so that they performed their tasks much better. Here are some testimonials from the participants:
"After taking the WQM course, I noticed a significant improvement in my training methods; I am now able to explain the WQM&S concepts to on-the-ground personnel much more easily than before, and I am also more confident in delivering trainings," says Ms. Neha Sahu, District WQ Coordinator, Bastar District, Chhattisgarh.
“After attending the WQM course, I got to know about the Safe Water Learning Cards. I found them to be very nicely designed and easy to understand. I requested the INREM team to share these cards in Kannada, and after receiving them, me and my team downloaded these cards and laminated them for further use in the trainings. We are using these cards as a part of the Water Quality Campaign in our work region, and it has gotten a great response, especially from the school children and women, as they could easily understand about the fluoride issue, how we can detect it, and what are the possible solutions,” says Mr. Ramchandra Bhat, Program Officer Kalike, Tata Trusts, Yadgir District, Karnataka.
You can also watch the course participants in action in this short film.
Based on the estimates shared by these participants, we know that these champions have delivered training on WQ-related topics to about 12,500 frontline workers in about 5000 villages. And as this network continues to grow, many more frontline workers will be reached, more water quality testing will happen, awareness will spread amongst communities, and action to solve the discovered problems will be taken by concerned departments and groups. INREM has been able to create this ripple effect by designing the WQM Course well so that it does not end up becoming just another virtual training program. INREM has captured the design aspects of the course that led to better efficacy and eventual success of the program in detail here.
If other large training programs are also able to imbibe some of these design elements, it will open up many opportunities to enhance the knowledge of trainers and front line functionaries on water quality and other essential water issues. Millions of dollars of investment and resources spent on capacity building can potentially translate to motivated individuals working on the ground with the knowledge of water quality testing, the impact of consuming unsafe water, understanding the solutions, and communicating them with the community. Such well-designed training will actually result in building the capacity of the system, leading to better outcomes on the ground and future water security.
The assessment was conducted by Anjali Tamrakar (M.Sc. Environmental Sciences) and Sanket Wairagade (M.Sc. Water Policy and Governance) from the C4Y Fellowship in the period of September to December 2022, with support and guidance from Arghyam and the INREM Foundation.
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