- The business case for WASH sets out why WASH matters to companies and the benefits of supporting better water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) outcomes in their operations, supply chains and communities where workers live.
- This framework provides a checklist and guidance for how the company can translate good intent, investment and commitment into lasting solutions
- This document should be read as an illustrative framework, which can be adapted to different company contexts and different sectors, rather than a set of prescriptive steps . Companies may use the illustrative framework and its different elements in any way that makes sense, moving between the elements that are most relevant to their company context.
- [Clicking] on each stage of the framework brings up a ‘checklist’ of considerations to support decision making and actions to take. [Click again] to bring up supporting materials including case studies and guidance that will help companies navigate each stage.
- The support materials bring together all the relevant guidance and case studies that are currently available, they will be regularly updated as new materials become available and as the WASH4Work initiative progresses. Learning from pilot projects will be documented and further case studies developed in order to fill the gaps in current guidance.
- The framework is aimed at the person or project manager who has overall responsibility for WASH within a company, they will often be situated within a corporate head quarters.
- Please share your feedback on the user experience as well as suggestions for improvement for the framework here (wash4work [at] wateractionhub.org).
Phase
What should we do?
What should we consider?
- What is WASH?
- Why it it good for my business?
- Where it it a material issue?
- What policy expectations should I be aware of?
- What are the gaps?
- Commit to provide WASH for employees
- Set robust policies to respect human rights to water and sanitation
- Integate WASH provisions within internal systems
- Identify who is responsible for delivery & accountable for progress
Understand how your business is impacting WASH for workers and communities
- Look at delivery of services for direct employees
- Look at access of services for workers in supply chains and communities
- Look at impact of your business’ water use / discharge on communities
Prioritize areas for action – focusing action where
There is most risk to people and the business
- Severity of impact
- Likelihood of it happening
The business has influence
- Ability to act quickly
- In most material areas based on stakeholder consultation
Inclusive stakeholder engagement informs all actions to ensure marginalized stakeholders have a voice. Engagement helps better understand cumulative impacts and how best to align with government around delivery of local priorities.Likely stakeholders include:
- Internal corporate
- Direct users / employees / suppliers
- Communities
- Civil society
- Other industrial users
- Government
- Labour organisations
- Hardware: ensure appropriate facilities in place
- Demand creation: support behaviour change
- Ensure sustainability of intervention: operation & maintenance, capacity building & local ownership
- Mitigate and remediate negative impacts: by improving water efficiency, managing pollutants and treating wastewater.
- Use leverage to promote better wash across supply chain
- Share reflections on challenges and successes to build a community of practice.
- Use collective voice for advocacy with governments and support effective regulatory regimes
- Pool resources and deploy to reduce cumulative impact of industrial users and to jointly promote wash in suppliers’ operations
- Encourage & catalyse government and peer action through advocacy & capacity building