USAID, Population Services International, Concern Worldwide, Gusceman Inc.
Project Overview
The Countywide Sanitation Activity funded by USAID, is a five-year project aimed at ending open defecation and ensuring universal access to basic sanitation across five counties in Liberia: Lofa, Nimba, Bong, Grand Bassa, and Montserrado (rural). The project works collaboratively with the government, private sector, and community-level partners to create sustainable markets for affordable, high-quality sanitation products and services. It is designed to foster long-term market growth, economic opportunities, and health improvements through a systemic approach. The project is led by a consortium of partners, including national and local stakeholders.
The Consortium
The five-year project has been awarded to Population Services International (PSI), which leads a consortium comprising Concern Worldwide, Athena Infonomics, and Gusceman Inc.
Objective
The primary objective of the Countywide Sanitation Activity is to eradicate open defecation and achieve universal adoption of basic sanitation services throughout the five target counties. This will be done by:
Improving governance in the sanitation sector
Driving behavior change to shift norms towards toilet acquisition and usage
Strengthening sanitation markets to provide accessible sanitation services and products
Increasing both public and private financing to ensure the sustainability of the sanitation sector
CWSA initiatives in Liberia
Athena's Role
As the governance arm of the consortium, Athena Infonomics is playing a critical role in the governance and public finance areas of the project.
Athena leads efforts to improve sanitation governance by supporting national institutions in defining and performing their core functions, such as regulation, monitoring, and public communication
Focuses on increasing public and private financing through capacity building, budget planning, designing a hypothecated tax for WASH, and mobilizing private investment for sustainable sanitation solutions
Oversees the project's learning and communications activities, ensuring continuous improvement through action research and regular learning sessions
Supports the Ministry of Health in piloting joint sanitation monitoring systems to enhance data-driven decision-making
Develops and refines the activity’s learning agenda and facilitates knowledge sharing among national and local actors to foster collaboration and drive systemic improvements
Supports assessment of fecal sludge management to evaluate the collection, treatment, and disposal of fecal waste in rural Liberia
Key Insights
Sanitation Governance: A focus on capacity building of national and local governments to clarify roles, improve performance, and operationalise sanitation interventions at all levels
Behavior Change: Mobilizing communities through social norms shifts to encourage widespread toilet adoption and end open defecation practices
Market Strengthening: The development of new, affordable sanitation products and services, alongside supporting SMEs to sustain and grow in the sanitation sector
Increased Financing: Mobilizing private sector financing through risk-sharing mechanisms, public budget planning, and efficient resource allocation for long-term sanitation improvements
