Learning From and Preventing Failure in WASH

Rebecca Sindall; Dani Barrington; Esther Shaylor

Learning From and Preventing Failure in WASH

Rebecca Sindall
, Dani Barrington
, Esther Shaylor

Population and Public Health

Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Article in specialist publication › peer-review

Abstract

Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) failures continue to be discussed mostly off the record, with professionals the world over repeating one another’s mistakes. Failure is difficult to talk about, but WASH failures have negative impacts – money is wasted and sometimes people are harmed. We need to acknowledge that not everything we try will succeed, but that if we learn from one another, we can continuously improve our work.

Since 2018, we have attempted to foster this change through the ‘WASH Failures Movement’. This issue of Frontiers of Sanitation is a compilation of what we’ve learned about why WASH failures happen, how we can address them, and how we can facilitate a culture of sharing and learning from failure in the WASH sector.

Original language	English
Number of pages	35
Specialist publication	Frontiers of Sanitation
Publisher	Institute of Development Studies
Publication status	Published - 3 Feb 2023

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation

Access to Document

https://sanitationlearninghub.org/resource/learning-from-and-preventing-failure-in-washLicence: CC BY-NC

1 Finished

Amplifying WASH voices: a focus on funders
Barrington, D. (Investigator 01), Chidziwisano, K. (Investigator 02), Panulo, M. (Investigator 03), Sindall, R. (Investigator 04) & Shaylor, E. (Investigator 05)
2022/GR000576
1/04/22 → 30/09/22
Project: Research

WASH Failures, FSMA Presents (podcast)
Barrington, D., Sindall, R. C. & Shaylor, E.
23/02/22
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Press / Media
Water, Sanitation, and Menstruation Stigma, Everybody Hates Me: Let's Talk About Stigma (podcast)
Barrington, D.
12/11/20
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Press / Media
Talking About Failure, Disasters: Deconstructed (podcast)
Barrington, D., Shaylor, E. & Sindall, R. C.
24/08/20
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Press / Media

1 Editorial activity
1 Public lecture, debate or seminar

WASH Failures
Barrington, D. (Speaker)
17 Oct 2024
Activity: Service and engagement › Public lecture, debate or seminar
Environmental Health Insights (Journal)
Barrington, D. (Guest editor)
8 Jan 2020 → 31 Mar 2022
Activity: Editorial work or peer review of publications › Editorial activity

4 Conference presentation/ephemera
4 Other contribution
3 Article in specialist publication
2 Other chapter contribution
More
- 2 Editorial
- 1 Article

Research in Action: Analysing Collaboratively
Barrington, D., Feb 2026, Management & Business Research. Jaspersen, L., Thorpe, R. & Valizade, D. (eds.). 8th ed. Los Angeles: SAGE Publications Ltd, p. 320-321
Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference paper › Other chapter contribution › peer-review
Cut the crap: 'partnership' is a buzzword, not a (current) reality
Barrington, D., Dec 2025, Sustainable Development Goals: Local | Regional | Global. Maginn, P., Perks, B. & Cronin, L. (eds.). UWA Public Policy Institute
Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference paper › Other chapter contribution
The persistence of failure in water, sanitation and hygiene programming: A qualitative study
Barrington, D., Sindall, R. C., Chinyama, A., Morse, T., Sule, M., Beale, J., Kativhu, T., Krishnan, S., Luwe, K., Malolo, R., Odili, A., Ravndal, K. T., Rose, J., Shaylor, E., Wozei, E., Chikwezga, F. & Evans, B. E., 24 Feb 2025, In: BMJ Global Health. 10, 2, e016354.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Open Access
16 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)

Cite this

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title = "Learning From and Preventing Failure in WASH",

abstract = "Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) failures continue to be discussed mostly off the record, with professionals the world over repeating one another{\textquoteright}s mistakes. Failure is difficult to talk about, but WASH failures have negative impacts {\textendash} money is wasted and sometimes people are harmed. We need to acknowledge that not everything we try will succeed, but that if we learn from one another, we can continuously improve our work. Since 2018, we have attempted to foster this change through the {\textquoteleft}WASH Failures Movement{\textquoteright}. This issue of Frontiers of Sanitation is a compilation of what we{\textquoteright}ve learned about why WASH failures happen, how we can address them, and how we can facilitate a culture of sharing and learning from failure in the WASH sector. ",

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N2 - Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) failures continue to be discussed mostly off the record, with professionals the world over repeating one another’s mistakes. Failure is difficult to talk about, but WASH failures have negative impacts – money is wasted and sometimes people are harmed. We need to acknowledge that not everything we try will succeed, but that if we learn from one another, we can continuously improve our work. Since 2018, we have attempted to foster this change through the ‘WASH Failures Movement’. This issue of Frontiers of Sanitation is a compilation of what we’ve learned about why WASH failures happen, how we can address them, and how we can facilitate a culture of sharing and learning from failure in the WASH sector.

AB - Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) failures continue to be discussed mostly off the record, with professionals the world over repeating one another’s mistakes. Failure is difficult to talk about, but WASH failures have negative impacts – money is wasted and sometimes people are harmed. We need to acknowledge that not everything we try will succeed, but that if we learn from one another, we can continuously improve our work. Since 2018, we have attempted to foster this change through the ‘WASH Failures Movement’. This issue of Frontiers of Sanitation is a compilation of what we’ve learned about why WASH failures happen, how we can address them, and how we can facilitate a culture of sharing and learning from failure in the WASH sector.

KW - Water

KW - Sanitation

KW - Hygiene

KW - Failure

KW - Co-design

KW - Funding

KW - Systems

KW - Projects

KW - Grants

M3 - Article in specialist publication

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JF - Frontiers of Sanitation

PB - Institute of Development Studies

ER -

Learning From and Preventing Failure in WASH

Abstract

UN SDGs

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Press/Media

Activities

Research output

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