The Integrating WASH Services (I-WASH) project, executed by Global Communities, and supported by SEGURA Consulting, is a comprehensive initiative designed to enhance and integrate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and water resource management (WRM) services in the Huehuetenango and Quiche departments of Guatemala.

The I-WASH project adopts a multi-faceted approach to improve water governance and accountability across all government levels: central, municipal, and local. The project aims to address rural water and sanitation challenges by mobilizing public financing, international cooperation, and the financial sector. It also involves the private sector to extend service coverage to rural communities. Simultaneously, it endeavors to mobilize and professionalize the local workforce to improve WASH products and services, contributing to social and behavioral change. This wide-ranging approach seeks to reduce chronic child malnutrition and enhance the population's quality of life. The project prioritizes collaboration with women, youth, and indigenous communities, and partnership building with local organizations. It operates in 18 municipalities across Guatemala’s Western Highlands region. By the end of the project, the anticipated outcomes include enhanced coordination between government levels, improved municipal water and sanitation offices, professionalized water services workforce, and equitable access to high-quality, sustainable services.

SEGURA works on Objective 4 - Strengthened WASH Markets, which focuses on using a market-based approach to increase private sector participation in the WASH sector. SEGURA currently provides the services of a long-term local Public-Private Finance Specialist. To fulfill Objective 4, I-WASH will segment the market into customer profiles and engage private sector partners to use human-centered design to design, produce, and distribute affordable, desirable, hygienic WASH products and services. The project aims to identify local small and medium WASH service enterprises and build their capacity to provide affordable and desirable WASH services and/or products in the area of intervention, including, promotion and support to women and youth of indigenous descent, to establish or scale up their small and medium WASH service enterprises.

Client:
Global Communities | USAID/Guatemala

Years:
2022-2027

Technical Areas:
Governance & Institutional Reform, Infrastructure and Environment

Region:
Latin America and the Caribbean

Location:
Guatemala