Newsletter SPLASH - March 2010

To view the online version, please go to: http://www.splash-era.net/downloads/newsletter_1003.pdf

1. SPLASH research call on sustainable sanitation service chains is now launched
   
2. Mekong Water and Energy project
   
3. SPLASH seminar at the 15th International African Water Congress and Exhibition, Kampala, March 2010
   
4. SPLASH Fact sheets

1. SPLASH research call on sustainable sanitation service chains is now launched

SPLASH’s research call is launched today, 1st March, 2010. The overall call budget is approx. 1.9 Mio Euro. The call is funded by the following donors:

• Austria Development Cooperation (ADC), Austria
• Department for International Development (DFID), United Kingdom
• Ministère des Affaires Étrangères et Européenes (MAEE), France
• Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), Sweden
• Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Switzerland

The deadline for submitting concept notes is April 23, 13:00 (CET).

1. Topics of the call

In Sub-Saharan Africa, the rates of urbanization have generally exceeded the capacities of national and local governments to plan and manage sanitation systems in an efficient, equitable and sustainable way. Improving sanitation services to the urban poor is an urgent priority that will have major positive impacts on human health and dignity, economic productivity and the environment. Research is required to support these efforts.
The major objective of the SPLASH research call is to contribute to the understanding and implementation at scale of sustainable sanitation service chains in low-income urban areas in Sub-Saharan Africa. 

2. Expected projects and expected results

Proposals to be submitted under the SPLASH call should focus on investigation of the sanitation service systems in low-income urban areas in Sub-Saharan Africa. They may consider both working and dysfunctional systems, by investigating and evaluating key factors for success or failure of a system. In particular, proposals should address three main issues:

• The role of service providers, to better understand the nature of the public and private market and its mechanisms in urban sanitation systems.

• The urban sanitation market, to understand and quantify the financial flows in urban sanitation systems, to investigate how the urban poor can participate in the urban sanitation market and to design pro-poor sanitation financing mechanisms.

• The role of policies and regulatory frameworks in shaping sustainable urban sanitation service chains, to understand the key factors of an enabling environment for pro-poor urban sanitation.

Project results should contribute to: 

• • understanding sustainable sanitation service chains in urban areas from a financial, social, institutional and technical point of view;

  • determining good practice, innovative models, key success factors and barriers for the implementation of sanitation service chains for the urban poor;

  • formulating evidence-based policy recommendations and institutional arrangements that further large-scale implementation of sustainable sanitation service chains in poor urban areas.

3. Eligibility criteria

Each research consortium must be transnational and consist of a minimum of three independent legal entities. At least two consortium partners must be from one or more African countries and at least one consortium partner must be from a European country.
The research projects commissioned by the SPLASH call on sanitation service chains will be limited to 36 month in duration. Each research consortia can apply for a total SPLASH research contribution in the range of 250'000 – 500'000 Euro.

Eligible participants entitled to funding are legal entities like research institutes, universities, private companies including SMEs, public administrations, civil society organisations, and non-governmental organisations from countries of Africa and from European countries. 

4. Application procedure and evaluation

The SPLASH research call will employ a two stage application process: in the first step, consortia are invited to submit concept notes. Subsequently, shortlisted consortia will be invited to submit full proposals.

The evaluation process consists of three steps: In step 1 and 2, concept notes and full proposals will be evaluated in a peer-review process; in step 3, the projects to be funded will be selected by an international panel of science and development experts. 

5. Forms, guidelines and further information

A detailed applicant's guide and templates for the submission of concept notes is available on the SPLASH website www.splash-era.net/sanitation-call
For further questions, please contact the call secretariat:
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
Manfred Kaufmann
manfred.kaufmann@deza.admin.ch

2. Mekong Water and Energy project 

The SPLASH project “Water and Energy: Sustainable Development of Hydropower involving the Private Sector in Research Collaboration in the Lower Mekong Region" is now underway, funded by the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. SPLASH partners involved in this are DWF, NVE, SYKE and DFID, working together with local and regional consultants from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. The main activities of the project are: 

• • an assessment and review of existing research, knowledge transfer and capacity building at both the academic level and in the private sector, in topics related to hydropower development (namely water balance, effects of climate change on hydrology, multi-criteria decision analysis and water footprints);

  • an assessment of existing legal frameworks and investment models of the private sector in hydropower development;

  • a multi-stakeholder workshop in Laos in September 2010; and

  • outlines and recommendations for research and capacity building programmes in the above- topics for the Lower Mekong Basin.

The project is expected to be completed at the end of 2010. 

3. SPLASH seminar at the 15th International African Water Congress and Exhibition, Kampala, March 2010

SPLASH will attend the 15th International African Water Congress. We will have a poster exhibition throughout the week and we are also convening a seminar on “Communicating and using research for improved effectiveness in the water and sanitation sector” on Wednesday 17th March at 14.30-16.00pm.

This seminar focuses on how to increase the use of research findings both in practice and in policy development. We know that research is more likely to be used if relevant stakeholders are involved throughout the research cycle and that its uptake by decision makers and practitioners depends on effective communication. We have key speakers from the Water Research Commission in South Africa, the Volta Basin Authority, SACCNET, and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) initiative for establishing Centres of Excellence on water science and technology, who have experience of good research management, effective partnerships and successfully reaching policy makers and practitioners. There will also be opportunity for questions, discussion and for you to share your own experience.

Please come and join us at the seminar to find out more and share your own experiences with us. Or come and meet us at our poster exhibition.
For more information, contact Julie Fisher j.fisher1@lboro.ac.uk

4. SPLASH fact sheets

SPLASH has produced a number of fact sheets, which synthesise some of its key outputs. These can be seen at http://www.splash-era.net/search_outputs.php#fs
Numbers 1 to 10 are available in hard copy. If you require any of these, please contact Julie Fisher j.fisher1@lboro.ac.uk

Contact SPLASH:

Anne Blenkinsopp
Programme Manager, Central Research Department
Department for International Development (DFID)
era‐net@dfid.gov.uk

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