New Learning Report: The Inclusive WASH Training Package Proves Effective

A new learning report shows that the iWASH training package of Phase 4 – Leave no one behind! (LNOB) strengthens knowledge, confidence and practical understanding of disability-inclusive WASH. The report reviews the training’s impact across four project countries. An accompanying collection of case studies and new facilitator and participant tip sheets is also available.

The iWASH Training Package

The training package “Introduction to Disability-Inclusive Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene in Humanitarian Action” has been designed to support trainers in facilitating learning and discussions on disability-inclusive WASH response. The package was developed through an inter-agency co-creation process as part of the Leave no one behind! project and published in June 2025.

Results from the Learning Report

Since its publication, almost 300 people have been trained across Uganda, South Sudan, Somalia/Somaliland and Nigeria. An independent consultant collected evidence of the training’s impact, published in this learning report. The report examines training delivery and its results, looking at participant reactions, learning, behaviour and organisational change. The findings are encouraging: knowledge and confidence improved substantially across all four countries, especially among participants with less prior knowledge.

At the same time, the report identifies remaining gaps and offers ideas for improvement. Demand for iWASH trainings exceeded available capacity. Most of the gaps identified are structural: funding, follow-up and institutional ownership often prevent what has been learned from being put into practice, even when the willingness to do so exists.

What Change Looks Like in Practice

The accompanying publication “Case Studies: Evidence of Change” illustrates what these findings look like on the ground, with eight documented cases. These include disability representation on water user committees in a Ugandan refugee settlement, a water kiosk in Somaliland designed together with a woman with disabilities, and new coordination mechanisms such as a government-chaired working group in Wau, South Sudan.

“This training strengthened the capacity of local humanitarian actors to design and implement more accessible water, sanitation, and hygiene programmes. The OPD co-facilitation made the disability dimension tangible and real.” (Yobe State, Nigeria)

New Tip Sheets Available

To help trainers and participants apply the learning, a set of tip sheets accompanies the report. Six facilitator tip sheets offer practical guidance on planning, adapting, delivering and scaling inclusive WASH training — from working with WASH coordination groups to maintaining quality in Training of Trainers (ToT). Three participant tip sheets support participants in applying what they have learned.

What Comes Next

Taken together, the learning report and case studies show that the iWASH package is effective, now the task is to make this learning stick — through structured follow-up, strong partnerships with Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and steady monitoring of organisational change.