The participatory M&E teams in USAID IUWASH PLUS assisted areas has provided tangible benefits for Ternate city. For instance, through the participatory assessment and triggering, the M&E teams successfully increased communities’ awareness and motivation to adopt clean and healthy behaviors.
Due to advocacy from the M&E teams and other stakeholders, the Public Works Office of Ternate city built individual and communal septic tanks in Sulamadaha, Loto, Sangaji, and Foramadiahi urban villages, and a water supply system in Foramadiahi.
Seeing the benefits of the M&E teams’ works, the Ternate City Health Office took initiative to replicate the teams in the non-USAID IUWASH PLUS supported areas. “The M&E team replication is essential to support WASH behavior change and promotion,” explained Ms. Aida Fitria – a staff member of Ternate City Health Office. She added that the replication is also important to support data collection for the e-M&E in community based total sanitation (STBM).
To expand the M&E teams, Ms. Aida Fitria worked with the sanitarians from all 14 puskesmas in Ternate city to advocate their respective heads of puskesmas to form the team in 78 urban villages in Ternate city.
After a series of discussions, only Puskesmas Kalumata was ready to replicate the M&E team. The puskesmas 2020 health operational fund (BOK) to replicate the M&E team in Tanah Tinggi Barat village. As an action, Puskesmas Kalumata, the city health office, and Tanah Tinggi Barat urban village—with assistance from USAID IUWASH PLUS, formed an M&E team in January 2021.
Tanah Tinggi Barat urban village is enthusiastic about this initiative because the M&E team is believed to be able to bring public participation in improving WASH access. The Head of Tanah Tinggi Barat urban village, Ms. Rosidah, also hopes that the M&E team can help the village to complete the STBM data and update the population data.
To reiterate her support, Ms. Rosidah issued a decree on the STBM Working Team in Tanah Tinggi Barat. The decree, which was enacted in January, 2021, legitimates 13 cadres in Tanah Tinggi Barat to be part of the M&E team. In addition, the government of Tanah Tinggi Barat also allocated budget to support the M&E team collecting the WASH data.
Still in January 2021, USAID IUWASH PLUS also trained the M&E team members and sanitarian of Puskesmas Kalumata on the urban STBM, funded by the puskesmas’ BOK. Immediately after the training, the M&E team in Tanah Tinggi Barat collected the WASH data, using the funds from the village.
Until March 2021, the M&E team collected data from 91 households. In total, the participatory M&E teams from seven urban villages in Ternate city (Loto, Foramadiahi, Sangaji, Dufa-Dufa, Sulamadaha, Tabona, and Tanah Tinggi Barat) have collected WASH data from 1,320 households. The city health office has used the data for the STBM M&E.
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