The Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) in partnership with GEF CReW+, UNEP Caribbean Environment Programme and Cartagena Convention Secretariat, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Caribbean WaterNet (Cap-Net), held a first of its kind international online training on the “Preparation of Shit Flow Diagrams (SFDs) for Caribbean Countries.”
An excreta flow diagram (also often described as a shit flow diagram), offers a new and innovative way to engage sanitation experts, political leaders and civil society in coordinated discussions on identification of areas for intervention across the sanitation chain in cities.
The SFD training programme for the Caribbean, took place from March 21st – April 4th, 2022 and sought tosensitise and equip practitioners in preparing the SFD and using it for preparing city-wide sanitation strategies. Furthermore, it focused on providing practical hand-on experience in the preparation of SFDs.
The workshop specifically targeted:
- Managers, regulators, officials of water and wastewater utilities, mid-level to senior technicians, university graduates, NGOs, statutory bodies, government agencies and the private sector.
- Individual practitioners/consultants, researchers, academia with prior basic knowledge or relevant experience working in the water and sanitation sector.
Twenty-eight (28) participants from the following countries participated in the training: Barbados, Belize, Curaçao, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Turks and Caicos Islands, The Bahamas, Montserrat and Trinidad and Tobago. The programme was administered in two (2) parts as seen below:
Part A: Context-Setting and Introduction (Self-Paced): March 21st – 28th, 2022
- Setting the context and understanding the need for SFDs.
- What is an SFD (Graphic and Report).
- Evolution of SFDs and various applications of SFDs.
Part 2: Action Learning (Instructor Led): March 29th – April 4th, 2022
- Methodology of Data Collection and Analysis; preparation of SFD Graphic and SFD Lite Report; and mock studio exercise on the practice of SFD.
- Demonstration of SFD Graphic Generator Tool and SFD PI.
- Process of SFD Report preparation including peer-review.
A short opening ceremony was held on March 29th, 2022 to commence the instructor led (Part 2) portion of the training. Speaking at the opening session were:
Mr. Dhruv Pasricha, Programme Officer at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) who set the context for the training for participants and shared about the work and various activities of the CSE.
Ms. Simone Lewis, GWP-C’s Regional Coordinator thanked participants and collaborators for being part of the SFD regional training and was able to share valuable information on the work of the GWP-C.
Also speaking at the opening ceremony was Mr. Christopher Corbin, Programme Officer at the UNEP Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP) and Cartagena Convention Secretariat.
He also provided remarks on behalf of the GEF CReW+. In Mr. Corbin’s presentation he shared valuable information on wastewater management and sanitation in the wider Caribbean Region; implementing solutions for integrated water and wastewater management; the need for SFDs in the Caribbean; and related work of UNEP CEP and the Cartagena Convention Secretariat, as well as the GEF CReW+ Project.
As a result of the training programme, participants’ key learning outcomes included:
- Learning about the SFDs tool (graphic and report) and the history of their development.
- Understanding the need for a standardised methodology for SFD preparation.
- Hands-on experience in preparing SFDs.
- Step-by-step guidance and technical support for preparing SFDs and publishing it on the SuSanA global database (https://sfd.susana.org/about/worldwide-projects).
Grant funding will be provided to participants from Caribbean countries, who successfully complete Part 2 of the training for the preparation of in-country SFDs. They will also receive technical assistance from CSE to develop the initial, intermediate or comprehensive SFD for their country. Moreover, the developed SFD will be peer-reviewed under the SFD Promotion Initiative and published in the SuSanA platform.
Participants who have successful completed the SFD training will receive a completion certificate. This workshop/collaboration is part of GWP-C’s overall goal to strengthen and build capacity and drive regional reforms for Integrated Wastewater Management.
GWP-C and the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Promote the Development of Caribbean SFDs
As a follow up to the SFD training, an SFD Course Opportunities, Next Steps, and Way Forward meeting was held on May 3rd, 2022, facilitated by the Centre of Science and Environment India (CSE) and the Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C).
The objective of the meeting was to inform eligible participants of the International Online Training Programme on Preparation of Shit Flow Diagram (SFD) for Caribbean Countries about the opportunities that exist for the development of SFDs in their own municipalities, cities or countries.
The package of opportunities consists of:
- Step-by-step guidance and technical support for preparing a SFD lite for a city or municipality in your country.
- Guidance on publishing your SFD on the SuSanA global database.
- Meetings with the specialists throughout the process.
- Access to grant funding to offset some of the associated costs incurred during the data collection stage and the preparation of the SFD.
The initiative has a 12-week timeline established for the completion of each SFD lite. This is a unique opportunity for the Caribbean as currently there are no SFDs in the SuSanA global database for the Caribbean region.
The International Online Training Programme on Preparation of Shit Flow Diagram (SFD) for Caribbean Countries and the follow up initiative were developed thanks to our collaborating partners UNEP–Cartagena Convention Secretariat and the Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP), Caribbean WaterNet (Cap-Net) and the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) who remain committed to building capacity and driving regional reforms and actions for Integrated Wastewater Management in the Caribbean Region.
On June 15th,GWP-C and its partners hosted the first technical call for SFD development in the Caribbean. The agenda covered an overview of the technical support available to Caribbean Countries, a timeline for technical meeting dates and targets, examples of presentation formats for different meetings and mapping of targeted cities. Participants were offered insight on steering their SFDs in the right direction, analyzing available data, developing timelines and publishing on the SuSanA Portal and effectively scaling their SFDs while considering time and resource constraints.
The GWP-C continues to work closely with its partners to assist Caribbean countries in the development of their SFD