Evidenced transformations: using data to demonstrate improvement in school-based access to water, sanitation and hygiene in Uttar Pradesh, India

The availability and access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities in schools have been associated with enhanced learning and nutritional outcomes among children in India and elsewhere. However, there is a limited documentation of successful scaled-up models to improve WASH facilities in schools. This paper describes an innovative ‘transformation campaign’ to strengthen WASH facilities in government-run elementary schools in Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in India. The campaign was launched in 2018 followed by an online monitoring portal using data-informed feedback and role modeling in 2020. A comprehensive baseline assessment was conducted in 114,790 government elementary schools in Uttar Pradesh, during which school focal persons ranked their schools' access to WASH services against the set benchmarks. Concurrently, high-ranking schools were established as ‘learning labs’ for neighboring schools and were provided with on-site capacity building opportunities. More than 150,000 teachers were systematically engaged through regular virtual trainings and automated calls that tracked progress, all parts of a centralized online portal. This champion-led transformation of school (CLTS) approach was adopted by the government to recognize best practices supported by students and teachers. Initiatives of teachers and village-elected representatives (Gram Pradhan), who were identified as ‘champions’, were recognized and disseminated to build an enabling environment that will sustain access and practices. As of July 2021, 65.8% of the assessed schools across 75 districts have improved their basic infrastructure through repairing/retrofitting of defunct facilities and constructions of new ones as per the gaps identified. They become ‘WASH compliant’ and leveraged around INR 45.71 billion of public financing from multiple sources in last 3–4 years. Now, the state is rolling out a similar transformation campaign for 188,997 pre-school centers that will cover 5.6 million children between the ages of 3 and 6 years. The implementation process, challenges and learnings of this campaign can be used to formulate strategies and designing scaled-up interventions to improve WASH facilities in schools.