By Zekarias Shenkut – Senior Technical Advisor WASH, World Vision U.S.
In our water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programming, we have asked ourselves, what if the true measure of WASH success isn’t just access, but whether systems we build today are still providing services 20 years from now?
To achieve that requires a committed focus on quality.
Why quality matters
Quality is the foundation of trust and reliability we build with the communities we partner with. Quality determines whether services protect health, endure over time, and genuinely improve lives. When quality is compromised, systems may exist on paper but fail in practice. Quality ensures that our WASH products and services meet the highest standards, deliver value, foster satisfaction, and demonstrate responsible stewardship of donor and government partner resources.
Quality means it is SAFER
At a recent Water and Health Conference hosted by the University of North Carolina’s Water Institute, World Vision convened a side event exploring what quality means beyond compliance with guidelines and technical standards. These discussions continued across the World Vision partnership through forums and workshops to create a harmonized understanding and definition to shape our strategies, frameworks, and practical approaches.
Our strategy uses this refined definition of quality WASH services, represented by the acronym SAFER. Meaning, we believe quality WASH services are:
- Safe: Will not cause harm to public health or safety of users.
- Accessible: Available to all, including the most vulnerable.
- Functional: Works as designed and according to community needs.
- Equitable: Equitably available to all, considering social and physical dynamics.
- Resilient: Available when users need it and are resistant to climatic and other shocks.
Fostering our culture of quality
To achieve these SAFER quality standards, they must become part of our culture, permeating every aspect of our work. This requires a shared commitment to that culture, where every team member is equipped and empowered to make decisions that prioritize quality at every stage of our work. It is with these aspirations that we are rolling out our WASH Culture of Quality (COQ) Strategy.
In addition to establishing a common definition of quality, fostering a Culture of Quality requires determining shared values.
For World Vision, our COQ core values include:
- Quality starts with leadership
We believe quality begins at the top. This means leaders at all levels model a commitment to quality by prioritizing it in decisions, actions, and accountability. - Invest in quality
We value intentional investment — of time, budget, and attention — to embed quality into every stage of our work. Quality requires planning, structure, and oversight from the start. - Quality is everyone’s responsibility
We believe every team member plays a role in delivering quality. Ownership, engagement, and accountability across all levels create a culture of continuous improvement. - Learn, adapt, improve
We are committed to ongoing learning. We embrace feedback, reflect on results, and make changes that strengthen our work and elevate our impact.
To embed these principles, several ongoing initiatives began this year, including webinars, awards celebrations, and improved knowledge-sharing opportunities. We are also focusing on leadership commitment at all levels and shifting staff mindsets to ensure this broadened definition of quality is prioritized and communicated effectively.
Worldwide, our regional offices are now working with individual countries to develop country specific Quality Assurance and Quality Control plans that demonstrate the application of standards, guidelines, protocols, tools, and processes to ensure that our WASH services are SAFER and that we are generating evidence of progress toward our organizational quality goals. As part of these plans, our field offices will identify gaps throughout the WASH service development process and create action plans with clear steps, roles, and responsibilities, demonstrating continuous improvement that is consistently monitored and regularly reported.
“Our desire is to integrate quality into the daily fabric of World Vision programming,” envisioned Jordan Smoke, Senior Director of WASH. “To see change instituted, we recognize it needs to be reflected in each decision made by every team member. It needs to be woven into the fabric of who we are and what we do. Practically speaking: this culture should determine the people we hire, the goals and priorities we make, the metrics we track, the conversations in the halls and in the conference rooms, the partners we work with, and the way money is spent,” he continued.
Looking ahead
Embedding a Culture of Quality across planning, design, construction, and long-term operation, is essential for sustainable WASH systems. By prioritizing a culture of quality beyond compliance, we envision an environment where quality is a shared responsibility and a collective achievement.
We invite you to join us in our commitment to SAFER WASH services. Together, we can build a future where quality is at the heart of everything we do.
