Resource: Video

UN Water has developed the SDG 6 Acceleration Framework, comprised of five accelerators that are designed to “dramatically improve support to countries” to achieve SDG 6. Two of these accelerators are capacity development and innovation. These tend to be both neglected and misunderstood. Capacity development is often interpreted by development agencies as merely meaning providing training workshops in a “one off” manner., but capacity development should address the way water and sanitation sector institutions are set up, and how staff operate within them. Innovation is often interpreted as being limited to the introduction of new technology, but should cover methodology as well as technology, and, like capacity development, requires enabling institutions and a conducive policy environment. Capacity development and innovation overlap in that, ideally, there is well established capacity to adapt and innovate in order to solve the problems of the sector and overcome obstacles to progress. How do we build capacity to innovate and troubleshoot?