Recently, the Ministry of Health (MoH), through decree 2-2023, is standardizing the implementation and auditing of WSPs. This move aims to produce effective guidelines and innovative tools to conduct WSP audits at the subnational level.
The Indonesian Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas) has set a bold target to increase the proportion of safe drinking water coverage from 11.8% in 2020 to 54.6% by 2030. Achieving this target calls for a sturdy water safety plan audit, a process endorsed by WHO to sustain public health standards and ensure drinking water quality.
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Following WHO Indonesia’s orientation on setting up WSP regulatory audit in 2022, the MoH has been setting up a regulatory audit system. Comprehensive national guidelines and tools emerged from a series of stakeholder meetings held from November 2022 to May 2023.
The guidelines provide a comprehensive framework for WSP audits detailing everything from stakeholder roles and responsibilities, auditor qualification and certification processes, to audit methodology, criteria and tools. They also cover crucial procedures for evaluating and reporting audit outcomes. To ensure their effectiveness, the tools were applied to six different water providers: Delta Tirta Sidoarjo district water provider, Surya Sembada Surabaya Municipal Water Provider, Umbulan regional water provider, Communal Water System Temanggung, Depok City water provider, and Tangerang district water provider, from May to June 2023.
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In an effort to broaden their understanding, WSP focal points from MOH, Bappenas and Ministry of Public Works and Housing seized an opportunity to glean insight into WSP audit implementation from other countries. This intellectual exchange took place during the regional workshop of WSP Audit and Sanitation Safety Planning, hosted in Kathmandu from 25–28 April 2023. The workshop’s standout feature was the first-hand guidance offered by a team of international experts from WHO and seasoned regional WSP audit professionals. Their expertise shed light on how to establish a successful WSP audit, catalysing the momentum for improvement in Indonesia. This knowledge sharing and experiences played a pivotal role in shaping Indonesia's approach to WSP audits.
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Indonesian delegates embarked on an enlightening journey to Nepal, where they explored the communal water distribution system and gained valuable insights into the implementation of WSP surveillance and audit. The visit took place in Kathmandu from 25–28 April 2023. Credit: WHO/Indah Deviyanti
"You may be wondering if your country is ready to start planning regulatory audit schemes. Even if WSP scale-up is just beginning, it is a good time to start thinking about WSP audit schemes. In fact, regulatory audits provide valuable insights into the scale-up of WSP programmes. Don't wait for the WSPs to be “perfect” before starting to plan audits when the WSP commences,” suggested Darryl Jackson, an international WSP expert.
The auditing process is critical for the sustainable implementation of all WSPs. Drawing from international experience, we can ascertain that the absence of auditing could seriously hamper the successful enactment of WSPs. Should this happen, Indonesia’s objective of securing safe drinking water for every citizen could risk stagnation or even regress.
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Indonesian delegates discussed with WHO NPO for Environmental Health on how the WSP audit can be contextualised in Indonesia. Photo credit: WHO SEARO
WHO is set to offer technical expertise and joining forces with partners, like KIAT-DFAT, to create a comprehensive auditor training curriculum and foster a new generation of WSP auditors. According to the milestones in the drinking water roadmap, the MoH will spearhead the implementation of audits across 13 water providers in 2023.