Governance, accountability & finance

The Global Sanitation Fund is not a separate organization. It is a financing mechanism managed by the WSSCC Secretariat. Therefore the governance of the Global Sanitation Fund falls under the scope of the governance structure of WSSCC.

Accountability

The WSSCC Steering Committee, itself an elected body, makes the major programmatic decisions. WSSCC is accountable to its financial contributors through the Steering Committee, which is empowered to set up extra governance mechanisms as needed.

WSSCC is accountable to in-country stakeholders – especially to the unserved populations for whom it exists and to the governments – through robust mechanisms developed individually in each country in which WSSCC, and specifically the Global Sanitation Fund, operates.

Finance

The WSSCC Secretariat, based in Geneva, is legally and administratively hosted by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). Thus the legal identity of the Global Sanitation Fund is as a Trust Fund of UNOPS.

The Global Sanitation Fund is open to contributions from any source including governments, foundations, private sector, and individuals. Since this is a single pooled fund, the contributors agree that their funds can be used for the purpose decided by WSSCC’s Steering Committee.

WSSCC encourages donors to make multi-year commitments to this fund, in order to help long-term financial planning. Income can be received at any time of year. WSSCC positively welcomes support from donors that have not previously been supporting sanitation work – thus the Global Sanitation Fund attracts new funds into the sector.

Advisory Committee

The Advisory Committee is not an executive body and has no formal or legal power. Its purpose is to give professional advice in good faith to the WSSCC Secretariat in order to maximise the quality of work supported by the GSF.

Advisory Committee Members

The Advisory Committee consists of at least seven invited experts from around the world who give their advice independently and in their individual capacities. Advisory Committee members, either individually or through their organisational affiliation, may not have any financial, contractual or operational interest in any GSF Executing Agency, Sub-Grantee or Country Programme Monitor.

Advisory Committee members are appointed by invitation of the WSSCC Executive Director. Each member serves a fixed term of three years, renewable for a maximum of another three-year term. Former members are eligible for reappointment after a three year period.

The Advisory Committee members together hold expertise in the following areas:

sanitation technology and systems
hygiene promotion and health education
social marketing
gender issues
financing
contract management
monitoring and evaluation
other areas identified as relevant to the work of the GSF.

List of current members:

Dr. Sandy Cairncross, Professor of Environmental Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Mr. Roland Schertenleib, Special Advisor for Water and Sanitation, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag)
Mr. Ashoke Chatterjee, former Executive Director, National Institute of Design, India
Mr. Eduardo A. Perez, Senior Sanitation Specialist, Water and Sanitation Program (WSP)
Dr. Albert Wright, Senior Advisor to the Global Environment & Technology Foundation (GETF) in Arlington, Virginia (USA); Senior Advisor to the Global Water Partnership
Dr. Gueladio Cisse, Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Swiss Tropical Institute
Ms. Sophie Trémolet, Trémolet Consulting
Ms. Barbara Evans, Resource Person
Dr. Robert Martin, Resource Person

Advisory Committee Chair

The Chair of the Advisory Committee is elected by the members of the committee for a one year term, renewable for a maximum of two consecutive terms. In addition to his/her duties as an Advisory Committee member, the Chair has the following responsibilities:

to chair Advisory Committee meetings
to agree each meeting's agenda in advance with the GSF Programme Manager
to ensure the completeness of materials submitted by the GSF Programme Manager for consideration by the Advisory Committee.

The current Chair of the Advisory Committee is Dr. Sandy Cairncross.

Terms of Reference for the Advisory Committee

The Terms of Reference of the GSF Advisory Committee are:

to advise the WSSCC Secretariat on the type of work that should be eligible for GSF grants
to advise the WSSCC Secretariat on criteria for the selection of countries to benefit from the GSF
to review the GSF Medium Term Plan and annual workplans and advise the WSSCC Secretariat on any issues of concern
to review the scope of work for national GSF programmes and make recommendations regarding country selection and the allocation of funds for each funding round
to advise the WSSCC Secretariat on criteria and processes for the selection of Executing Agencies, Sub-grantees and Country Programme Monitors
upon request of the WSSCC Secretariat, to review draft documents arising from the work of the GSF, such as publications or products based on GSF experience
to advise the WSSCC Secretariat on GSF-related learning, advocacy and knowledge management
to review GSF progress and performance annually and recommend improvements in organisation, management, and the technical orientation and content of the work
to advise the WSSCC Secretariat on the resolution of any issues or problems related to the implementation of country programmes
to determine its own working methods and elect its Chair.

Advisory Committee Meetings

The Advisory Committee meets in person twice each year. The regular meeting venue is the WSSCC Secretariat in Geneva but occasionally meetings could be held in other venues if that is more efficient and convenient for the members. At each meeting the GSF Programme Manager (and potentially the WSSCC Executive Director if appropriate) is in attendance, together with a secretary to take minutes.

The next meeting of the Advisory Committee will be held in May 2010 in Geneva.