Category: Africa

In November 2020, WPDx launched a re-designed website to make it even easier to for users to share, access and analyze water point data.

A key feature of the new site is a new and improved “ingestion engine” which simplifies the process for  sharing data with WPDx.  The ingestion engine can accept data through a direct file upload or through a connection to a URL or API endpoint in any of the following formats: csv, xls(x), Google Sheets, JSON, or HTML table. After an organization has reviewed the data standard, the upload process can be completed in minutes.

Please check out our step-by-step how-to guide and short video for more information on how to share data with WPDx today!

DataRobot, an automated machine learning platform that helps build and deploy accurate predictive models, has partnered with the Global Water Challenge (GWC) to pilot their Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Good: Powered by DataRobot initiative. DataRobot created AI for Good because they believe artificial intelligence has the potential to help solve the greatest challenges facing society. Whether it’s improving healthcare and education, mitigating the effects of climate change, or fighting cybercrime, DataRobot trusts that AI has the power to make meaningful change.

In 2018, DataRobot and GWC, the Water Point Data Exchange’s (WPDx) parent organization, worked closely to develop sustainable water solutions and advance WPDx’s capacity. More than 500,000 data points were analyzed to create WPDx’s advanced analytics tools. Building onthe successful results achieved with GWC’s pilot collaboration, DataRobot launched AI for Good: Powered by Data Robot. Now, they are looking for other non-profit organizations to partner with them and discover how AI can also help them reinforce their work. DataRobot’s goal is simple: Impact one million lives in the first year. At WPDx, we are thrilled that our partnership not only led to the enhancement of our platform’s power but that its effective results have inspired a company like DataRobot to use data to create sustainable and lasting impacts. 

To learn more about GWC and DataRobot’s collaboration, please watch this video. 

In their first Global Report on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), the Open Government Partnership (OGP) selected the Water Point Data Exchange (WPDx) as the leader in setting a standard for mapping and collecting rural water data. WPDx’s standard was classified under “Basic level and quality of service data.” The OGP established that the nominees in this category must provide a clear and globally endorsed data standard, technical guidance, and a global data repository that enables all stakeholders to access and analyze data about water services easily. “For OGP countries looking to address WASH through their action plans, standards around water reporting build on the experience of other systems and allow for learning and comparison. Using existing standard reporting processes reduces conceptual work and makes systems compatible and comparable across service providers and countries,” the report added. WPDx is honored that OGP recommended our standard for collecting rural water data. We continue committed to improving water access for millions of people as a result of better standarized open-source data. 

To read the full report, click here.

The Water Point Data Exchange was featured in a recent Gartner research paper. “Four Real-World Case Studies: Implement Augmented DSML to Enable Expert and Citizen Data Scientists,” authored by Carlie Idoine and Jim Hare of Gartner, explored how augmented data science and machine learning (DSML) not only gives citizen data scientists access to DSML capabilities, but it also makes experts more efficient and productive. Idoine and Hare selected four cases that they concluded data and analytics leaders should study to understand the business impact of augmented DSML. WPDx was honored to be one of the exemplary cases chosen. Specifically, the authors utilized WPDx as the example to “incorporate governance to manage and guide your augmented data science approach, with significant focus on data access and data quality.” According to the report, “the data provided [by WPDx] guides the Ministries’ planning and providing facts, not just assumptions. And it ultimately provides more trust in the approach and in the results. As Mohamed Small Jueah Bah, Program Officer for Monitoring and Evaluation, Sierra Leone Ministry of Water Resources explained, an augmented approach has made his job “easier, easier, easier, easier, easier. It’s as simple as eating a banana!”

You can read the full report here.

Today is a momentous event for WASH monitoring in Sierra Leone. I want to start by thanking all the development partners who have supported us from 2016, led by UNICEF, AfDB, IRC, Akvo, Global Water Challenge & WPDx and recently Njala University. I extend our thanks to the UK and Dutch governments who provided most of the funds to support the WASH data journey. I also want to thank the UNICEF Country Representative, Dr. Hamid who has made time to be here in person during this launch.

Data is at the heart of any meaningful development in any country. In WASH, data is especially critical because the changes impact on other development indices directly. The government through the Ministry of Water Resources together with the Ministry of Health & Sanitation has been strengthening WASH M&E in the last 5 years. Currently, we pride ourselves to have one of the most comprehensive WASH data in the region. Most importantly we now have the capacity to collect, transmit, store, integrate and analyze all our WASH data digitally. This is no mean feat and we appreciate all the efforts that have gone into making this a reality and a first for Sierra Leone.

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We have continued our journey on the improvement of the of WASH monitoring by partnering with the Global Water Challenge (GWC) to help us undertake advanced analytics from the WASH data in our database to produce useful insights that inform decision making for WASH planning. It is very exciting that now with correct data we can accurately determine where we will get the best value for money by building the next water point. It will also give us information on the performance of WASH technologies and helps to decide on the best fit for our country. In the past one week, GWC has been training government and other WASH sector staff on how to undertake these advanced analytics. I am proud that 50 WASH staff graduated and that will spearhead taking WASH in Sierra Leone to the next level.

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This is a major milestone for Sierra Leone. As we work together on routine monitoring, routine data sharing, and routine data use, we will become one of the first countries in the world to regularly collect, share, and use data. This is a leadership opportunity for our country and one that will allow us to accelerate progress towards attainment of SDG 6.