Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation
Encyclopedia
The Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation is a programme co-funded by the World Health Organization
and UNICEF. "The goals of the JMP are to report on the status of water-supply and sanitation, and to support countries in their efforts to monitor this sector, which will enable better planning and management." The data collected through the program are used by the United Nations to monitor the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal target to halve the portion of the population in developing countries without access to water supply and sanitation. The data are also used by the World Bank
and the World Health Organization
's Statistical Information System (WHOSIS).
The JMP does not collect primary data itself, but its data are exclusively from primary sources such as censuses
and national household surveys that are conducted by national statistical authorities every few years. One of the challenges faced by the JMP is that the definitions for an improved water source
and improved sanitation
are not consistent across countries. Another challenge is that censuses and surveys are only conducted every few years. The JMP thus uses linear regression
s to estimate data for a given year in a particular country even if no survey or census was carried out in that year, in order to be able to compare data across countries for a given year.
Criticism. The indicators used by the JMP are controversial, because they "do not take into account cultural and local perceptions of what works or not." For example, shared toilets are excluded from the definition of improved sanitation
. The reliability and sustainability of water and sanitation systems is also not included in the definition. Furthermore, water quality is not part of the definitions.
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
and UNICEF. "The goals of the JMP are to report on the status of water-supply and sanitation, and to support countries in their efforts to monitor this sector, which will enable better planning and management." The data collected through the program are used by the United Nations to monitor the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal target to halve the portion of the population in developing countries without access to water supply and sanitation. The data are also used by the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
and the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
's Statistical Information System (WHOSIS).
The JMP does not collect primary data itself, but its data are exclusively from primary sources such as censuses
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
and national household surveys that are conducted by national statistical authorities every few years. One of the challenges faced by the JMP is that the definitions for an improved water source
Improved water source
According to the Joint Monitoring Program for Water Supply and Sanitation by the World Health Organization and UNICEF the following are considered as "improved" water sources:* household connections* public standpipes* boreholes* protected dug wells...
and improved sanitation
Improved sanitation
According to the Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation by the World Health Organization and UNICEF the following are considered as "improved" sanitation:* connection to a public sewer* connection to a septic system* pour-flush latrine...
are not consistent across countries. Another challenge is that censuses and surveys are only conducted every few years. The JMP thus uses linear regression
Linear regression
In statistics, linear regression is an approach to modeling the relationship between a scalar variable y and one or more explanatory variables denoted X. The case of one explanatory variable is called simple regression...
s to estimate data for a given year in a particular country even if no survey or census was carried out in that year, in order to be able to compare data across countries for a given year.
Criticism. The indicators used by the JMP are controversial, because they "do not take into account cultural and local perceptions of what works or not." For example, shared toilets are excluded from the definition of improved sanitation
Improved sanitation
According to the Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation by the World Health Organization and UNICEF the following are considered as "improved" sanitation:* connection to a public sewer* connection to a septic system* pour-flush latrine...
. The reliability and sustainability of water and sanitation systems is also not included in the definition. Furthermore, water quality is not part of the definitions.