A system-wide approach is essential to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets of universal and equitable access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) for all. The right metrics, applied in the right way, can help track progress towards these targets and incentivise system strengthening behaviour among donors, governments and implementing partners.

This report provides an assessment of different approaches to monitoring systems change, and their associated risks. Based on this analysis, it provides recommendations to further enhance current monitoring approaches, to capture important drivers of system performance in a dynamic, complex sector.