Uptime

We are pleased to announce an addition to the Uptime Global senior leadership team with Ranjita Rajan joining Uptime Global as a Non-Executive Director. Ranjita works with for-impact and for-profit investors and chief executives to advance sustainable and inclusive value creation. Her extensive global experiences as an economist, management consultant, entrepreneur, founder, CEO, Chair and board member underpin her work in shaping board governance, leadership, talent, integrating business relevant, material ESG and DEI issues, and net zero transition strategies. She grew up in Liberia, commenced her career as a macroeconomist in Uganda’s Ministry of Finance, holds MSc and BSc Econ degrees from the London School of Economics.

This new Nature Water paper from the REACH | Water Security team is short but carries a big idea (and not just because of the Uptime shout out): What funding models are flexible and appropriate to enable science to deliver results? It's a question I've thought about often through my journey trying to use academic systems to affect real world change. I'd intended for my PhD to develop IP that I could spin into practical applications for influencing systems change, perhaps as a new company. It didn't exactly work out as planned. But it did lead to new ideas and more questions. Years later, collaboration through my next practitioner role in Uganda and the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment - University of Oxford eventually led to the Uptime initiative and everything that has grown into. Foundational academic work has been key throughout. But, too easily, that's also where the story can end. Immense executional effort is needed to translate science into results that can move the needle on SDG outcomes. Otherwise, this foundational work risks remaining confined to the papers it is printed on. Which leads to this key idea in the latest publication: "a new funding architecture for international development needs to transition from ‘science directs’ to ‘science serves’, with science–practitioner partnerships adapted to policy priorities in dialogue with local concerns". There should be dedicated funding mechanisms to translate good ideas into results. Of course. This does exist for obvious commercial applications, but the way forward for innovations on complex socio-economic issues like #SDG outcomes is less clear. I'm deeply curious about what a generalized 'funding architecture' could look like. Uptime eventually emerged from a lucky and hardworking combination of like-minded partners and innovative foundations who gambled on what seemed like a good idea. Years of prior academic and practitioner work had helped to write down the risk. What else might crop up if more formalized structures could identify and catalyze application of ideas emerging from academic research? Is this happening in a coherent way in other sectors or universities? It feels like there really could be something interesting here. Hit me up if you know of other examples or want to brainstorm. 

Delighted to have Meleesa Naughton joining the Uptime team!

Continuing our announcements of new Uptime team members we welcome Meleesa Naughton who has joined the Uptime Global team from this week as Programme Coordinator. Meleesa is a water supply and sanitation and water resources management professional, with more than 10 years of experience with multilateral organisations, government agencies, non-profits, water and sanitation utilities and private sector consultancies. She holds a Masters in Water Science, Policy and Management from the University of Oxford (UK) and an advanced Masters in GIS and Remote Sensing for Natural Resources Management from AgroParisTech (France). Meleesa enjoys working at the intersection of research and implementation, and is always looking to learn from water users, organisations and practitioners to make tangible progress towards SDG6. Meleesa will be joining the Uptime Global team to support global data integrity and influencing wider sector adoption of results-based contracts.

Uptime Global is delighted to welcome new members to the team as we progress towards the vision of services for 100 million people by 2030. This week we will be highlighting our three newest team members and the expertise they bring to Uptime Global. Firstly we welcome Chilala Haankuku who has joined Uptime Global as Zambia Programme Coordinator. Chilala is a socio-economic researcher in international development with over ten years of experience.  Her focus areas include water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) service provision.  She has experience working in Zambia, Mozambique and the United Kingdom.  One of her key strengths is developing operational, efficient processes and project programming for urban and rural contexts. Chilala joined the Uptime Global team in February 2024 to lead development of a results-based pilot for rural schools and healthcare facilities in Zambia.

Uptime is featured in Apple's latest announcement on its progress toward its 2030 goal of replenishing 100 percent of the fresh water used in corporate operations in high-stress locations. "Last year, Apple achieved its target for 100 percent water replenishment for the company’s corporate operations in India through its ongoing work with Uptime Catalyst Facility. In 2023, Apple’s support provided 23 million gallons of clean, affordable drinking water to communities from over 300 water kiosks run by local entrepreneurs in the innovative performance-based program." Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gS84Ni7b

Uptime is featured in Apple's latest announcement on its progress toward its 2030 goal of replenishing 100 percent of the fresh water used in corporate operations in high-stress locations. "Last year, Apple achieved its target for 100 percent water replenishment for the company’s corporate operations in India through its ongoing work with Uptime Catalyst Facility. In 2023, Apple’s support provided 23 million gallons of clean, affordable drinking water to communities from over 300 water kiosks run by local entrepreneurs in the innovative performance-based program." Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gS84Ni7b

Quality data are at the core of Uptime's work. Our latest report discusses the findings and implications from our 2023 data audit on the performance of rural drinking water services. This process plays an important role in Uptime’s wider data integrity strategy to ensure that results-based payments are grounded in accuracy. Get the report here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eT9VSryF Many thanks to the service providers for their excellent work and cooperation in this process EOS International, FundiFix, International Lifeline Fund, Project Maji , Safe Water Network, UDUMA, Ugandan Water Project, Water Compass, Water for Good, Water4, Water Mission and Whave Solutions.

Our latest briefing note with the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment - University of Oxford on Reducing Uncertainty in Corporate Water Impact: The Role of Results-Based Contracting for Drinking Water Supply is now live. This note outlines how RBC's provide a simple and cost-effective way for corporates to fulfil their commitments to ESG, CSR, SDG6, water stewardship and other categories at scale with transparent outcomes and reduced risk. Read the full briefing note here: https://lnkd.in/egX4bwmx

The Trustees of the Uptime Catalyst Facility (UCF) are pleased to report that the UCF has now received the required funding commitments to enable the renewal of all results-based contracts with existing service providers, for 2024. This is a significant milestone, particularly given the expansion of the UCF in 2023 to support service providers in 16 countries (5 countries in 2022). While the new funding commitments cover a multi-year period, contracts with service providers will initially be renewed for a 6-month term, i.e. to 30 June 2024. This will provide an opportunity to improve contract design midway through 2024 after engaging with service providers on how the UCF's funding model might be further optimised to deliver catalytic change, in line with its mandate. Working with Uptime Global, the execution and delivery agent of the UCF, we will consult further with service providers in early 2024 on how existing funding is supporting the performance and evolution of service delivery models. We anticipate that this engagement will result in some adjustments to the contracting framework from July 2024 and beyond, with a view to accelerating the scale and sustainability of rural services. Uptime Global and the UCF Trustees look forward to the continued collaboration with all our partners in 2024. EOS International, International Lifeline Fund, Project Maji , Safe Water Network, Ugandan Water Project, Water4, Water Compass, FundiFix, UDUMA, Water for Good, Water Mission, Whave Solutions and Sandandrano.