Rural Water Service Delivery Models in Ethiopia: Scoping Report for Triple S Project

April 13, Kampala

Background to RiPPLE

• Five research program funded by DFID

• Aims to advance evidence-based learning on WASH

• Involves capacity building activity • Work with different partners at

different levels• The key approach to the program is

Learning and Practice Alliance (LPA)

Objective of the Study

• Capture & describe existing SDMs and their constituent elements

• Understand and analyze underlying principles success factors and challenges

• Capture processes of change towards harmonization & alignment

Research Methodology

• Quantitative –Key Informant interview

• Qualitative – use of secondary data • Review of existing documents

Background to WS sub- sector

• Recent data shows access to water supply is 62.5% (MoWR)

• Nun functionality (NF) rate of schemes is about 30%

• Contribution by government, donors and NGOs is respectively 51%, 29% & 20%

• The target set in Accelerated Universal Access Program (A-UAP) for 2012 is provide access to 98% and reduce NF rate to 10%

Key Findings

Formally Recognized SDMs

• Self supply (recognized in policy only in 2009 –Why?)

- Simple & low cost to cover more people & reach the target• Community management by

WASHCos (main model): - different implementation modalities

- WASHCOs for individual villages - Water boards for multi-village schemes • Municipality (with town water boards)

for small towns

Universal Access Program

• UAP  targets are more ambitious than MDG goals

• Aim is to provide access (defined as 15 lpcd potable water within 1.5 km) to 98% by 2012

• Target includes reducing non-functionality rates to 10% in 2012

Decentralization

• Placed woredas firmly in the frontline of service delivery

• Capacity at district level (manpower/skills, materials and recurrent budgets) is one of the major sector challenges

Sustainability

• Major issue in the sector explained by levels of NF and emphasis is to new construction

• Lack of community to deal with repairs

• Post-construction support for community management is extremely limited

• Low private sector capacity • Exacerbated due to weak monitoring

Benefits of Harmonization

• Effective and efficient in terms of utilizing funds as it reduces transaction costs, lessens the burden for the implementing partner

• Standardization will be easier• Creates good condition for equity• Enables to prepare joint report for the sector• Monitoring will be more effective as there

will be common indicator and enables better tracking of progress in the sector

• Improves the situation for sustainability as it creates possibility of scale up of sustainable SDMs

Opportunities…

1) MOU signed among the three ministries

- Includes WS protection at different stages, human wastes management, WS schools and health institutions, water quality control & surveillance, S&H, safe water chain( promotion of safe water from the source to mouth), safe disposal of faeces and solid and liquid west management.

- Coordination structure - Program Implementation Manual (PIM)

Opportunity (cont’d)

2)Multi Stakeholders Forum (MSF):- Sector undertaking agreed by all actors (Gov,

Donors, NGOs, and others)

3)Joint Budget & Aid Review (JBAR) :

- fund is channeled through government account as block grant, it creates good opportunity for the program to be implemented with common approach

Challenges for Harmonization

• Institutional barriers>interest may not be entertained > reduces commitment

• Lack of trust, transparency & accountability

• Misperception of the concept due to lack of understanding how it works & limited experience of ‘One WASH’

• Harmonization brings standardization which in turn reduces innovation

• Difficulties of tracking contributions as the fund goes in to one basket

Challenges..

• Nature of funding in NGOs that comes from different sources with different requirement

• Commitment by bilateral donors for their country policy and tax payers interests

Recommendation

• Awareness creation and involve all stakeholders in the process

• Leadership by the government driven by the befits that harmonization brings to the sector

• Participation of all stakeholders in the preparation & implementation of ‘One WaSH’ that includes joint action plan, monitoring & tracking of progress

• Considering those SDMs which have proven sustainability in providing services

• Capacity building activities at local level and establishing systems for baseline data, information sharing mechanisms, data management system (RC)

Recommendation (cont’d)

• Conducting action oriented research to minimize the impacts of standardization

• Step wise approach for implementation that includes starting from the pilot level and move towards to a larger scale

• In order to minimize some negative impacts, preparation of risk management plan and reviewing the progress & adjusting based on practical experience

Thank You