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Promising Management Models of Rural Water Supply Services

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Promising Management Models of Rural Water Supply Services AGUASAN Workshop Series Promising management models of rural water supply services Outcomes of the 24th AGUASAN Workshop Gwatt, Switzerland, 13 to 17 October, 2008 A workshop for sector specialists and decision-makers AGUASAN Workshop Series Promising management models of rural water supply services Outcomes of the 24th AGUASAN Workshop Gwatt, Switzerland, 13 to 17 October, 2008 A workshop for sector specialists and decision-makers For further information please contact: François Münger, Senior Water Advisor Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) franç[email protected] Roger Schmid, Water and Environmental Sanitation Specialist Swiss Resource Centre and Consultancies for Development (Skat) [email protected] Albert Bürgi, Water and Sanitation Advisor Swiss Association for International Cooperation (Helvetas) [email protected] Chris Zurbrügg, Director & Programme Officer Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology Department of Water and Sanitation (Eawag/Sandec) [email protected] Impressum Published by SDC in collaboration with Eawag/Sandec, Helvetas and Skat Orders The report is available for download on the publishers’ websites (www.sdc.admin.ch, www.sandec.ch, www.helvetas.org, www.skat.ch) or can be ordered at [email protected] Compiled by Agnès Montangero (Skat) Based on contributions by all AGUASAN Workshop participants Peer review François Münger (SDC), Roger Schmid (Skat), Albert Bürgi (Helvetas), Chris Zurbrügg (Eawag/Sandec), Bruno Valfrey-Visser (Hydroconseil), Roland Schertenleib (Eawag/Sandec), Ken Caplan (BPD) Language editing Adrian Coad Layout Martin Läng (Skat) Berne, Switzerland, August 2009 ii Table of Contents 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1 2 A brief overview of management models for rural water supply services.............. 2 2.1 Defining the field of investigation ......................................................................... 2 2.2 Towards a typology of Rural Water Supply (RWS) management models ........... 3 2.3 Overview of existing types of management models ............................................ 4 3 Enhancing the sustainability of rural water supply services – an analytical framework for assessing the management models .................................................. 8 3.1 The Stakeholder Function Matrix.......................................................................... 8 3.2 The Stakeholder Map............................................................................................ 9 3.3 The “SWOT Diamond” .......................................................................................... 9 3.4 The Performance Criteria Checklist.................................................................... 10 4 Assessing a real rural water supply management model - The Senegal case: From a “national-utility” model to a delegated model where semi-professional water user associations are managing multi-village pipe networks ..................... 13 4.1 Institutional arrangements, main actors and features ........................................ 13 4.2 Stakeholders’ functions ...................................................................................... 15 4.3 Stakeholders’ map .............................................................................................. 16 4.4 Strengths and weaknesses................................................................................. 17 4.5 Model performance............................................................................................. 18 4.6 Conclusions......................................................................................................... 18 5 Enhancing the sustainability of RWS management schemes: Key ingredients for success....................................................................................... 19 References ............................................................................................................................ 22 Annex A Case studies.................................................................................................. 23 Annex A1 The Burkina Faso case: A sector reform towards delegated management .. 24 Annex A2 The Kosovo case: Management delegation to regional water utilities .......... 30 Annex A3 The Tanzania case: Private initiatives to provide water services................... 35 Annex A4 The Weinfelden / Switzerland case: A municipality-owned utility in charge of the water supply network............................................................... 39 Annex B List of workshop participants...................................................................... 45 iii Abstract “Is community management enough to sustain the Millennium Development Goal efforts?” This question was raised to initiate the debate at the Aguasan Workshop 2008, a five-day event that brought together water specialists and development practitioners from all over the world. Although the community management model is by far the most widespread approach for rural water supply services in low-income countries, it has often failed to deliver the ex- pected level of sustainability. Hence there is a strong need for re-examining this approach as well as for investigating alternative management models. This report synthesizes the main workshop outcomes. It describes an analytical framework that can be used to assess the potentials and limitations of rural water supply management models, as a first step towards enhancing the sustainability of rural water supply services. It also highlights these key ingredients for success in managing rural water supply services: n The existence of a legal framework clearly defining the roles and responsibilities of the various stakeholders is one common element of successful models. n In countries undergoing decentralization, local authorities should play a central role in the management of water services. However, financial, material and human resources have to be effectively transferred from central to local government in order to enable the communes to fulfil their role. n The private sector plays an important part in managing water supply services. In general, the weak profitability of infrastructure maintenance and operation activities is mentioned as a factor that limits private sector involvement. The combination of several water systems or facilities, forming packages comprising profitable and unprofitable facilities to be managed by private operators, could be a way to facilitate private sector participation. Reducing fiscal charges, exempting taxes even temporarily, decreasing water tariff subsidies, and contributing to extension costs could enhance the attractiveness for the private sector. n Capacity building is a crucial issue to tackle in order to improve the management of water services, regardless of the type of management model. Involving NGOs or associations could be a way to provide technical support. n In most cases, the dependence on external funding for the replacement of long-term assets or system extension is considered as a threat to sustainability. n The case studies analysed during the workshop show a trend towards more involvement of the private sector. This is considered as a way to professionalize the management of water services. Acknowledgements This report is based on the background paper on rural water supply management models prepared by the Aguasan Community, in collaboration with Bruno Valfrey-Visser (Hydroconseil) as lead author. It is further based on the case studies presented and analysed during the workshop. We would like therefore to thank the case study presenters Bruno Valfrey-Visser, Jean Mathieu Bingbouré (Ministry of Environment and Water, Burkina Faso), Astrit Vokshi (Community Development Initiatives, Kosovo), and Erich Baumann (Skat). We also would like to thank all workshop participants for their active participation and very constructive contributions. Moreover, the constructive comments prepared by the peer reviewers François Münger (SDC), Roger Schmid (Skat), Albert Bürgi (Helvetas), Chris Zurbrügg (Eawag/Sandec), Bruno Valfrey-Visser, Roland Schertenleib (Eawag/Sandec), and Ken Caplan (BPD) greatly contributed to this publication. iv Acronyms and Abbreviations AFD Agence Française de Développement (French Development Agency) ANEPA Agence Nationale de l’Eau Potable et de l’Assainissement (Mauritanian National Agency for Water Supply and Sanitation) ASUFOR Association des Usagers du Forage (Borehole Users Association), Senegal AWS Autonomous Water Station CBO Community-Based Organization CGS-AEP Cellule de Gestion et de Suivi des AEP (Unit of Water Supply Management and Monitoring in Mali) CoP Community of Practice CSO Civil Society Organization CWSA Community Water Supply Agency (Ghana) DRAHRH Direction Régionale de l’Agriculture, de l’Hydraulique et des Ressources Halieutiques (Regional Directorate of Agriculture, Water Resources, and Fisheries), Burkina Faso FAUEREB Fédération des Associations d’Usagers de l’Eau de la Région de Bobo- Dioulasso (Federation of Water Users Associations in the Bobo-Dioulasso Region), Burkina Faso HP Handpump KTA Kosovo Trust Agency MAHRH Ministère de l’Agriculture de l’Hydraulique et des Ressources Halieutiques (Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources, and Fisheries) MDG Millennium Development Goal MoU Memorandum of Understanding NGO Non-Governmental Organization O&M Operation and Maintenance
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