Providing Sustainable Services at Scale

Dutch Water Sector Meeting

DGIS, The Hague - 8th of June, 2010

Triple-S - sustainable services at scale 2

It’s all about Maria .........

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Much effort has been expended to meet the challenges of sustainability and scale

New approaches to appropriate technologies, VLOM, to community management and participation and financing - DRA

New elements – on gender, supply chains, water source protection

New ideas on management options and post-construction support and on involvement of small-scale private sector

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Progress has been made, but many challenges remain

Unacceptable levels of system failure – 30 to 40% - universal problem

Wasted development partner, national and community financial investments

Health, dignity, well-being and livelihoods affected

@Fairwater

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The cost of failure – 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa

Information Collated by Peter Harvey, UNICEF Zambia, May 2007

36%Investment loss in sub-Saharan Africa of between US$ 1.2 to 1.3 billion over 20 years

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‘Slippage’ - declining service levels in India

Information presented at IRC Slippage roundtable Briefing, Delhi, June 2009

>30%

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So what has gone wrong?

@Akvo

Focus on the level of the community and community management - inherently ‘un-scalable’

Lack of investment and support to improve overall sector capacity - largely infrastructure focus

A persistent lack of coordination and

harmonisation

Financing focuses on initial construction

Poor governance and political influence/ corruption

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Increasing coverage is not the whole story .....where do we go from here?

Breakdowns, failures, non-functionality, slippage ........... a tipping point which is

now a threat to achieving the MDGs?

Breakdowns, failures, non-functionality, slippage ........... a tipping point which is

now a threat to achieving the MDGs?

Build on current progress, but think in a new paradigm with service delivery at its heart

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The user perspective: repeated disappointment, or a Service Delivery Approach?

Additional in-direct support

required at intermediate and higher

levels

Additional in-direct support

required at intermediate and higher

levels

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Clear sector policies

Well defined institutional roles and responsibilities

Strong planning and coordination, leadership

Harmonised approaches

Learning and innovation

Strong community participation

Appropriate technology

Relevant management models

Long-term support, monitoring and oversight

Norms and good practice

Availability of finance for life-cycle costs

What makes a water service work?

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From infrastructure focus to service delivery

Community-based management is still the most appropriate, but requires much greater support

But actions at all levels are required – from national policy and legislation to community

Capacity support at the intermediate level is often lacking, but critical to more sustainable services

Real life-cycle costs need to be better understood and planned for

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A principles-based way of working

TRIPLE-S PRINCIPLES FRAMEWORK

Levels of intervention

Principles Water service

provision

Intermediate National International

Service Delivery Approach

Policy, legislation and institutional

Financing

Planning

Transparency and accountability

Learning and self-sustaining capacity

Awareness and skills

Culture of learning and information sharing

Harmonisation and Alignment

Harmonisation and alignment

Coordination

LEVELS OF INTERVENTION

PR

INC

IPL

ES

Generic principles: Analysis Planning Learning

Interconnectivity between levels

Generic principles: Analysis Planning Learning

Interconnectivity between levels

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Principle-based framework

Four levels of intervention

service provision

intermediate

national

international

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Principle-based framework – three strategy areas

1. Adoption of a Service Delivery Approach policy, legislative and institutional principles financing principles planning principles transparency and accountability principles

2. Supporting a learning and self-sustaining capacity for the sector

awareness and skill principles culture of information sharing and learning principles

3. Improving alignment and harmonisation for service delivery

harmonisation and alignment principles coordination principles

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Ghana: Service Delivery Approach Strategy

NATIONAL LEVELFIN

AN

CIN

G P

RIN

CIP

LE

Sector agencies’ investment plans are harmonized and incorporate sustainability issues and procedures and implementation for SWAp

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Uganda: Learning and self-sustaining capacity

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

AW

AR

EN

ES

S A

ND

S

KIL

LS

PR

INC

IPL

E

District Water offices have adequate skills, resources and information to meet required water governance functions

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International: Service Delivery Approach Strategy

INTERNATIONAL LEVEL

PO

LIC

Y, L

EG

ISL

AT

ION

AN

D

INS

TIU

TIO

NA

L P

RIN

CIP

LE

S

A significant number of operational agencies - including International NGOs, UN agencies and charities - adopt sustainability measures and criteria in their planning and implementation.

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What is the ‘ask’ from Maria?

A hand pump or tap stand for a few years or a water service for life?

Changing the way we work?