Public Private Partnership for Rural Water Supply: Experiences from

Zimbabwe

Authors:

• Tameez Ahmad

• Victor Kinyanjui

• Maxwell Jonga

• Hasios Ronald Mashingaidze

PPP for O&M of Water Supplies

Implementing Partners GoZ- Overall management

10 NGOS (3 NNGOs & 7 INGOs)

FROM GOVERNMENT MANAGED TO CBM SYSTEMS

• 1980 – 2000 -3 tier maintenance system by GoZ Dependency syndrome

Lack of community ownership

Sustainability compromised.

• 2000 -2009 Economic downturn Government support seizing collapse of 3 tier maintenance system decreased access to water supply –

• 2012 – GoZ Policy re-affirms CBM concept

Status Quo: 2000-2009

WHY PPPs?

To address a complex set of water supplies O&M system operational challenges

Lack of a sustainable O&M strategy to address the high hand pump breakdown rates of 40%

Weak WASH inputs supply chains.

RDCs’ institutional weakness to handle the O&M supply chain

Weak community self-reliance systems in O&M

PPP OBJECTIVES

Leverage private sector capital to fund O&M costs

and increase sustainability.

Unlocking a range of private sector skills.

Leverage PPPs business planning practice dependent

on feasibility and strategic responsibility alignment.

Allocate risks to the party best able to manage

them”-CB Private Partners.

Linking payment to quality of services provided. Promote CB demand & ability to pay for O&M stimulates WASH market growth

- WASH commodities and inputs stocking by local retailers

PPP Focused WP O&M System

PPP Models

Stakeholder Mobilisation and Conscientisation

Community and stakeholders: awareness on O&M challenges, CBM

concept and role of private sector

Local Private Sector: sensitisation on WASH business potentials, and

involvement in WASH coordination and management structures at

different levels

Government: reorientation of structures and officials

Demand Creation/WASH Inputs Market Development Strategies.

Formation of District PPP Task Forces.

Revitalization/establishment of Water Point Committees.

Training and equipping of Village Pump Mechanics.

Market size estimation and reporting. Establishment of RWIMS.

PPP Models (Cont’d)

Resource Mobilisation and Funding Procurement of O&M inputs

Mobilisation of funds at WP level through the Water Point Fund.

Negotiations by IPs with local retailers & wholesalers to stock WASH commodities.

Capacity building of Community Based Structures for O&M.

Improving the Enabling Regulatory Framework

RDC resolutions on community based O&M.

MOUs between RDC & Pvt sector on spares.

Main Results

Achievements

Paradigm shift from

heavily subsidized O&M

to community based O&M

system. (10,338 WPCs,

and 2,560 VPMs trained at

local level in 33 districts.

Development of National

WASH PPP Framework

Reduction in O&M Fees

Reduction in Water Point

Downtime

Increased Product and

Market Knowledge

Challenges

MoUs not legally binding.

Lack of ready market for local water point O&M retailers to offload proceeds from spares sold in kind.

WP O&M spares are “slow moving commodities”

No regularly updated spares market database.

Continued supply of free WASH related inputs

Infrequent BH b/down & low VPM-WP ratios

No financial support extended to the local retailers

Lessons Learned

Communities willing to embrace new approaches and make

significant contributions if convinced of long term benefit of

proposed interventions irrespective of poverty.

No quick fixes for introduction of WASH sector PPP

approaches.

Transparent and effective rigorous monitoring systems

involving systematic sharing of progress on monthly basis

with all stakeholders increase accountability and

performance.

Implementation of the project through government structures

created an enabling environment with increased capacity - a

key factor for sustainability of the WASH PPP replication

beyond the RWP life.

Repaired Boreholes

Rehabilitated Piped Water Scheme

Solar Powered Engine for PWS Overnight Storage Tank

THANK YOU