FCG International Ltd DRAFT OPTIONS...

NEPAL RURAL WATER SUPPLY

AND SANITATION SECTOR

STUDY

Modalities of Service Delivery,

their Features and Options to

Efficiently Increase Access and

Sustainability

May 2013

FCG International Ltd

in association with

Total Management Services (TMS)

DRAFT OPTIONS REPORT

Presented to the World Bank

Nepal: Rural water supply and sanitation sector modalities of service delivery and their features/ options to efficiently increase access and sustainability- Draft Options Analysis Report

FCG International Ltd in association with Total Management Services (TMS)

Contents

1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1

2 Overview of the Modalities ........................................................................................... 1

3 Main Findings from the Survey ..................................................................................... 3

4 Modality Strengths and Weaknesses .............................................................................. 5

4.1 General ............................................................................................................... 5

4.2 DWSS ................................................................................................................. 6

4.3 DDC/DOLIDAR Project Mode ................................................................................... 6

4.4 DDC-VDC Grant Mode ........................................................................................... 7

4.5 RWSSFDB (Fund Board)......................................................................................... 7

4.6 NGOs .................................................................................................................. 8

5 Key Lessons for Options Development ........................................................................... 8

6 The WASH Sector, Its Objectives and Modalities ............................................................. 9

7 Recommendations ..................................................................................................... 10

7.1 Addressing Sector Planning, Coordination and Accountability Issues .......................... 10

7.2 Addressing Agency-level Institutional Issues .......................................................... 12

7.3 Addressing Agency-level Financial Issues ............................................................... 16

7.4 Addressing Community Level Institutional Issues .................................................... 17

7.5 Addressing Post-Construction Services Issues ........................................................ 18

8 Towards a More Harmonised Way of Working - Recap of the Key Recommendations .......... 22

8.1 Governance, Planning, Scheme Selection and Financial Issues .................................. 22

8.2 Implementation Arrangements ............................................................................. 22

8.3 Post-Construction Services ................................................................................... 22

Nepal: Rural water supply and sanitation sector modalities of service delivery and their features/ options to efficiently increase access and sustainability- Draft Options Report

Page | 1 FCG International Ltd in association with Total Management Services (TMS)

1 Introduction

The WASH/ RWSS sector in Nepal is in a stage of review, reorientation and increased sector integration. To support the sector, to inform discussion among the stakeholders about options for future models and to assist itself in formulating future support to the

sector, the World Bank has commissioned a Study on different implementation modalities in the sector, that consists of an overview of existing implementation

modalities, a survey of 201 schemes implemented under different modalities and an options report that draws on the survey results and secondary data to come up with

recommendations and options for sector strengthening and integration, and opportunities to support the sector.

The options study mainly concerns rural community-managed water-supply schemes,

which form the majority of externally supported schemes in the mountains, hills and hill foot areas. The vast majority of these schemes are gravity flow piped systems, and a

minority are lift schemes. Few of the lessons and options elements will also have validity for agency-managed schemes and small town schemes.

The diagram below shows how the modality study was designed.

Figure 1-1

2 Overview of the Modalities

Implementation of water supply projects in Nepal is done through a wide array of modalities. The main differences lie in a) the distribution of tasks between agency, local

support organisations and users, b) the technical standards and the rigor of their application, c) the socio-institutional standards and the rigor of their application, d) fund

flow, e) accountability arrangements, and f) post-construction support mechanisms.

For the purpose of study and option development, the different arrangements have been categorised in to four institution-related modalities: 1) DWSS, 2) DOLIDAR, 3) RWSS

Fund Development Board, and 4) NGOs. These modalities are however not uniform.

Modality Elements Result Indicators Different Situations

Non-Modality

Factors

Correlation tables

Which elements and modality packages worked best for which situation?

Know: How did situations, external factors and modality elements influence results?

Options for

improvement

within agencies

Options for new

programmes

Options for Sector

Integration

Study questions Study Results



Except maybe for the Fund Board, all these modalities are very diverse within themselves, while modalities also have evolved over time.

DWSS. Regular DWSS interventions are often straight-forward construction projects

with minimal social and capacity building components, while donor-supported DWSS programs tend to have elaborate technical, social and capacity building mechanisms

that are not unlike those used by Fund Board and NGOs. DWSS uses its own technical standards and guidelines. Construction work is often partly done by contractors. Implementation is done through the divisional or sub-divisional offices at district level,

and coordination through the Regional Monitoring and Support Offices.

DOLIDAR (“DDC-VDC”). The “DOLDAR modality” is partly a misnomer, as most studied

“DOLIDAR schemes” were built through support by the VDCs and DDCs and its District Technical Office (DTO), but without DOLIDAR-standards. Construction is nearly always done by the users themselves. DOLIDAR and DTOs have limited water supply

engineering staff and often lack the manpower for intensive field support and supervision. The only schemes that can be really called DOLIDAR schemes are those

implemented under donor-supported projects like RWSSP (Lumbini), RVWRMP, RWSSP-WN and RRRSDP, which use some centralised guidance and coordination by DOLIDAR. DOLIDAR has only recently started developing its own technical and approach standards

and guidelines, planning to have them applied by all DTOs and have the guidelines jointly approved with DWSS. Past schemes have been implemented with DWSS or

project-specific standards or without using standards. Interventions under donor-supported programs tend to have elaborate technical, social and capacity building mechanisms that are not unlike those used by DWSS-programs, Fund Board and NGOs.

Local government-funded interventions, especially those implemented with VDC-funding often consist of only budget support or supply of pipes and other materials, and could

be called Do-It-Yourself (DIY) schemes.

RWSS Fund Board.The Fund Board was started by the government mainly to address two obstacles that the government agencies faced in smooth implementation, namely 1)

timely availability of funds and 2) cost-effectiveness. It implements schemes through local support organisations (mainly district-based NGOs), sends funds straight to the

SOs and User Committee, uses elaborate implementation mechanisms and monitors both UCs and SOs from central level. When needed it can adjust procedures to changing

insights and needs.

NGOs.The major NGOs that have implemented water supply schemes in the last 15 years are NEWAH, Helvetas, CARE and Gorkha Welfare. Other NGOs like Plan

International or Mission East implemented limited numbers of schemes, while again others like SNV support the government and users with capacity building only. Recently

CARE has phased out implementation of water supply programs. Implementation by the major NGOs is characterised by elaborate technical, social and capacity building mechanisms, use of local support organisations (except by Gorkha Welfare), and

implementation by the users themselves.

Differences between modalities often don’t lie anymore in the official policies and

guidelines, which have converged greatly over the years (see GoN(DWSS-DOLIDAR) WASH Approach Paper, draft), but in the application thereof. Agencies are not always applying their modality elements fully because they lack staff, staff skills, funding,

procedural flexibility, accountability mechanisms and oversight. In the table below the DWSS and DOLIDAR modalities are split into the regular programs of these government

agencies and the donor funded projects working under these agencies as some clear differences in terms of implementation modalities, support mechnamisms and fund flows exist the government programs and aid projects.



Modality Elements DWSS DWSS projects

Dolidar/MLD Projects

DDC-VDC Fund Board

NGOs

a) Distribution of tasks

a.1. Governance, selection, coordination

Agency/ DDC

Agency/ DDC

DDC-VDC DDC-VDC SO DDC, NGO

a.2. Engineering Agency Agency Agency/SO Agency/User SO Agency/SO

a.3. Capacity building, social support

Agency/ NA

Agency Agency / SO Agency / NA SO Agency/ SO

a.4. Procurement Agency Agency Agency/ SO+User

Agency / User

User + SO

Agency/ User+ SO

a.5. Construction Contractor Contractor/ User

User User User User

b) Engineering support

b.1. Engineering standards

Elaborate Elaborate Elaborate Minimal/NA Elaborate Elaborate

b.2. Engineering standard application

Varying Strict Strict Minimal/NA Strict Strict

b.3. Engineering support & supervision

Varying Varying Varying Minimal/NA Varying Varying

c) Socio-institutional support

c.1 Socio-institutional standards

Elaborate Elaborate Elaborate Minimal/NA Elaborate Elaborate

c.2 Socio-inst standard application

Varying Strict Strict Minimal/NA Strict Strict

c.3 User Capacity

building

Low Elaborate Elaborate Minimal/NA Elaborate Elaborate

d) Fund flow GON-system, low budget

GoN system

GoN system GoN-system (over 1 year : no problem)

Direct to UC, no obstacles

Direct to UC, no obstacles

e) Accountability arrangements

Minimal, GON audit

Public audit

Public audit NA Public audit

Public audit

f) Post-construction support

Minimal, DWSS-link

Training, MF, DWSS-link

VDC link, Training, MW, MF

VDC link Training, MW, MF

Training, MW, MF

3 Main Findings from the Survey

Although the survey concerned a small sample (201 schemes), its findings were mostly in line with those of comparable databases and surveys (NMIP, RVWRMP functionality

survey, SNV Makwanpur survey). The main findings of modality overview and the modality study are:

1. Functionality. The survey found that of the schemes in the age group of 5-15 years, 74% are still in functional condition (tap functionality) and 71% provide at

least moderate service, which is comparable to NMIP data which show that 65% of schemes in the same age group is in good condition or only needs minor



Tap and toilet, Sukatiya W.S.P,, Sukatiya VDC, Kalikot

repairs. The study found that for all four modalities on average about 70-75% of taps still works. Although a different indicator (average tap functionality) is used than in NMIP (scheme functionality), they are comparable. However, NMIP data

suggest that scheme functionality is higher for NGOs and Fund Board( (74%) than for GoN agencies (NMIP data: 61-66%). The users of surveyed schemes also

suggested that Fund Board- and NGO-supported schemes tend to function better. This analysis shows that overall the survey results indicate a slightly better functionality than the NMIP data and that especially the surveyed government

schemes fared a bit better in terms of functionality than NMIP average. Service level functionality (“QARQ”: Quantity, Access, Reliability and Quality of

water supply at household level) provides a largely similar picture, with NGOs and Fund Board doing a bit better than the government agencies. Among the surveyed schemes 32% of DWSS, 29% of DoLIDAR (combined GoN 31%), 35%

of RWSSFDB and 47% of NGO (combined 40%) supported schemes still provided good service level. The average service level (“QARQ factor”) is 2 (1= Good and

4=very poor) for NGOs and Fund Board and 2.1 for the GoN agencies (meaning that on average the schemes provide moderate service=2). There were clear differences in NMIP functionality status and the surveyed service level in about

25% of the studied schemes. Mainly the trend was towards a better status in the survey than in the NMIP though there were opposite cases as well.

2. Survey limitations. The large number and complex interplay of factors defining scheme functionality cannot be captured well in statistically significant ways by a survey of this size. Also, in the terms of the implementation processes the survey

could only capture what was left and remembered by users from 5-15 years ago, not necessarily what was actually done and tried by the then implementers.

3. Only populations served by gravity pipe systems. The options study only sheds light over the functionality of water supply for populations that are served by piped water supply schemes, not for populations that have their own

arrangements and have not been supported so far These are estimated by the NMIP database at about 15% of

the population. 4. Modality factors. Better

functioning schemes tend more often to have user management, maintenance

funds, registration, maintenance arrangements,

and trained users and VMWs. It is likely that in such cases more efforts have been made at

community mobilisation, participation and user capacity

building and that this has helped functionality. It is also likely that appropriate

representation of and support for women and minority groups

in activities and committees is beneficial to scheme functionality. 5. Non-modality factors. Non-modality factors seem to be at least as important as

modality factors. The survey and NMIP data show that scheme functionality

decreases with increased age, size (up to a point where a more professional management structure is adopted), and remoteness. Secondary sources show



that factors like poverty, literacy levels, and caste-ethnic composition and relations, but also technical difficulty have an effect as well.

6. Do-It-Yourself schemes. DDC-VDC schemes that received on average minimal

agency support and many of which can be described as Do-It-Yourself schemes are not performing substantially worse than fully-supported schemes

implemented under other modalities. It might be a valid modality in some conditions (e.g. well-resourced communities, technically simple schemes).

7. Comparing four modalities. NGO and Fund Board supported schemes perform on

average a bit better than the government schemes. The advantages and extra efforts (e.g. more capacity building, more rigorous application of standards,

favourable fund flow) seem to result in 9% (NMIP: about 10-15%) more schemes of the 5-15 year age groups still providing good service.

8. Addressing functionality issues. According to the users, the main reasons for

functionality problems are a) absence of maintenance workers, b) inadequate WUSC managerial skills, and c) lack of support services. When asked how

external assistance might be improved, users suggested in order of importance: a) more capacity building, b) more technical supervision and quality control, c) more participation in decision making, and d) more transparency regarding

finances and project details.

4 Modality Strengths and Weaknesses

The following listing of strengths and weaknesses is based on interpretation of survey

results, project reports and other secondary sources and discussions with stakeholders. Neither strengths nor weaknesses apply always or to each and every office or

organisation lumped under the concerned modality category. They are aspects that have been mentioned by stakeholders at village and central level, need to be taken in to account while developing options, and addressed (if a weakness) or used (if a strength).

4.1 General

Current strengths (+) and weaknesses (-) of the whole sector

Increased dialogue and recent moves towards integration, including the Joint Sector Review, the WASH Approach Paper, the National Sanitation and Hygiene

Master Plan The start of the DWASHCC and VWASHCC coordination structure

The increased focus on functionality, supported by the first water supply scheme database (NMIP) that can be used for planning at national and district level and that provides national level insight in scheme functionality status and issues

A wide range of experiences and lessons to use in strengthening the sector Competitive feelings among the various agencies

Competitive feelings among the various agencies The lack of reliability of the NMIP database at VDC and scheme level

Lack of insight in who and where the “unreached” (15%) are, and what their needs are

Avoidance of WASH CC coordination by a number of organisations Weak oversight on the quality and completeness of hardware and software

support provided by most agencies

The lack of post-construction access by users to technical support (agency staff) as well as clearly defined structures of post-construction financial support

The neglect and lack of development of private sector post-construction service providers (plumbers, mechanics, masons, material suppliers, etc.) by all agencies



Lack of proven modalities and technologies for specific challenges like very small pockets, isolated hamlets, upper Karnali communities, too high or too dry areas, too poor or otherwise disadvantaged groups

4.2 DWSS

Current strengths (+) and weaknesses (-)

Government agency with long-term perspective and presence. This results in

relative higher presence and delivery of services in remoter areas Post-project presence. This results in higher access for users to post-construction

services from the government Engineering know-how, standards and staff. DWSS has a relatively high number

of qualified and specialised water supply engineers who work according well-

established standards. This results in a higher capacity for routine implementation and addressing technical problems

Focus on construction progress and expenditure (the only GoN monitoring

indicators), short construction periods (per year) due to problematic budget

flows, lack of active non-technical field staff and construction by contractors all lead to (except in some projects) lower levels of participation and ownership, and

less opportunity for learning by users working along with the DWSS technical staff Problematic fund flow and low annual budget allocation result in both too short

and long implementation periods, construction being spread-out over several

years, often each year supervised by new staff (especially in remote districts where staff turn-over is very high). This enhances the focus of offices on hurried

implementation and results not only in lower participation levels, but also in lower construction quality and cost-effectiveness.

The centralised structure gives DWSS a measure of independence against

unwanted local political pressure when that is incompatible with

engineering and social standards but it also results in lower district- and VDC-level ownership and

accountability Implementation procedures, fund

flow processes, and engineering standards are standardized across the agency and result in a lack of

flexibility that is often needed to address local problems and user

needs

4.3 DDC/DOLIDAR Project Mode

Current strengths and weaknesses.

Embedded in local governance structures, resulting in smoother coordination, ownership by DDC, VDC and local leaders, and better focus on local needs and priorities (where project presence is high, the real ownership of the local

government may suffer however) Post-project presence down to VDC level results in better access to post-

construction government support

Toilet at Bajhadi W.S.P, Hugsidir VDC, Baglung



Relative flexibility of procedures, fund flow and engineering standards resulting in higher capability to address local differences, problems and needs(including non-watersupply interventions) than other technical government agencies

Shortage of water supply engineers and technical staff resulting in low levels of

presence and supervision at field level (in projects this gap is often filled by project technical staff)

Shortage of own Dolidar-specific water supply expertise, standards and guidelines

(except in some projects), which results in lower implementation standards Lack of priority for water supply in the agency resulting in dominance within DTOs

by the biggest engineering program (often roads) Lack of control over politically-linked local Support Organisations used for

engineering or software activities resulting in poor service delivery by some SOs

at field level

4.4 DDC-VDC Grant Mode


Similar to those for DDC-project Mode: embedded locally, flexibility, post-project

presence DIY-modality results in optimal user ownership, technologies that users can use

and repair, developing and testing local capacity for resource mobilisation, management and linkage to maintenance service providers (private sector and

government) Often insufficient budget, materials

Insufficient technical support No structural capacity building by experts No third party that can help address local

conflicts and social exclusion Insufficient monitoring and reporting

mechanisms

4.5 RWSSFDB (Fund Board)


Implementation modality designed to

avoid government weaknesses resulting in smooth fund flow and cost-effectiveness

Directed by the government resulting in government ownership Flexibility in hiring and applying technical expertise as per need

Elaborate processes and capacity building, uniform across the country resulting in clarity, routine and expertise development

Ability to learn lessons and adjust processes and resource allocation to needs

Limited project periods and initially new approaches led to relative avoidance of

more difficult areas like remote VDCs and the Far- and Mid-Western Region Not embedded in district and VDC governance structures leading to inadequate

local ownership, coordination with district and VDC governments and missing

opportunities for cooperation with other sector actors and extra accountability for local support organisations

High dependence on local support organisations (district NGOs) that do not have much expertise other than that obtained through training by the project and that

Tap at the DhijeMul W.S.P in Shikharpur VDC of Sindhupulchowk



cannot be effectively monitored from central level resulting in lowered expertise and accountability levels

Intensive support might lead to patron-client relations between users and local

support organisations resulting in reduced self-reliance Support organisations may influence scheme selection by initiating project

application processes through communities where they have already strong presence

Post-project absence results in low access to institutional post-construction

services

4.6 NGOs


Implementation modality designed to avoid government weaknesses resulting in

smooth fund flow and cost-effectiveness Most NGOs are part of district level governance structures and support local

governance capacity building. Only smaller NGOs sometimes fail to effectively coordinate.

Flexibility in hiring and applying technical expertise as per need

Elaborate processes and capacity building Diversity in implementation modalities among NGOs results in a variety of lessons

for the sector Focus on poor areas, social inclusion, and disadvantaged areas, notably the Far-

and Mid-West

Post-project absence results in low access to institutional post-construction

services Intensive support might lead to patron-client relations between users and NGOs

resulting in reduced self-reliance

Donor-funding dependence leads to short project periods, selection of denser populated areas and relative less presence in the most remote areas within

districts Some NGOs depend much on local support organisations (district NGOs) that do

not have much expertise other than that obtained through training by the project.

Monitoring by NGOs can be done more effectively than in the case of RWSSFDB as NGOs often have regional if not district offices, but the dependence still affects

levels of expertise and accountability.

5 Key Lessons for Options Development

1. Success factors. Ownership, users’/local management and technical capacity, learning-by-doing and post-construction access to funding and repair services

are crucial success factors 2. Diversity and Integration. There is not one “champion modality” that now has to

be followed by each and every agency in each and every location. First, the involved agencies cannot become identical in objectives, expertise, resources and culture overnight. E.g. a lot of interventions by government and small NGOs

outside donor-supported programs will continue to be short of the staff and resources required for full-support modalities. E.g. DWSS and DOLIDAR would

have difficulty in implementing the guidelines proposed in the present draft WASH Approach Paper without any external donor support. Second, various modalities have each their own strengths and while result differences are real,

they are also modest. Moreover results and needs vary for different situations. The way forward seems to lie in strengthening the already ongoing gradual



integration process, combining strengths and further testing different options in less-charted areas (e.g. procurement by users, VDC strengthening, private sector services development, reaching the unreached).

3. Combining strengths of different agencies will in general be beneficial: the leadership and funding by VDC and DDC, the technical support by DWSS or

specialist NGOs, the software support by local NGOs embedded in local government structures and assisted by external NGOs and the private sector.

4. Testing elements in uncharted areas. Combining strengths should be done

carefully in some cases and on basis of experiments. E.g. adding full-support modality elements to the DIY-modality might affect the DIY-modality core

strengths and vice-versa. On the other hand, if DOLIDAR would rigorously apply the new WASH Approach throughout the agency, it might lose key strengths (e.g. flexibility, user ownership). The other way around, an engineering

department that adopts more flexibility might end up with reduced accountability and transparency.

5. Quality of service delivery and accountability. These are difficult to ensure, but working through local structures and with more than one local institution at a time (VDCs, NGOs, leaders, private sector) will enhance these key aspects.

6 The WASH Sector, Its Objectives and Modalities

The government’s long term vision for the water supply and sanitation sector is to contribute towards raising the living standard and the status of public health by making

sustainable and equitable water supply and sanitation services available. The goal is to provide basic water supply service to all the population of the country by 12th plan

period (2017) and upgrade the service level to provide continuous supply of safe drinking water & affordable sanitation facilities to all by the year 2025. This is a considerably challenging goal in view of the fact that an estimated 15% of households

are not reached by adequate water supply services, and another 30% (35-40% of 85% served households) does not have functional water supply schemes. The 15%

unreached moreover consist mostly of communities that will require support levels far exceeding the presently provided ones: small isolated clusters of houses, technically difficult locations, and disadvantaged communities that lack the resources, skills and

access required to successfully avail of existing services.

To achieve the government’s goal implementation modalities should be cost-effective, replicable for a wide range of implementing institutions, implemented as per the concerned district’s or VDC’s priorities and in coordination with all other actors, and

result in water supply schemes for the operation and maintenance of which the users themselves have sufficient managerial, technical and financial capacity to provide

adequate quantity, quality, accessible and reliable water supply to the users during the design life time or, if such is not possible, for which the users have guaranteed timely and adequate access to sustained additional technical and financial support. The present

report gives recommendations to improve the sector performance towards these overall goals at different levels from the community to the agency/national level. Further we

refer to the Reform Options Paper (draft) 2011 and the ongoing SEIU work on the Sector Program for more detailed options for the overall sector improvement as well as

policy reform options.



7 Recommendations

This report provides recommendations that are based on the study’s findings and are

aimed at contributing to the outlined objectives. They mostly follow or elaborate already existing efforts and trends. When alternatives are not provided specifically, the

alternative option should be understood as being the status quo, maintaining the existing situation.

7.1 Addressing Sector Planning, Coordination and Accountability Issues

Issues and Trends

Sector performance has been affected by uncoordinated planning, duplication, neglect of the most needy communities, and inadequate insight in to the needs of communities

and in to the condition of existing schemes.

The sector is already addressing coordination,

integration and cooperation issues. Many districts now have DWASH CCs and VWASH CCs, which have

formulated WASH Strategies and Plans and maintain scheme status inventories, sometimes linked to the NMIP database. Whereas the DWASH CC (headed by

LDO with WSSDO as member secretary) is an improved version of an existing DCC planning body and viable as

such, the VWASH CCs are still weak, being hampered by the absence of elected VDC councils, of technical

support, of resources and managerial capacity. They require further strengthening but also further time to pilot support modalities that help them find optimal

ways of operation. In VDCs where the VWASH CCs will not prove to be sustainable in the long run, their tasks

will be continued by the VDC staff or a VDC Council water supply sub-committee. Their chances of sustainability will increase if all projects and agencies

use VWASH CC coordination and follow VWASH plan priorities.

It is recommended that all agencies follow the local government bottom-up planning process that will result in District WASH Plans and VWASH Plans as part of the overall VDC and districts level planning. The needs of the communities will be reflected through

this bottom-up process and all agencies should support schemes identified through such process. This process can be further supported and monitored to make it more

transparent. Temporary projects can assist VDCs in thorough inventories of all WASH needs for each hamlet and community in the VDC. VWASH CCs will establish a WASH database that they periodically update and annually prioritise the various WASH needs.

Communities will keep the VWASHCC /VDC informed about the status of WASH facilities. All WASH efforts should be part of the VWASH Plans and DWASH Plans and likewise all

WASH efforts should be based on priorities set out in the WASH Plans, which are part of the District Development Plan. DWASH CCs in for example UNICEF– and SNV-supported districts are working on these plans already.

The WASH Plans should be based on a district level database linked to the NMIP and

other efforts by the SEIU, which will support in updating and verifying the scheme database. SEIU and DWASHCCs will benefit strongly from a regular NMIP updating procedure or at least a very thorough and well –resourced repeat NMIP exercise in few

Locating pipeline leakage, Matell W.S.P, Daha VDC, Kalikot



districts to establish reliability of NMIP data across the country. This will enable all DWASHCCs to use NMIP in the correct way. If the NMIP database is found to need too many corrections, the thorough NMIP survey should be replicated across the country. In

any case regular updating of the data is necessary.

The report here adopts the two recommendations for improvement already offered in

the Reform Options Concept Paper of September 2011 submitted to the NPC (see full coverage of the options in that document):

Implications

The first implication of the two recommendations is that the WSSDO will function under

the DDC. This can be done by either creating a WASH Unit under each DTO, in to which WSSDO will be merged or that the WSSDO will be a separate office under the DDC like

the present DTO, and that all WASH tasks and WASH staff of the DTO will be merged in to the WSSDO.

Planning and Coordination Recommendation #1 (text of 2011)

“The District Water Supply and Sanitation Coordination Committee

(DWASHCC), envisaged in the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Policy 2004 and also in the Local Self-governance Act 1999, should be activated across all

the districts to be the primary planning and implementation monitoring authority for the WASH sector at the district level. All schemes that are to be implemented in the district should be part of the district plan and planned in

line with the district level bottom-up planning procedures. All the funding for the WASH sector at the district level should be accounted for in the District

WASH plan. The Local Development Officer (LDO) should be given the authority for ensuring an orderly implementation of the plan at the district level.”

Planning and Coordination Recommendation #2 (text of 2011)

“All the implementation activities should be centered on the district. The DCC with the specific support of the current Water Supply and Sanitation Divisional Office (WSSDO) at the District level (in the future to be named DWASHCC)

should be the main planning and implementation body empowered to take all decisions regarding the WASH sector for a district. All the relevant technical

capacity for implementation support at the district level should be available at the WSSDO. The Local Development officer (LDO) should be the single point authority to coordinate all the planning, implementation, and monitoring

activity in the WASH sector with the technical support of the WSSDO.”



The second implication is that not only all smaller NGOs and projects that have minor water supply components, but also RWSS Fund Board, which is the only major actor that is not actively participating in district WASH planning and coordination, will bring its

efforts under DWASH CC coordination and District WASH Plans.

7.2 Addressing Agency-level Institutional Issues

Issues and Trends

The core institutional issues at district level are the lack of government engineering and

software staffing at field and district level, the emphasis in government office on construction and expenditure rather than on results and quality, and the multitude and

rigidity of standards and procedures.

Issue: Staffing. Scheme implementation requires pro-longed presence at village level of technicians and software staff, with frequent supervision and support visits by software

and engineering supervisors. These staffs are not available at VDC level and must come from the district headquarters or the implementing agency or project. The prime water

supply implementing agencies, WSSDOs and DTOs do however not have enough water supply engineering staff (DDCs’ DTOs) and normally vey limited social mobilization and capacity building staff (both WSSDOs and DTOs). This results in inadequate or no site

supervision, capacity building and community support. These issues are even more acute in remote districts, where staff turn-over can be very high. E.g. in the Far-West

and Karnali districts, officers stay on average less than one year in office and are frequently absent during that time, too.

Agencies and donors have been addressing these staffing issues in various ways over

the years. The old model of consultant staff attached to government offices has been replaced in many cases by a model in which local NGOs serve as support organisations

delivering services on contract, often software only, but in some cases like Fund Board, both hard- and software. This aimed to increase the focus on capacity building and social support and to increase sustainability by leaving behind capable local NGOs. Also

INGOs, which earlier would address the government weaknesses by having their own staff, have been shifting to this model, partly as per demand of the Social Welfare

Council. The SO-model has however been affected by three problems. First, unlike VDCs and government agencies, the local NGOs (SOs) have no long-term obligation to serve communities or help with maintenance later on. Being dependent on donors, often their

future actions in the district will not be in water supply. Second, District NGOs often have problems in attracting qualified staff, especially engineers, and this cannot be

compensated adequately by extensive capacity building by the Fund Board and INGOs. The SOs moreover often hire DWSS engineering staff. Third, if district NGOs do not perform well, it is difficult to correct them in an environment of political patronage,

frequent transfers of the supervising government officers and (like in the case of the Fund Board) independence from district level institutions like DDC, WSSDO and the

DWASH CC. Monitoring and supervising local NGOs from Kathmandu does not address those issues, as it reportedly can be easily manipulated.

Some projects are partly returning to the 1980s’ model of attaching staff to the

government office. The most successful DDC-DTOs in the Finland-supported RWSSP-WN project are those that hire staff directly, especially engineering staff, rather than hiring

SOs. It is unlikely that fresh district SOs can apply the required engineering expertise, even if trained, without hiring engineers from outside and perform better than engineers

directly hired by the concerned agencies. There, SOs might still be assigned software tasks, but only if properly integrated in the project and DTO-structure, with SO-staff directly reporting to DTO or project staff.



Agency Institutional Reform Recommendation #2

Government and projects should develop a joint approach towards VDC-level

WASH capacity building, e.g. by facilitating the hiring of own technicians, by training and monitoring VWASH CCs and helping them develop sustainable

resource mobilization. Existing government structures like the CHRDU as well as capable NGOs and private sector agencies should be mobilised to conduct training of the agency staff on such joint approach as well as deliver the field

level trainings to the extent possible.

Issue: VDC Capabilities. VDCs will (have to) play increasingly important roles in the WASH sector, and also receive larger budgets, but are normally not equipped for such role. VWASH CCs have difficulty in remaining active in the absence of resources and

capacity. At present VDCs are bound to allocate fixed parts of their budgets for WASH interventions, which are often spent on ODF campaigns. Some hire technicians for all

infrastructure works, which does not only facilitate scheme implementation but also its maintenance. VDC-hired technicians can be temporarily supported by projects or

government and later adopted by the concerned VDC to continue employment. This will decrease the amount of staff to be hired temporarily. It might be possible to team up with other VDCs to share the technician or help the technician start independent paid-

for construction and repair services in the area.


Government and (inter-)national NGOs should jointly, at central level and through DWASH CCs, optimize the use of local Support Organisations and local private sector for tasks that the concerned agency will not fulfil itself.

Experiences should be exchanged and reviewed.

When all experiences are properly reviewed it is likely that many government

agencies and N/INGOs in most districts should opt for directly hired staff embedded in its government or project offices, directly reporting to project officials, not through the SOs. Non-technical staff might be hired from local

SOs, too. In districts with satisfactory experience with SOs, the government agencies and district-based projects can contract out software tasks to SOs.

In case the agency is in a process of strengthening its district offices, like DOLIDAR at present, the proposed option also allows agencies to strengthen their own office and to ready it for times when extra funds and staff become

available. In case, for specific reasons, SOs are still hired as contractors by a project or agency outside the district, like done by Fund Board at present, the

operation of SOs should be placed under coordination and supervision of the District WASH CC and either DDC or WSSDO to increase accountability.




DWSS and DOLIDAR should expedite the finalisation of the draft WASH Approach Paper and get it accepted by all WASH Partners as basis for WASH

sector implementation. Individual projects should indicate how they will implement the WASH Approach Paper, and how they propose to test, elaborate and adjust these guidelines to specific regional and community

needs and budgetary provisions. Similarly the design manuals should be reviewed to incorporate new technologies and help engineers decide which

technology (e.g. high/low tech, maintenance intensive/extensive) applies to which situation. The manuals should outline options for addressing specific challenges that are well described and categorised. These can include remote

areas within districts, remote districts like the Karnali ones, ultra poor communities, disadvantaged subgroups within larger communities, isolated

hamlets, large schemes, ultra-small schemes and communities that are technically difficult to reach. These guidelines will outline how to asses specific cases and how to decide e.g. in which cases to limit to supply of pipes rather

than construct a full-fledged scheme, in which cases to provide extra capacity building measures for disadvantaged households, and in which cases to use

pump lift technology and related extra software activities.

For this to be successful the staff of all implementing agencies should also be properly trained in both technical and software aspects related to the whole

project cycle. Such training should be harmonised among the sector agencies.

Issue: Engineering standards, guidelines and monitoring. The guidelines and standards used in the WASH are not uniform among agencies, not elaborate enough on software issues and not adapted to specific field situations. E.g. disadvantaged communities with

low levels of literacy and exposure need more and different capacity building than the average communities. Remote areas, where cement is five times as expensive as in

Tarai, need different technologies and standards. Guidelines also do not indicate when to make extra expenditures to include isolated hamlets or when to help communities located above any water source with lift schemes or rain water harvesting and when not

to intervene at all. This can result in exclusion or disproportionate expenditures. Some guidelines, e.g. on toilet standards and subsidies, have been contradictory.

DOLIDAR has long been dominated by the road sector and professionalization of its water supply operations has as a consequence often not received adequate attention from management at central and district level. NGOs which did water supply as one of

many sectors were in a comparable situation. NGOs, Fund Board and DTOs have however become more professional over the years and this trend is continuing.

DOLIDAR is adopting the WASH Approach Paper in coordination with DWSS, increasing its WASH engineering staff and planning to institute WASH Units under each DTO. The WASH Approach Paper is a good start, but needs testing, elaboration and adjustment to

specific regional and community needs.

Standards moreover are developed for well-resourced project situations while many

schemes are implemented as part of regular budgets that only provide budget for infrastructure or less than that. Guidelines therefore should also indicate whether and how support should be given, if support to the community is limited to infrastructure or

to a fixed amount of budget or materials.




The WASH sector should agree on jointly adopting and systematically monitoring a very limited number of indicators for various levels of the

planning framework, e.g. expenditures as input indicators, construction progress as output indicator, tap functionality and service (QARQ) as lower

and higher level outcome indicators, and occurrence of diarrhoea (and maybe income1) as impact indicators. Government as well as non-government agencies should adopt meaningful result1 monitoring in addition to the

monitoring of construction progress and expenditures. The sectoral CREAM indicators are a good step to tis direction but should be further elaborated and

actively adopted by all key agencies. Result monitoring should not be left to consultants or NGOs engaged in the projects, but be part of reporting at all levels. Aid support should depend on adoption of result-oriented M&E systems

and their implementation. This will ensure that decisions will also be made on basis of potential user benefit.

Issue: Institutional focus, project planning and monitoring. Government engineering agency performance is affected by a focus on construction progress and expenditure

rather than on quality service delivery and results, and by uniform standards and procedures rather than ones adapted to the needs and capacity of the scheme and

community. The issue partly results from a government monitoring system that only measures construction progress and expenditures, partly from an inability to monitor quality under difficult circumstances, and partly from agency dominance by engineers.

Past efforts to make engineering agencies more result- and software- oriented have not been successful enough, and many projects have opted for involvement of third parties

as compensation or for non-government modalities.

Although not systematically, government agencies have occasionally used result monitoring in donor funded projects and have adapted solutions to different situations

(extra GESI support for socially excluded communities), and manuals and guidelines include improvements, but these have often been accidental or limited to

implementation in donor-funded projects. NMIP has been the big step forward towards more meaningful and monitorable indicators, mostly scheme functionality. Also attempts have been made to develop service indicators based on water quantity, quality, access

and reliability (QARQ), e.g. in the modality analysis report that is part of this study, but these have not been generally tested or accepted. As the NMIP database shows, it is

also difficult to do reliable monitoring in inaccessible areas.

Implications

The implications of the recommendations for all involved will be more uniform approach to implementation and capacity building meaning also reduced freedom to operate as

per the own preferences, after agreeing on a joint trajectory towards a more uniform modality. There will still be some freedom to deviate, but increasingly less so, and only if agreed upon by other stakeholders.



For government agencies it will be important to create room with the National Planning Commission and Ministry of Finance for adaptations to monitoring indicators and system, and staffing and implementation systems.

7.3 Addressing Agency-level Financial Issues

Issues and Trends

The performance of engineering agencies (DWSS, DOLIDAR) is affected by problematic fund flow processes and low annual budget allocation. Construction seasons are very

short due to fund flow problems rather than weather. Insufficient annual allocation further leads to prolonged implementation periods. Especially larger schemes are

affected. NGOs, Fund Board and some projects avoid these issues by fund flows outside of the government channels. This currently used option remains valid as long as the government cannot address fund flow system issues and as long as the sector is not

fully integrated.

In case major steps have been taken to smoothing fund flows within the government

and to operating through Sector-wide Approach, the financial reform option offered in the Reform Options Concept Paper of 2011 can be considered.

Financial Reform Recommendation #1 (Reform Options Concept Paper of

2011)

“All the water sector funds should be transferred based on the DWASH Plan to

the DDF. Disbursement of funds should match actual progress of implementing the National Programmes at district levels. Central funding should be

earmarked for the specific use as per the plan and should not be fungible with other uses. The power to authorize release from the budget, based on the plan, should jointly rest with the LDO and the district head of the department

concerned.”

Financial Reform Recommendation #2

As long as fund flow issues have not been solved, it is recommended that all

WASH sector stakeholders agree temporarily on and implement one effective fund flow mechanism, building on experiences and modalities of the Government, Fund Board, NGOs and projects. This will help coordination and

long-term development of effective financial management. This modality will probably involve the District Development Fund, but the consultant team does

not feel that we can advise on the details of this modality element as the modality study and secondary sources do not provide clear answers that would address all reservations by the various stakeholders.



Implications.

The implications for new projects will be that fund flow mechanisms have to be designed in consultation with all stakeholders and with future fund flow mechanism design in

mind. Temporary or deviating design should still promote and facilitate joint mechanisms for the long-term, and be adjustable in case the project has still a

substantial number of years left. Ultimately this will mean that also the NGOs and the Fund Board should use some sort of Government-linked fund flow mechanisms that allow full alignment with local government planning processes.

The implications for ongoing projects and agency interventions depend on the left-over project period. Only projects with substantial number of years left should be asked to

consider redesigning their fund flow mechanisms

7.4 Addressing Community Level Institutional Issues

Issues and Trends

The type and volume of software support to communities proposed and/or provided by

different projects and agencies has become rather similar. It consists of e.g. upfront cash contributions, labour contributions, WUSC and maintenance worker trainings, maintenance fund establishment, district-level registration, latrine builder trainings, and

promotion of water fees. The fact that these elements have not been found or were not remembered by users in a large numbers of studied schemes, indicates that efforts have

often fallen short or have only been adopted more widely in recent years.

The survey results also showed that community-level institutional issues are felt by

users as main reasons for functionality problems, notably absence of

maintenance workers, inadequate WUSC managerial skills, and lack of access to support services. Users suggest

addressing these issues by more capacity building, more technical supervision and

quality control, more participation in decision making, and more transparency regarding finances and project details. As

these issues are also noted in DWSS projects, Fund Board and NGO schemes,

which are equipped to provide substantial and relevant support, there are four possibilities and ways to address them:

a) Capacity building and participation will never be enough for some less well-organised

communities. In this case simpler technologies and other adjustments to specific situations have to be applied (see Agency Institutional Reform Option #1)

b) Capacity building efforts have fallen short in quality, quantity or sincerity. This might be partly addressed by standardization of software elements, and increased accountability mechanisms (see Agency Institutional Reform Option #3).

c) More capacity building will indeed make a difference. The WASH Approach Paper

(draft 2012) has been standardizing details and levels of software support to communities. Some of these need testing in different circumstances and under different agencies. Its implementation across the country will lead to reviews, adaptations and

Tap at the Okhaldhunga Khimadi W.S.P in Pandaun VDC of Kailali



development of appropriate support levels for specific situations (see Agency Institutional Reform Option #1).

d) It is not logically possible that all schemes will always retain active and capable WUSCs and VMWs and good contacts with VDCs and other potential supporters. Trained people will be replaced one day, VMWs will become good enough to sell their services in

the city or abroad and move there, and one day technical problems will emerge for which the VMW has not been trained. This can only be addressed by improved access to

engineering services, either district level technical staff, VDC-technicians or plumbers, and masons and mechanics settling in the nearest bazaar (See PCS chapter, 7.5).

7.5 Addressing Post-Construction Services Issues

Issues and Trends

The post-construction situation is probably both the most important and most neglected factor determining functionality. The key actors in the post-construction situation are

the users, the user committee, federations like the FEDWASUN, the maintenance worker or operator, the VDC and VWASH CC, the DDC, DTO, DWSS and the DWASH CC, suppliers of spare parts and materials, and the plumbers, mechanics, masons,

contractors that are called here repair service providers. The post-construction situation is defined by the strength of the user committees and maintenance workers, the

remoteness, poverty, social cohesion of communities, the complexity and size of schemes, the local government ownership feelings for the scheme, and the availability of skilled service providers in the area. Addressing non-modality issues like remoteness,

poverty, size and complexity, should be done through tailored approaches in the manuals and guidelines.

When addressing maintenance, most agencies focus on community management and maintenance and strengthening the user committee and maintenance workers. The modality study shows this makes a difference, like in the case of NGO and Fund Board

schemes, but only to a limited degree. There has been a realisation in recent years that other actors should step in. Most focus on the government, based on the opinion that

water supply is a right and the government has to provide the services that ensure that right. Others focus on a mix of government, non-government and private sector, based on the opinion that the government will not be ready to provide the necessary services

for a long time coming. The government should provide a coordinating and promoting role, but consumers should ensure the services themselves by accessing the available

opportunities.

Support to PCS by Users. The users, user committee and maintenance workers often lack adequate technical, social and managerial skills, scheme management

arrangements, tools, materials and financial resources. Partly this is because they were never properly supported. User capacity building is too often a perfunctory exercise,

subordinate to construction in staff time and resources. There are still major agencies and programs that provide maintenance workers’ trainings that mostly contain theoretical class room exercises, only last two days or are given by engineers and NGO

staff rather than masons, plumbers and contractors. Even if a project has supported the users properly, the WUSC’s tools and capacity might have vanished at the time the first

functionality problems occur, five to ten years after scheme completion. Even if the trained persons are still part of the WUSC, the trained skills for dealing with

maintenance problems will have faded ten years later. Still, the fact that in many schemes remnants are found of the capacity building and PCS efforts 10-15 years after construction and that those schemes tend to function better, shows that there is no



Post-Construction Service (PCS) Improvement Recommendation #1

(Users)

It is recommended that the government organises a workshop for all stakeholders to finalise WASH Approach Paper, which should provide minimum

standards and options for all user capacity building activities, maintenance funds, and maintenance arrangements. All WASH stakeholders and projects should follow those minimum standards. The maintenance arrangements

should include mechanisms to ensure systematic renewal of the WUSC and replacement of the technical manpower when necessary as well as proper

plans for system expansion, linkage with private sector and professionalization of the service provision when applicable.

It is also important to link the user’s to networks through which they can learn

from each other, get support and capacity building and raise their voices to access larger scale support when necessary. The Federation of Drinking Water

and Sanitation Users Nepal (FEDWASUN) is the umbrella organization for WUSCs in Nepal supporting continued provision of services to communities through training and advocacy. Further strengthening of the federation and

linking all WUSCs to such networks will strengthen the WUSCs’ capability to work as sustainable service providers and access support when necessary.

alternative to such capacity building and that applying more time and effort will probably increase the chances of scheme functionality and sustainability.

Support to VDC-level PCS Services. The modality study suggests that ownership by local

government institutions and links by users to those institutions make a difference like in the case of VDC and DDC-schemes. It is further assumed that planning and coordination

by WASH CCs will strengthen those links and ownership. Lastly, it is assumed that strengthening the VDC/VWASHCC and DWASHCC capacity will have an additional effect.

Even if the VDC consists of one Secretary, which is the normal situation since many

years, it is still a core institution in the PCS framework, as it is the window for users to government and NGO assistance, and exchange with leaders and other similar schemes.

The recently instituted VWASH CCs have been generally weak, if left unsupported, and often consist in practice of the VDC Secretary. Budgets and time to assist users in accessing external assistance are limited. Still VDCs have been among the main

agencies supporting construction in a large portion of the schemes. Few VDCs also have their own technicians, which facilitates post-construction support considerably.



Post-Construction Service (PCS) Improvement Recommendation #3

(District institutions)

It is recommended that in addition to recommendations made above to improve the district level database of scheme functionality and WASH

coverage, and strengthening of the DWASH CC capacities, increased access to services by disadvantaged communities and the Reform Options Concept

Paper’s (2011) proposals for maintenance funding should be considered. Support modalities should be adapted to the type of scheme and community. Modalities should be discussed and finalised that will ensure effective and

sustained implementation of the fund. The DWASH CC (especially DDC and WSSDO) should take the overall responsibility for coordinating the PCS

support as well as monitoring the functionality status of schemes in their area.

Post-Construction Service (PCS) Improvement Recommendation #2 (VDC/VWASHCC)

Both VWASH CCs and VDC technicians are a recent phenomenon, and future sector support should continue to pilot and expand approaches to promote,

train, use and strengthen both. Projects could e.g. demand from VDCs that are interested in project support that they hire their own technicians who will then be trained and supported by the project.

Support to District-level PCS Services. District agencies normally do not have the resources, staff and time to look after maintenance problems in schemes that are not

included in their annual budgets. Recent efforts supported by UNICEF and SNV among others aim to strengthen the PCS capacity of districts, by DWASHCCs generating WASH maps that are improving on NMIP data, which are not found reliable when used at VDC

level. There are experiments ongoing and proposed to reserve budget and staff specifically for maintenance and these experiments need to be monitored carefully and

if these prove successful such arrangements should be scaled up. However, if there is no good scheme database and good linkage between all schemes and the district agencies, funds might not be spent effectively. Past experiments with district level

maintenance funds have been discontinued due to disinterest in either DWSS or the Ministry of Finance.

Private sector PCS services. Only very few schemes hire and use private repair service providers like plumbers and masons, mainly because the projects that supported their

scheme focused on community maintenance workers and government technicians, but also because there are no service providers available close-by. It has not been

adequately studied, also not by this modality study, whether access (distance, acquaintance) to local material suppliers, plumbers, mechanics, masons and contractors makes a difference in post-construction scheme functionality, but it is very likely as has

been shown for the micro-hydropower and micro-irrigation subsectors. It is even very likely that increased availability of such paid-for services has the highest potential to



Post-Construction Service (PCS) Improvement Recommendation #4 (Private sector)

The aim is to build a dense enough network of paid-for local service providers and a tradition of payment for services. It is recommended to apply a value

chain1 approach that prioritises and tackles bottlenecks in the whole PCS services value chain, from the technology, managerial and financial aspects of

scheme maintenance, material and tool supply at local, regional and national level, transport, establishment of SPs, density, networks, exchange, marketing, and communication.

DWASH CCs and VWASH CCs, guided by business (value chain) development specialists, should meet to map the area-wise O&M needs and the availability

of existing repair services and practices. Private sector development should include a) identification of PCS needs (masons, plumbers, drillers, pump mechanics, electricians, latrine builders, ring and slab manufacturers, water

filter manufacturers, contractors, spare parts suppliers, water quality test labs, arsenic test labs, transporters, etc.), b) rapid WASH PCS market assessments

in each district to assess demand and supply of various O&M services and assessments of potentially new services (private sector entrepreneurs like plumbers and traders) by type, size and location, c) PCS Multi-stakeholder

platforms (public-private-consumer coordination meetings) that enable linkage and coordinated action, d) technical, business and marketing skill trainings to

SPs/entrepreneurs, e) assistance to choice and development of service products (e.g. skills, materials, tools, routine repair visits), f) improved material and equipment supply chains, g) marketing events that bring

potential customers and entrepreneurs together (VDC visits, bazaar events, etc.).

make gains in increasing access to functional WASH facilities, and to close a big part of the post-construction services gaps left by the government and NGOs, with much less vulnerability to transfers of key government staff, discontinuation of funding, or

discrimination and neglect by officials. The main issues are inter-linked, i.e. a) a lack of such services at village level, b) an absence of awareness or traditions to pay adequate

amounts for such services, and c) competing job opportunities for skilled labour in urban areas and abroad.

Because hardly any program1 has made an effort to establish a network of PCS services,

there are many lessons left to learn and interventions should be framed as pilots. Being private sector strengthening initiatives, these pilots should include PCS value chain

study and market assessments, business and technical capacity building for PCS Service Providers (SPs), networking and marketing events where customers and service providers can meet and establish linkages.

1 IDE implements sanitation marketing program for UNICEF; PCS value chain development elements are

included in the next phase of RWSSP-WN (Finland-supported).



8 Towards a More Harmonised Way of Working - Recap of the Key Recommendations

This report has outlined a number of recommendations for improved effectiveness and

ultimately increased access to sustainable services in the rural water supply and sanitation sector in Nepal. The outlined recommendations and options are largely mutually complementary and there will hopefully be efforts by all concerned agencies to

adopt most of the recommendations as far as they feel these improve their work and results. The core of the various proposed options is rephrased below.

8.1 Governance, Planning, Scheme Selection and Financial Issues

Planning should rest with the VDCs (with VWASHCC) and DDCs (with DWASH CCs). Local government bottom-up planning process should be followed by all agencies. This

process can be supported and monitored to make it more transparent. All WASH efforts should be part of the VWASH and DWASH Plans and likewise all WASH efforts should be based on priorities set out in the WASH Plans, which are part of the District

Development Plan and VDC Plans. The District Water Supply and Sanitation Coordination Committee (DWASHCC) should be activated across all the districts to be the primary

planning and implementation monitoring authority for the WASH sector at the district level. NMIP database should be regularly verified and updated (as planned by MOUD and DWSS) and form the basis of informed local level planning.

Ideally all the water sector funds should be transferred based on the DWASH Plan to the

DDF and fully aligned with local planning processes. As long as fund flow issues have not

been solved, it is recommended that all WASH sector stakeholders agree temporarily on and

implement one effective fund flow mechanism, building on experiences and modalities of the

Government, Fund Board, NGOs and projects. This will help coordination and long-term

development of effective financial management. This modality will most probably also involve the

District Development Fund.

8.2 Implementation Arrangements

Agencies should adopt more harmonised technical and implementation guidelines and manuals. These should be improved by sections that outline options for addressing specific challenges making them more flexible and adaptable to various circumstances.

Results-based monitoring and management systems should be adopted by all implementation agencies. Effective use of local support organisations and local private

sector for tasks that the concerned agency will not fulfil itself. Local capacity should also be enhanced through supporting development of VDC technical capacity (hiring their own technicians).

Capacity building to users should be done in a more systematic and harmonised way

while ensuring the quality and practicality of the provided capacity building package. These efforts should be complemented by developing mechanisms to replace trained people who leave the area and enhancing access to other locally available capacity

(district level technical staff, VDC-technicians or plumbers, masons and mechanics settling in the nearest bazaar etc.).

8.3 Post-Construction Services

Support to users should be provided based on clear standards and options for all capacity building activities, maintenance funds, linkage to networks and federations as

well as sustainable maintenance arrangements that all WASH actors should follow. The



VDCs and VWASH CCs should also be systematically strengthened as they are the window for users to link with government and other outside assistance as well as experience from other similar schemes. Agencies could support VDCs in hiring and

training their own technicians. Districts and DWASH CCs should have strong monitoring systems (based on and linked to SEIU and NMIP) and take a leading role to coordinate

the post construction support in their area possibly through a district level maintenance fund. Agencies should support DWASH CCs and VWASH CCs in mapping the PCS needs in their area as well as the private sector PCS providers. Relevant and interested private

sector actors should then be supported in developing demand responsive PCS products, linkage to users and other service providers and by organising marketing events.

Tap at the Samgha W.S.P in Deurali VDC of Nawalparasi

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