KEEP THE WATER FLOWING
Post-Construction Support for Rural
Water Service Providers
UNC Water and Health Conference
October 29, 2015
INTRODUCTIONS
BEYOND FUNCTIONALITY
34%
2% 3%
38%
68% 74%
29% 30% 22%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Akatsi E Gonja Sunyani West
Water service levels - Ghana
Basic Substandard Broken down/not used
Source: adapted from Adank et al, 2012
BEYOND THE PROJECT
• Circuit riders
• Area mechanics
• Supply chains for spare parts
• Monitoring & water quality testing
• Professionalization of community water committees
• Associations of community water committees
• Smart pumps
Comparison of percentage of users receiving a basic
service level with maintenance expenditure per user
of different schemes
Source: (122)
Source: Burr et al, 2012
POST CONSTRUCTION SUPPORT COSTS
Comparison of % users receiving a basic service level with maintenance expenditure
per user
POST CONSTRUCTION SUPPORT KPIS
Source: Smits 2012
Frequency of support visits
POST CONSTRUCTION SUPPORT KPIS
30%
67%
70%
33%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Preventive maintenance not executed Preventive maintenance executed
Reliability of Handpumps in Ghana
Reliable Not Reliable
Source: adapted from Atengdem, Gyamfi, & Shahadu, 2013
Functionality of Water Points in Tanzania
Source: Holbro et al 2015
POST CONSTRUCTION SUPPORT KPIS
Supported by
Different types of institutional support arrangements in India: synthesis of findings from 20 case studies from the Community Water Plus project
“Keep the water flowing”, UNC, 27th October 2015
Ruchika Shiva @IRCWASH
Supported by
Introduction & Rationale
• Challenges of sustainability & moving up the service delivery ladder in rural water supply
• Community management is “dominant” but has reached “limits” so needs to adapt or perish?!
• Community Water Plus investigates successful examples of community management to understand the institutional set-up and resource implications of effective support organisations
Supported by
Community Water Plus 20 cases across India
Supported by
Research Framework
CBM+ Direct with CI
CM+
High PROFESSIONALISATION OF COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT Low
Hig
h C
omm
unity
inv
olve
men
t L
ow
Community-Based Management plus
Community
Managementplus
Direct provision with Community Involvement
Urban-StyleUtilitisation
Institutional set-up at the Community Service Provider level
M
P
AP
KI & KII
KA O
HP
U
S
WB
J C
MP R
TN I & II
MG
GI & GII
End of Community Management?
?
Institutional Set-up at the Enabling Support Environment level
Typology Characteristics Cases
Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) Supported
Public agency, highly technical, implementation focus, low intensity on-going support for communities
Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Maharashtra
PHED-Local Government Institutions Supported
PHED with additional support from the PRI (local-government), PRI monitors and provides administrative support to communities, PHED provides technical support.
Tamil Nadu (x2), Sikkim
Reformed Rural Water Supply Agencies
Reformed PHEDs that provided integrated support – including both hardware and software support – within single public agency.
Gujarat (x2), Kerala
Public-Donor Partnerships International donors support public agencies with additional finance, technical expertise and monitoring. Public agencies operate as proto-RRWSA.
Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Kerala
Public-NGO Partnerships NGOs in partnerships with public agencies to fulfill ‘gaps’ in provision or pilot new approaches.
Madhya Pradesh West Bengal Tamil Nadu (CEC)
NGO Supported NGOs act as primary ESE taking responsibility for both hardware and software support with minimal government involvement.
Orissa Andhra Pradesh Uttarakhand
Supported by
Institutional matching
Typologies
ESE/CSP
Direct Provision
with Community
Involvement
Community
Management Plus
Community
Based
Management Plus
Urban Style
Utilitisation
Comments
Public Health
Engineering
Department
(PHED)
✔ ✔ "Low participation"
PHED + Local
Government
Institutions (PRIs)
✔ ✔
"Direct provision or
voluntary
Community
Management Plus"
Reformed Rural
Water Supply
Agency
✔ "Professionalising
Community
Management"
Bri
dg
ing
Public-Donor
Partnership
✔ ✔ "Supporting
transition towards
professionalisation"
Public-NGO
Partnership
✔ ✔ "Lower stage
transition and
experimentation"
NGO ✔ ✔
"Learning, pilots,
small-scale"
Lo
ng
-ter
m s
cale
L
earn
ing
Discussion – but does the type of institutional model matter with wealth?
Supported by
• High-levels of specialist implementation support – including software component
• Integrating post-construction support into decentralised bodies (i.e. local government & bodies)
• Standardisation of support functions to ensure minimal benchmark
• Yet enough flexibility to provide ‘needs-based’ support (i.e. at times of disruption – local elections, VWSC staff migrating away from village)
• Monitoring functionality, auditing & water quality testing
• Across many case studies significant external subsidy for Operational Expenditure (i.e. energy subsidy, labour subsidy)
Common themes in successful support systems
Supported by
• Different institutional set-ups are found in successful community management programmes across India
• The most diversity in successful models is found in richer states indicating the type of model becomes less relevant in richer contexts
• Synthesis findings only emerging so much more to come – for further information, individual case study reports and updates please visit: http://www.ircwash.org/projects/india-community-water-plus-project
• Any further questions feel free to contact Ruchika, Stef Smits, IRC, at [email protected], [email protected]
Conclusions
Victoria M. Cuéllar, MPH Circuit Rider Program Manager
@DRICIWAS
21
The Circuit Rider Methodology
The Problem
Donor organizations focus on infrastructure
Most small water systems struggle to provide a consistent safe water supply after implementation due to: Lack of funding Lack of qualified staff Weak governance Poor tariff settings Lack of supply chain for parts and supplies
The Circuit Rider Model Qualified traveling technicians
visit a number of water systems/ communities, providing support and assistance
Each Circuit Rider will visit 20 – 40 systems, 4 – 6 times over the course of a year
System A
System B
System C
System D
System E
System F
Services Provided Technical assistance on system repair, source water protection, and
water quality
Administrative assistance for improved governance and financial management
Capacity building to community water boards for WASH promotion activities
Support for integrated water resources and watershed management
DRI’s Center for International Water and Sustainability (CIWAS)
DRI has been involved in providing technical capacity building to water project staff in West Africa since 1991
CIWAS was created with a grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to address gaps that exist in knowledge, research, and human resource capacity that persist in developing countries, especially those that assist in reducing health related issues and design of sustainable WASH programs
DRI Circuit Rider Program
DRI’s Circuit Rider (CR) program will address capacity needs in developing countries by providing on-site assistance and on the job training in three key areas:
Technical
Managerial and Financial
Community and Water Resources/Watershed Management
Next Steps Adapt existing curricula to include sanitation and hygiene components
Include monitoring and evaluation (M&E) tools and the use of mobile technology
M&E of existing CR programs in Latin America
Continue to grow existing and create new CR programs across Latin America
Adapt the CR methodology to the African context
Proposed pilot in Ghana
The Circuit Rider Model in El Salvador: Improvements in
Drinking Water Quality & Sustainability
Georgia Kayser, PhD @UNC_Water_Inst
William Moomaw, Jeff Griffiths
Tufts University
Methodology
Selection of 60 communities
120 Interviews
252 Water Quality Tests
126 Residual Chlorine Tests
Key Informant Interviews
Collaborating Organizations 1. ASSA – Asociacion Salvadoreña de Servicios de Agua 2. IRWA – International Rural Water Association
Variable Control Circuit Rider
Private HH connection 91% 89%
Source water = ground water 56% 57%
Source water = spring 38% 32%
Pump used to access/distribute water 78% 82%
Average # HHs served 300 272
NGO constructed system 65% 75%
Average age of system 13 years 12 years
Distance from nearest paved road .68 km 1 km
Results: Water Contamination is More Common in
Control Communities
Statistically significant results, p < .05
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Control Intervention
Pre
sen
ce
Drinking Water Contamination E-coli (Presence/Absence)
TC EC
TC = Total Choliform EC = E.coli
50%56%
75% 71%
96%
25%
82%87%
Operators Trained in Disinfection
Negative Perception of Chlorine in Community
Presence of Village Water Committee
(VWC)
Women Participate in VWC
Control Circuit Rider
* = statistically significant p < .05
*
*
100%
31%
16%9%
100%
16%
39%32%
Monthly Water Fee % HH do not pay water bill
Transparency Meters
Control Circuit Rider
*
*
* = statistically significant p < .05
ñ
* *
The operating cost of ASSA: $50,000 USD/year
• Serve 51,000 households
Cost: < 1 USD/household per year.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Control Intervention
Pre
sen
ce
Drinking Water Contamination E.Coli (Presence/Absence)
TC EC
With the Circuit Rider Model
Less microbiologically contaminated water
Improved system sustainability • better financial, operational, and
technical outcomes • enhanced community acceptance
Low cost/household served
The CRM could be adapted and
replicated TC = Total Choliform EC = E. coli
FUNDERS
ORGANIZATIONS
Dr. William Moomaw, Fletcher School
Dr. Julie Schaffner, Fletcher School
Dr. Beatrice Rogers, Friedman School
Dr. Jeff Griffiths, Medical School
National Institute of Health
United Nations Forum on Forest Fellowship
Tufts University
Center for International Environment and Resource Policy
Thank You
Silvia Fiallos
Brianna Bond
International Rural Water Association, USA
Asociación Salvadoreña de Servicios de Agua, El Salvador
INTERVIEWERS COLLABORATORS
Kayser, G.L, Moomaw, W., Portillo, J. Griffiths, J.K. (2014) Post-Construction Support: Improvements in Drinking Water
Quality and System Sustainability in El Salvador. The Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development, 4 (3): 460-470.
Monitoring and Resolution Activities of MWA Members Following Project
Completion
Dennis B. Warner @MWAWater Sr. Advisor, WASH and Environmental Health Millennium Water Alliance Washington DC
Activities Essential to WASH Project Sustainability
Monitoring – routine and periodic collection of information on the real time functioning of WASH systems.
Evaluation – assessment of project outputs to determine if objectives are being achieved.
Resolution – correction of problems found to occur in WASH systems.
Learning – incorporation of lessons learned into ongoing practices to increase effectiveness and sustainability over time.
40
MWA Members Member Information Provided
Aguayuda Yes
CARE Yes
Catholic Relief Services No
Food for the Hungry Yes
Global Water No
Helvetas (Switzerland) Yes
IRC (Netherlands) No
Lifewater Yes
Living Water Yes
Pure Water for the World Yes
Water.org Yes
WaterAid Yes
Water4 Yes
Water for People Yes
Water Missions International No
World Vision No
41
Types of WASH Activities Implemented in MWA Projects
WASH Infrastructure: for communities, households, schools and clinics, including piped and non-piped water systems from boreholes, springs and surface water bodies; and individual and communal latrines and handwashing stations
Hygiene: promotion, awareness raising, health messages, behavior change
Capacity Building: training and support for communities and water committees to conduct systems management, finance, operation and maintenance
System Reporting: both routine and ad hoc monitoring and evaluation of system functionality
42
MWA Member Policies for Post-Completion Activities
Most members have official policies for post-completion activities:
8 members have policies
3 members do not have official policies, but in-practice carry out post-completion activities
Existing policies and practices emphasize monitoring, on both a regular and ad hoc basis, as well as project evaluations, project reporting and general technical support.
43
Post-Completion Activities of MWA Members
All MWA members carry out post-completion activities on their WASH programs. Most PC activities include monitoring, either on a regular (monthly) or ad hoc basis.
Water for People monitors WASH status annually during the dry season. Other activities include technical visits, interviews with community stakeholders,
evaluations and follow up assessments. The most comprehensive monitoring programs are carried out by CARE through its Governance into Functionality Tool approach, WaterAid through is Post-Implementation Monitoring Surveys, and Water for People through the Everyone Forever policy.
44
Priority Indicators for Post-Completion Project Functioning
MWA Members report that the PC indicators of greatest concern emphasize physical measures and financial issues. Nearly all rate functionality/service delivery as a critical indicator. In most instances
this refers to water supply systems, with sanitation facilities mentioned less often. Also highly rated are indicators dealing with finance (costs/revenues/budgets) and
community management (user involvement/water committees/management support).
Additional indicators of concern are the technical issues of infrastructure and water
quality. 45
Indicators Monitored by MWA Members
MWA Members monitor a wide range of PC indicators, especially technical issues, with greatest emphasis on the functionality of water systems and the use of sanitation systems.
Water system functionality deals primarily with continuity of service and equipment
operation. Use of sanitation systems includes usage of latrines and the cleanliness of latrines
and handwashing stations. Only minor attention was given to indicators of finance, community management
and user satisfaction.
As noted before, the most comprehensive PC monitoring activities are carried out by WaterAid and Water for People.
46
Constraints on Post-Completion Activities
Most MWA Members tend to experience similar constraints on their PC activities, mainly the lack of funds, staff and time. Externally-funded projects normally have little (or no) funding for activities following
project completion.
A lack of funding negatively impacts the availability of staff resources and the time they can devote to PC activities.
Another constraint is the difficulty in learning from PC activities.
Often, PC activities are carried out with internal, rather than direct project, funds.
47
Conclusions
MWA members perform a full range of WASH activities and all to some degree carry out PC activities.
MWA members either have official PC policies or informal practices for PC activities. Most MWA members carry out either regular or ad hoc monitoring; other activities
include evaluations and assessments. The priority indicators of PC project functioning are measures of service delivery,
finance and community management. Monitoring is most commonly carried out on the functionality of WASH systems,
including the physical operation of water and sanitation facilities, behavioral practices regarding household water quality, latrine cleanliness and handwashing stations, and management of water committees.
The primary constraints on PC activities are inadequate funds, staff and time.
48
Recommendations
As the sustainability of WASH projects is based upon continuity of services, greater attention should be given to PC monitoring, evaluation and resolution activities.
Monitoring of PC operations is the key to effective evaluations and the resolution of
problems. Therefore, WASH projects should routinely incorporate monitoring into their PC activities.
Since there are numerous aspects to project operation, implementing organizations
should adopt common measures for monitoring PC project functioning. Implementing organizations can and do learn from each other. Therefore,
information on PC project performance should be shared.
49
Q&A