Access to improved water source and satisfaction with services : evidence from rural Ethiopia

Abebaw, D., Tadesse, F. and Mogues, T., 2011. Access to improved water source and satisfaction with services : evidence from rural Ethiopia. (ESSP II working paper ; 32). Washington, DC, Ethiopia Strategy Support Program II (ESSP II), International Food Policy Research Institute. v, 14 p. : 9 tab. 20 ref.

Available at: <http://www.ifpri.org/sites/default/files/publications/esspwp32.pdf> [Accessed 16 January 2011]

In recent years access to safe and reliable water supplies has received increased government attention in Ethiopia. As a result, the national coverage rate for this service has gradually improved. Yet millions of people in rural areas still do not get drinking water from an improved water source. While expanding improved water source schemes is generally essential, it is equally important to ensure that the schemes have increased users’ satisfaction with water quality and availability for everyday use. Using household survey data and employing univariate and bivariate probit models, this paper attempts to investigate the effect of access to an improved water source on users’ satisfaction with both quality and availability of water. The study findings suggest that access to an improved water source significantly raised household satisfaction with both quality and availability of water. However, the effect of the improved water source on users’ satisfaction was slightly lower for water availability than for water quality. (author abstract)

Documenting change : an introduction to process documentation

Da Silva Wells, C. et al., 2011. Documenting change : an introduction to process documentation. (Occasional paper series / IRC; 47). The Hague, The Netherlands: IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre. 41 p.; 1 fig.; 7 tab.; 7 boxes. With a list of resources, toolkits and references on p. 34 – 37.
Available at: <http://www.irc.nl/page/67642> [Accessed 13 December 2011].

Documenting change is a vitally important activity for learning from and improving upon the work carried out in development initiatives. While collecting information and analysing key activities and outcomes of a project do provide initial insights, documenting how a change process unfolds (and not just their outcomes) can provide strong (and new) insights for practice and learning. This is achieved by highlighting factors that lead to an initiative’s outcomes.

In this Occasional Paper, IRC consolidates lessons learned across a range of IRC projects and describes the resultant and emerging understanding of how process documentation can promote learning and action through joint reflection and analysis. This Occasional Paper also offers tools for collecting and presenting observations that stimulate reflection, learning and sharing.

The lessons, concepts and tools presented in this paper are relevant for project designers, managers and field staff members involved in conducting monitoring and communications tasks. This paper may also be of interest for donors as it provides an example of enhanced forms of documentation that enables more effective monitoring, evaluation and sharing of lessons.

HuffPost Water

The Huffington Post news blog launched a new section dedicated to clean water issues on November 1st, 2011. The new section is a joint initiative of HuffPost founder Arianna Huffington and Water.org co-founders Gary White and Matt Damon, who wanted a platform to present and discuss solutions for the lack of sanitation and safe water around the world.

Web site: www.huffingtonpost.com/news/clean-water

Arrangements and cost of providing support to rural water service providers

Smits, S. … [et al.] (2011). Arrangements and cost of providing support to rural water service providers. (WASHCost working paper ;  no. 5). The Hague, The Netherlands, IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre.  42 p. :  1 fig., 16 tab.  37 ref.
Download full paper

This joint WASHCost and Triple-S paper is about the costs of providing direct and indirect support to rural water service provision. It provides an overview of the features such support entails, how those features can be organised, what they cost and how they can be financed. It also provides recommendations to countries for strengthening support. The paper is based on a desk review of existing literature from seven countries and an analysis of primary cost data collected by the WASHCost project in Andhra Pradesh (India), Mozambique and Ghana in 2010 and 2011.

Ladders for assessing and costing water service delivery – 2nd edition

Moriarty, P. … [et al.] (2011). Ladders for assessing and costing water service delivery. (WASHCost working paper; no. 2). 2nd ed. The Hague, The Netherlands, IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre. iv, 19 p. : 5 fig., 5 tab. 14 ref.
Download full paper

This working paper introduces the concept of service levels, grouped as sequential rungs on a ladder, as a way of differentiating between broad and recognisable types (levels) of service. By developing this metaphor, a structure is provided to analyse the data being collected in different countries and settings, not just in terms of the technologies being used, but in terms of the domestic water services being received. The paper introduces water service levels and explains how these can be used as integral components of an analytical tool for applied research or benchmarking. It is best read together with Working Paper 3: Assessing sanitation service levels. Both papers are aimed at providing a framework for data analysis of life-cycle costs. This second edition reflects the experiences of applying this methodology in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mozambique and India (Andhra Pradesh).

Life-cycle costs approach: costing sustainable services

Fonseca, C. … [et al.]. (2011). Life-cycle costs approach : costing sustainable services. (WASHCost briefing note ; 1a). The Hague, The Netherlands, IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre. 37 p. :  6 fig., 7 tab.  22 ref.
Download full briefing note 

This briefing note describes the life-cycle costs approach and why it was developed. It explains the main cost components for water and sanitation in rural and peri-urban areas. Detailed cost breakdowns are presented in the annexes. Different types of analysis can be made with disaggregated cost information: comparing costs of infrastructure components, comparing the cost of services delivered or comparing the costs of difference service delivery models. The briefing note explains the building blocks used in the life-cycle costs approach for all these types of analysis and explores how these fit with different accounting practices. It explains why the WASHCost Project has adopted a regulatory accounting approach to calculate aggregated total expenditure costs and  provides a step-by-step approach to comparing and reporting costs.

Assessing sanitation service levels – 2nd edition

Potter, A.; Klutse, A.; Snehalatha, M.; Batchelor, C.; Uandela, A.; Naafs, A.; Fonseca, C.; Moriarty, P. (2011). Assessing sanitation service levels. (WASHCost working paper; no. 3). 2nd ed. The Hague, The Netherlands, IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre. 27 p. : 16 fig. 12 ref.
Download full paper

Conventional sanitation ladders rank sanitation in increasing complexity of technological options. However, sanitation improvement is not as straightforward as the concept of “a ladder” with incremental improvements, might suggest. For example, from the user perspective, a VIP toilet may in some circumstances be a better option than a septic tank system. There is a wide gap between technologies and service provision, especially when O&M considerations are taken into account. This working paper from IRC’s WASHCost project sets out a common framework to analyse and compare sanitation cost data being collected across different country contexts (Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mozambique, India) with different service delivery norms and standards. It represents a fundamental shift away from the focus on capital investment costs, to the costs of sustainable sanitation services.

Meeting the challenge of financing water and sanitation : tools and approaches

OECD (2011). Meeting the challenge of financing water and sanitation : tools and approaches. (OECD studies on water). Paris, France, OECD Publishing. 142 p. : 13 fig., 5 tab.
ISBN : 9789264120525 (PDF) ; 9789264120518 (print)
doi: 10.1787/9789264120525-en

Order online  / Look inside (free online preview)
Price: €25 | $35 | £22 | ¥3200 | MXN450

This report provides an overview of key issues related to financing the water and sanitation sector in both developed and developing countries (part 1), and presents tools and approaches developed by OECD for both policy makers and practitioners (part 2).

Part 1 is organised in three chapters. Chapter 1 identifies the investments required to build, operate and maintain the infrastructure for providing sustainable water and sanitation services. It then examines the health, economic and environmental benefits of water supply and sanitation (WSS).

Chapter 2 assesses the current state of WSS and examines investment needs, identifies the financing sources, and estimates the financing gaps to reach internationally agreed targets.

Chapter 3 examines where the money is going to come from, including from a combination of efficiency gains, adjusted targets and additional financial resources; the “3Ts” – tariffs, taxes and transfers; and repayable financing.

In part  2, chapter 4 begins by introducing the tools developed by OECD to address the key financing issues described in part 1.

Chapters 5 to 10 include brief descriptions of the following tools:

• Strategic Financial Planning for WSS at national or regional level – the FEASIBLE tool
• Financial planning tool for water utilities
• Multi-year investment planning tool for municipalities
• Guidelines for performance-based contracts
• Water Utility Performance Indicators (IBNET)
• Private sector participation in water infrastructure – checklist for public action

Managing water locally : an essential dimension of community water development

Bunclark, L., Carter, R., Casey, V., Day, St J., and Guthrie, D. (2011). Managing water locally : an essential dimension of community water development. London, UK, Institution of Civil Engineers; Oxford, UK, Oxfam GB and London, UK, WaterAid. 95 p. : boxes, fig., tab. Includes glossary. 48 ref.
Oxfam Online ISBN 978-1-78077-011-6
Download full publication [2 MB]

Based on experiences from three continents, this publication provides practical guidelines for water sector practitioners, policy-makers and donors on Community-Based Water Resource Management (CBWRM).

SuSanA Forum

The Sustainable Sanitation Alliance (SuSanA) secretariat launched this open discussion forum in July 2011. A broad range of topics are covered such as sanitation systems and technologies, health and hygiene, CLTS, school sanitation, sanitation systems for special conditions, menstrual hygiene management, and SuSanA working groups and announcements.

There are options to subscribe to daily e-mail alerts or RSS feeds of all new posts or to specific categories or topics.

As of October 2011, the SuSanA Forum already had 930 registered users.

Web site: forum.susana.org/forum