Water development pact

DESCRIPTION

A water development pact is an MoU that formalises the relationship between water service users and suppliers. It acknowledges the important role that water users play in water service provision and emphasises the need for a collaborative approach for improving service delivery and good governance in the water sector.^1,2

PURPOSE & LINK TO INTEGRITY

A water development [itg-tooltip tooltip-content=”<p>pact test</p>”]pact[/itg-tooltip] pursues the vision of a reliable drinking water supply and aims to improve water service delivery by cultivating direct and transparent lines of accountability. Its goals are to improve the communication between users and utilities, to enhance cooperation between technicians and users to develop better reporting and billing systems, and to motivate community members to commit to maintaining the facilities and to actively cooperate with technicians. It aims to unite the efforts of all parties affected by the difficulties experienced around water provision, and pursues clear and agreed upon actions. ^1,2

Water development pacts can improve integrity in a number of ways. They can:³

• Increase reporting on illegal connections, as water users realise that such connections contribute to increased water prices
• Reduce unaccounted-for water through improved cooperation between water users and service providers
• Increase the transparency of the responsibilities at both ends of service provision
• Enhance the participation of customers and ensure that their needs are known and met. This customer orientation improves the utility’s public image, which can enhance customers’ willingness to pay.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• Is your organization aware of whom it is accountable to?

HOW TO

The process of developing a water development pact can entail the following:^2,3

• Identification of integrity risks by key stakeholders.
• Validation and confirmation of recommendations for the pact by water users and suppliers. This establishes trust and generates ownership.
• Assessment of the actual situation and the desired future state (i.e. explore levels of transparency, accountability and participation in the relationships between different water sector actors).
• Identification of necessary steps to reach the desired future state by stakeholders as a basis for the pact
• Commitment for willingness and ability of each actor to contribute to this process.
• Proposal of recommendations from the customers’ perspective in order to improve water service provision and enhance integrity.
• Establishment of a grace period to legalise illegal connections, as simply cutting these off would not encourage people to get a proper connection installed.

KEY GUIDING DOCUMENTS

Pinnington, R., 2011, Pioneering pact promises fresh approach to water provision, Transparency International, Germany (TI), http://blog.transparency.org/2011/06/15/pioneering-pact-promises-fresh-approach-to-water-provision/, accessed 04.12.2015

TISDA, 2011, The Mombasa MoU Pact for Impact, The Transparency and Integrity in Service Delivery in Africa (TISDA), http://tisdakenya.wordpress.com/2011/05/23/the-mombasa-mou-pact-for-impact/, accessed 04.12.2015

WIN, 2012, Case Information Sheet Kenya: Mombasa Water Improvement Pact – bringing water providers and users together, Water Integrity Network (WIN), Germany, https://www.waterintegritynetwork.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/CaseSheet_Kenya_MombasaPact_EN_2012.pdf, accessed 07.12.2015

TARGETED EXAMPLES

Development pact in Mombasa^2,3

Target group: Utilities

Location: Mombasa, Kenya

A water development pact was signed in Mombasa, Kenya, between Old Town users and the Mombasa Water and Sewerage Company (MOWASCO) on 20 May 2011. This example illustrates how evidence-based dialogue can lead to improved cooperation between water users and utilities. The signing of the pact was the result of a case study undertaken by TI Kenya in 2010, which explored the levels of transparency, accountability and participation between water sector actors. MOWASACO was the first utility in Kenya to formalise the engagement with its users in a MoU.

The Mombasa Water Improvement Pact achieved the following:

• During the establishment of the pact, key stakeholders were brought together to identify integrity risks. The validation and confirmation of recommendations for the pact by water users and suppliers established trust and generated ownership.
• It assessed the actual situation and described the desired future state (i.e. explored levels of transparency, accountability and participation in the relationships between different water sector actors).
• As a basis for the pact, participants listed the necessary steps to reach the desired future state as well as the willingness and ability of each actor to contribute to this process.
• The pact proposed a number of recommendations from the customers’ perspective in order to improve water service provision and enhance integrity.
• The pact resulted in the establishment of a grace period to legalise illegal connections, as it was recognised that cutting these off would not encourage people to get a proper connection installed.

FURTHER  READINGS

Mombasa Water Accountability Campaign, The water problem in Mombasa, Mombasa Water Accountability Campaign

FULL REFERENCES

1. Pinnington, R., 2011, Pioneering pact promises fresh approach to water provision, Transparency International, Germany (TI), http://blog.transparency.org/2011/06/15/pioneering-pact-promises-fresh-approach-to-water-provision/, accessed 04.12.2015
2. TISDA, 2011, The Mombasa MoU Pact for Impact, The Transparency and Integrity in Service Delivery in Africa (TISDA), http://tisdakenya.wordpress.com/2011/05/23/the-mombasa-mou-pact-for-impact/, accessed 04.12.2015
3. WIN, 2012, Case Information Sheet Kenya: Mombasa Water Improvement Pact – bringing water providers and users together, Water Integrity Network (WIN), Germany, https://www.waterintegritynetwork.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/CaseSheet_Kenya_MombasaPact_EN_2012.pdf, accessed 07.12.2015