SUPPORTING LEADING WATER AND SANITATION UTILITIES TO IMPROVE SERVICES AND PERFORMANCE THROUGH INTEGRITY
DATES
2014-Current
LOCATION(S)
Global
PARTNERS
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), SIWI, cewas, NGO Forum, GIZ
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Water and sanitation service providers face high integrity risks in all their operations and across the value chain of water projects. Nepotism, accounting fraud, collusion in procurement, cutting corners in construction, extortion for permits and licenses, speed money for repairs, for connections, for a favourable meter reading. The examples are numerous and from across the globe.
More than 15 per cent of respondents to a national household survey in Guatemala said they paid a bribe when they sought a water connection or reconnection. In Kenya, over 50 per cent of households surveyed in Nairobi felt their bills were unfair, 20 per cent said they paid their bills regardless of the accuracy (in order to avoid disconnection) and 66 per cent said they had had a water-related corruption experience in the past year.
- Transparency International, Global Corruption Report 2008
As they operate as natural monopolies, implement technically complex projects with high initial capital and maintenance costs, employ large teams of people, and are accountable to multiple stakeholders in a sector which is notoriously fragmented, water and sanitation service providers are also especially vulnerable and closed to meaningful participation and oversight processes.
When the risks materialize, corruption can result in substantial financial losses, poor quality infrastructure, reduced quality and availability of services. Those who suffer most are the poorest and most marginalised, who tend to pay more for inadequate service.
There's a lot at stake for utilities. There is also a lot that can be done to proactively assess and manage risks. There are practical tools for financial controls, customer service or human resource management, that support integrity in water service delivery and minimise corruption risks.
WIN provides training and support to service providers in strengthening integrity within their work processes using InWASH and related tools to assess gaps in integrity practices and develop action plans with the commitment and input of staff. With our partners we've worked in over 30 utilities worldwide, especially across Latin America with the Consortium for Water Integrity in Latin America, Kenya with GIZ and KEWASNET, and Bangladesh with NGO Forum.
We also collaborate on research to understand integrity risks and their impact. A recent study with the IDB shows that strong anti-corruption and integrity measures can contribute to substantial savings and reduce delays in implementation. More recent studies focus on risks related to service delivery in informal settlements and City-Wide Inclusive Sanitation.
With integrity assessments and integrity management, water utilities and sector organisations workign with us have:
Increased revenue and financial stability
Identified critical business weaknesses and aligned with international best practice
Streamlined processes and built trust from users
TOOLS
PUBLICATIONS
On the impact of integrity management tools:
In Spanish:
Case studies:
FIND OUT MORE OR GET INVOLVED
Contact our programme coordinator