Water Integrity Global Outlook 3 (WIGO) - Integrity for Water and Sanitation finance - new report on integrity risks that increase the water and sanitation funding gap and compromise sustainability - with recommendations and examples on how to lead sector reforms that work to safeguard and attract new financing. ENGLISH INTEGRIDAD PARA LA FINANCIACIÓN DEL AGUA Y EL SANEAMIENTO Perspectivas prácticas para asegurar una financiación justa y transparente para el agua y el saneamiento sostenible. RESUMEN EJECUTIVO (pdf) ANÁLISIS REGIONAL - AMÉRICA LATINA (pdf) Enfrentando la corrupción para lograr agua y saneamiento sostenibles Para alcanzar el ODS 6, es esencial triplicar las inversiones y mejorar la gobernanza. En la práctica, no es tan sencillo. La corrupción sigue siendo una barrera importante y a menudo ignorada, que genera ineficiencia e inequidad en los servicios de agua y saneamiento. Esta Perspectiva Global de Integridad en el Agua (WIGO 3) arroja luz sobre estos desafíos que afectan todo el ciclo presupuestario. El informe ofrece soluciones prácticas para asegurar que las inversiones estén bien gestionadas y realmente conduzcan a resultados sostenibles y equitativos. Una lectura imprescindible para los profesionales del sector del agua, los tomadores de decisiones y los financiadores comprometidos con impulsar un cambio real. Descargar Panorama mundial del integridad del agua (Water Integrity Global Outlook): Integridad para la financiación del agua y el saneamiento Averígualo: ¿Qué riesgos para la integridad amenazan la financiación del agua y el saneamiento? ¿Cómo podemos utilizar mejor los fondos existentes? ¿Cómo mejorar la integridad en las organizaciones de agua y saneamiento? ¿Qué papel pueden desempeñar la sociedad civil y los reguladores para garantizar la rendición de cuentas? DESCARGAR WIGO3: FINANCE (EN INGLES) RESUMEN (ESPAÑOL) RESUMEN (FRANCÉS) Novedad! Análisis regional para América Latina Publicado con el apoyo del Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo ¿Qué pueden hacer las empresas de servicios públicos para controlar los riesgos de integridad en la prestación de servicios en zonas de bajos ingresos? Para garantizar el suministro de agua en las zonas rurales, ¿cómo podemos mejorar las relaciones entre las partes interesadas (municipios, y comités de agua)? ¿Cómo reforzar la rendición de cuentas en los nuevos modelos de gestión y financiación de la prestación de servicios, especialmente cuando la toma de decisiones está descentralizada? WIGO3: AMÉRICA LATINA (EN ESPAÑOL) WIGO3: LATIN AMERICA (IN ENGLISH) Más sobre la integridad en la financiación del agua y el saneamiento Water and sanitation PPP reforms: best practices for integrity and accountability Strengthening financial integrity in water and sanitation utilities in Latin America ¿Cómo fortalecer la integridad financiera en las empresas prestadoras de agua y saneamiento en América Latina? Do-it-yourself water? The benefits and pitfalls of self-supply for water and sanitation To provide reliable and sustainable water and sanitation, dive into open contracting What it takes to stop throwing money down the drain in water and sanitation work 1 2 3 ¿Qué contiene el informe? Abordar la corrupción y las fallas de integridad en la financiación del agua y el saneamiento es crucial para garantizar el uso eficiente de los fondos disponibles y la mejora en la prestación de servicios. El costo de no actuar frente a la falta de integridad es inaceptablemente alto. La mayor fuente de financiación para el agua y el saneamiento proviene de los usuarios del agua, seguida de los gobiernos, aunque existen variaciones regionales significativas. Alguien siempre paga. Los más pobres a menudo son los que pagan más. El espacio cívico en retroceso y el cambio climático están agravando los desafíos de integridad en la financiación del agua y el saneamiento. La participación inadecuada y la infraestructura cívica limitada están distorsionando las inversiones en el sector. El cambio climático incrementa los costos . Los trabajos de adaptación climática cuentan con nuevas fuentes de financiamiento, pero los riesgos de integridad son altos, especialmente en situaciones de emergencia. Es posible y efectivo tomar medidas por la integridad en diferentes niveles : dentro de proyectos, en las organizaciones y en los sistemas de gestión financiera locales y nacionales. Existen riesgos de integridad a lo largo del ciclo presupuestario. En respuesta, centrarse en los riesgos de contratación es importante, pero insuficiente. La planificación de proyectos e infraestructura, así como el diseño de tarifas, necesitan más atención. Una mejor gestión interna de los proveedores de servicios, incluidos los programas de agua no contabilizada y la gestión financiera, también es clave. Las acciones efectivas para la integridad combinan tres vías de cambio . La innovación digital puede impulsar estas tres vías: Asegurar que no haya "razón " ni justificación para conductas corruptas, Establecer procesos y supervisión para que no haya "espacio " para actos corruptos, y Detectar y sancionar la corrupción para que no haya "indulgencia". A partir de hoy, existen tres grandes oportunidades para el cambio: Fortalecer la gestión financiera pública , Facilitar la participación de los actores interesados en agua y saneamiento, y Promover una cultura de integridad en agua y saneamiento. Existen conocimientos y apoyo disponibles por parte de instituciones de supervisión, así como de organizaciones de gobierno abierto y anticorrupción. Asegurar que los sectores de agua y saneamiento establezcan vínculos con estas organizaciones es vital. Todos los actores del agua y el saneamiento tienen un papel que desempeñar: tomadores de decisiones, prestadoras de servicios y proveedores, reguladores, financiadores y la sociedad civil. Al abordar los desafíos de corrupción e integridad de manera directa, con honestidad y colaboración, podemos garantizar que las inversiones en agua y saneamiento conduzcan a resultados sostenibles y equitativos para todos. Tendencias Globales Diferentes fuentes de financiamiento para agua y saneamiento y las principales tendencias que afectan su gestión: cambio climático, reducción del espacio cívico y la Inteligencia Artificial. Finanzas, Integridad, Agua y Saneamiento Riesgos de integridad en la financiación de agua y saneamiento a lo largo del ciclo presupuestario, desde la asignación hasta la rendición de cuentas del dinero invertido. Rutas para el Cambio Sistémico Las tres vías para estrategias de integridad eficaces en la financiación del agua y el saneamiento: No razón, No espacio, No indulgencia Tomando Acción Recomendaciones de acción para todos los actores, orientadas a fortalecer la gestión financiera pública, involucrar a la sociedad civil y construir una cultura de integridad.

basic terms on integrity and corruption in water and sanitation - definition, examples, and further references What is water integrity? Glossary of integrity and corruption in the water and sanitation sectors Find out more in our latest research or get in touch to propose new terms All Terms A-D Accountability Clientelism Debarment Bid-rigging Code of Conduct Discretion Affordability Bribery Due diligence Anti-corruption Collusion Audit Corruption E-I Governance Informal water provider Embezzlement Fraud HRWS E-procurement Integrity Extortion Integrity failure Integrity management Integrity Pact Integrity risk Integrity tool N-R Negligence Participation Reconciliation of accounts Nepotism Patronage Red flag Non-Revenue Water Regulatory capture Revolving door S-W Service Charter TAPA Water mafia Sexual corruption Transparency Water theft Whistleblower State capture A Accountability Affordability Anti-corruption Audit Accountability refers to the obligation of an individual or an organisation to accept responsibility for their activities, and to disclose them in a transparent manner . This includes the responsibility for decision-making, for handling money, or assets or other entrusted property. Accountability is a principle of good governance in the water and sanitation sectors. It implies that individuals and organisations understand and fulfil their responsibility in managing resources sustainably and ensuring that everyone has access to adequate water and sanitation services, that they can demonstrate that they are carrying out their responsibilities, and that sanctions are possible where this is not happening . Example At the end of a budgetary year, senior managers of a water utility can be held accountable for achieving (or failing to achieve) the expected results for that period. Managers then have to present their work and results to the board of directors, other stakeholders or the public, and take responsibility for their decisions. Affordability is a principle of the human rights to water and sanitation . It requires that the use of water and sanitation services is accessible at a price that is affordable to all people. Paying for these services must not limit people’s capacity to acquire other essential needs (for example food, housing, health, clothing, and education). The United Nations Development Programme suggests that water and sanitation costs should not exceed 3–5% of household income . Anti-corruption in water and sanitation comprises all the actions aimed at combatting corruption for an organisation, programme, or sector. Just as corruption takes many forms, anti-corruption efforts vary in scope and in strategy. It can include preventive and reactive measures, including sanctions. Example Following some cases of collusion and bribery involving accounting staff and external contractors in the procurement of goods, a water sector organisation adopts an anti-corruption strategy to improve its organisational integrity, and prevent dishonest practices among its employees. Their plan combines awareness raising and training, integrity pacts, and digitalising its procurement process. An audit is an objective, unbiased evaluation of an organisation’s compliance with either external requirements, such as laws and regulations, or internal requirements , such as guidelines, processes, or procedures. Audits can also be strategically used to assess risks. Larger water service providers are likely to have their own compliance department to monitor regulatory changes that impact water and sanitation service provision, and regularly assess compliance through audits . Accountability Affordability Anti-corruption Audit B Bid rigging Bribery Bid rigging in the water and sanitation sector is a form of corruption where bidders agree to manipulate a bidding process. Bid rigging can take a variety of forms : Cover or complementary bidding, where bidders choose a winner and everyone but the winner deliberately bids above an agreed amount to establish the appearance that the winner’s quote is competitive Bid suppression, where a competitor agrees not to bid to ensure that the pre-agreed bidder will win the contract Bid withdrawal, where a bidder withdraws its winning bid so that an agreed competitor will be successful instead Bid rotation, where competitors agree to take turns at winning business, while monitoring their market shares to ensure they all have a pre-determined slice of the pie Non-conforming bids, where businesses deliberately include terms and conditions that they know will not be acceptable to the client Example A water utility needs to expand its water infrastructure services to a new residential area, so it advertises a call for proposals. Only two construction companies (bidders) submit offers (bids) for the project. One of the bidders submits an intentionally overpriced bid to ensure that the other bidder wins the contract in exchange for another favour. Bribery is a corrupt practice by which money, services, or other valuables are offered to a person in a position of entrusted power to persuade them to do something in return, for example to get a contract, speed up a process, or get a favourable meter-reading. Bribery is widely criminalised, and both the party paying the bribe and the party receiving it may be held criminally responsible. Example A water utility manager offers money (a bribe) to a water regulator officer to receive preferential treatment and speed up the authorisation required for extracting water from a new underground water source. The Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission carried out a household survey in 2011 showing that 17.8% of respondents reported having been asked by an official to pay a bribe in the last 12 months when accessing water and sanitation services. Bid-rigging Bribery C Clientelism Code of Conduct Collusion Corruption Clientelism refers to the biased allocation of public resources, goods, and services (e.g. jobs, access to water, budget for water projects) to targeted individuals or groups for political or electoral support (e.g votes). Examples Two weeks before the local government elections, an incumbent governor, who is also running for reelection and sits on the board of a municipality-owned water utility, signs a decree writing-off all customer debts from unpaid water bills to obtain their sympathy and votes. A local politician offers an organisation a reduced water tariff or authorises an illegal water connection to the centralised network in exchange for campaign finance and political support. A Code of Conduct is a document that outlines the principles and standards that all employees, partners, and third parties acting on behalf of an organisation must follow . Drawing on the organisation’s mission and values, a Code of Conduct details the organisation’s norms and rules, as well as the standard of integrity and compliance that is expected from every employee and member of the organisation, and a list of disciplinary sanctions that may result in the case of non-observance. Example Following an estimated loss of over US$ 20 million in public resources to fraudulent and corrupt activities, the City of Stellenbosch in South Africa introduced an anti-corruption hotline tied to a Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct spells out the specific responsibilities of staff at municipal entities, including the water utility , and what consequences may arise from violating the policy (including suspension, salary reductions, dismissal, or criminal proceedings). Collusion refers to any fraudulent, generally secret, agreement between parties whereby one offers a bribe, gift or favour in exchange for another favour or preferential treatment. In the context of public procurement, collusion refers to cooperation between bidders to skew contracting to their benefit, for example through bid rigging. Example Two consulting firms offering auditing services to public water utilities, fraudulently agree to raise the price of their services. Corruption is the abuse of entrusted power for private gain or for consolidation of political power (e.g. to finance political parties). Entrusted power means not only power held by the government, but also power held by private actors and public-private organisations. In the water and sanitation sectors, corruption takes different forms, from bribery and extortion to the falsification of water bills and collusion in procurement. It can involve direct cash payments (bribes) or other types of exchange (for example sexual acts in the case of sexual corruption), as well as favours such as advancing the interests of family, friends, and political allies (nepotism). Overall, it increases costs, skews programmes, and weakens water and sanitation sector institutions. Corruption is often categorised in two types: petty and grand. Petty corruption involves either lower-level employees, small sums of money, or favours from users in exchange for service. Cumulatively, petty corruption is significant. It impacts the most vulnerable more severely. Grand corruption generally involves high-level politicians or executives and large sums of money. In water and sanitation it can lead to the loss of billions of dollars annually from major water and sanitation sector programmes. Examples Field technicians refuse to perform or delay performing maintenance works to domestic water connections unless they are paid bribes by customers. The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure intervenes in a public procurement process to award a large-scale infrastructure project to a construction company that offered a large sum to the minister in exchange for winning the contract. Clientelism Code of Conduct Collusion Corruption D Debarment Discretion / discretionary Due diligence Debarment (also called blacklisting) is a procedure by which an individual or an organisation is formally excluded from participating as a bidder in a procurement process, as a sanction for being found to be involved in fraud, mismanagement, corruption, or other similar dishonest practices. Debarment lists are ideally shared across entities (within a sector, region, or among stakeholders like public development banks). Example The analysis of the bids for the purchase and installation of new water meters reveals unequivocally that two bidders colluded to win the contract. In response, the bidder, a water utility, debars the two companies and reports them to the regulator. Discretion (or discretionary power, discretionary decisions) refers to an individual or group making decisions based on their own judgment, criteria, or preference, rather than being controlled by rules or procedures. Such decisions can often lead to corruption. Example In the absence of set tariffs or rules for the management of a small water system, a water committee chief might have discretionary power to decide who receives water and at what price, leaving the door open for favouritism or extortion. Due diligence refers to the systematic collection and analysis of information to evaluate the trustworthiness and integrity of potential and current contractors. Debarment Discretion Due diligence E Embezzlement E-procurement Extortion Embezzlement is a crime that takes place when an individual entrusted with property, money, or another asset dishonestly and unlawfully appropriates that resource for their own personal use. Examples An employee working in the accounting department of a water utility transfers the salary of an employee who left the organisation several months ago to his/her personal bank account. An internal audit reveals the scheme, and the accountant is laid off and faces criminal charges for money embezzlement. The Three Gorges Dam in China extends over more than 2 km across the Yangtze River and its construction involved the largest resettlement in dam-building history, worth US$ 26 billion. However, US$ 7.1 million were embezzled, misappropriated, or illegally used, severely affecting the resettlement of displaced people . E-Procurement , short for electronic procurement, is the process of requesting, ordering, and purchasing goods and services online. E-Procurement enables procurement staff to automate various activities, functions, and procedures, including policies, contracts, and contractor relationships. Automation of the procurement process reduces human error and makes it easier to detect fraudulent manipulation by staff. In addition, its centralised transaction tracking and simplified reporting help to reduce delivery times and shorten procurement cycles. Example Following some cases of collusion and bribery involving accounting staff and external contractors in the procurement of goods, a water sector organisation implements an e-procurement system to automate routine purchases, prevent human errors, and end dishonest practices in the acquisition of goods. Extortion is a corrupt act committed by an individual who abuses their power, position, or knowledge to demand money or favours from others by making coercive threats. Example The operational staff of a water utility extort users by refusing to perform maintenance works on their domestic water connections unless they get money in return. Embezzlement E-procurement Extortion F Fraud Fraud is the intentional and false representation or hiding of facts for the purpose of gaining an unfair or illegal advantage , resulting in damage or loss to an organisation or individual. Example A consultant providing professional services to a water utility generates a fraudulent invoice including tasks and activities that were never performed, inflated timesheets, and fictitious payments. Fraud G Governance Governance is a concept that goes beyond the traditional notion of government to focus on the relationships between leaders, public institutions, and citizens, including the processes by which they make and implement decisions . Good governance is characterised by participation, accountability, transparency, inclusiveness, respect for the rule of law, and anti-corruption. Governance involves negotiations around water management and distribution, with fundamental implications for power relations: who controls water and sanitation services, who receives access to water and sanitation services, how and when they receive it, and at what price. The term can also be applied to organisations, companies, and NGOs, in which case it is also referred to as corporate governance. In water sector organisations and water utilities, governance refers to the set of policies, rules, practices, and processes used to direct the organisation and the relationships among its board, management, staff, and stakeholders , including setting long-term goals and objectives as well as determining the intended culture and its ethical standards, while ensuring regulatory compliance and accountability. Governance H Human rights to water and sanitation The human rights to water and sanitation were first recognised in July 2010, by the United Nations General Assembly. Resolution A/64/262 “recognized the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights ”. The human right to water entitles everyone to have access to sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible, and affordable water for personal and domestic use. The human right to sanitation entitles everyone to have physical and affordable access to sanitation, in all spheres of life, that is safe, hygienic, secure, and socially and culturally acceptable and that provides privacy and ensures dignity. Many countries have enshrined the human rights to water and sanitation in their national constitutions. They must then ensure that legal, policy, and regulatory frameworks are in place to make water available, safe, accessible, affordable, and acceptable (this is relevant for areas that are still underserved as well as for self-supply ). Human rights and integrity are complementary frameworks. Fundamental principles such as transparency, active and meaningful participation, and accountability are also critical for the fulfilment of human rights. Example A human rights’ advocacy group provides judicial representation to residents of a particular informal settlement excluded from access to water and sanitation services. The proceedings are brought before the Constitutional Court to hold the local government and the water utility responsible for failing to provide residents with access to sufficient and safe water for personal and domestic use. HRWS I Informal water provider Integrity Integrity failure Integrity management Integrity Pact Integrity risk Integrity tool An informal water provide r is defined as any individual or organisation operating outside the legal and regulatory framework that supplies water to end users without having the official public authorisation, licence, or permit to do so. These providers typically operate in areas with precarious or no water infrastructure, such as low-income urban neighbourhoods, informal settlements, or poor rural areas. Informal water providers often rely on different sources of water, such as their own piped connections or boreholes , and sell it using water tankers, pushcarts, jerrycans, or buckets (Kjellén and McGranahan, 2006). Informal water providers play a crucial role in the provision of water and sanitation services in many cities around the world. Up to 25% of urban populations in Latin America and almost 50% of urban residents in Africa rely to some extent on small-scale informal water providers . Informal water service provision often comes with high integrity risks. Example In Nairobi, Kenya, informal water providers supply water to households in many informal settlements, by selling 10-litre jerrycans, which are filled with water from their own domestic water connection or boreholes, from formal service points controlled by force, or from illegal connections. The price of water can be up to 20 times higher than from a formal water connection. Water integrity is the use of vested powers and resources ethically and honestly for the provision of sustainable and equitable water and sanitation services . It requires that holders of public or private office do not place themselves under any financial or other obligation to individuals or organisations that may influence their ability to perform their duties. Integrity is implicit in human rights obligations, explicit in the administrative justice laws of many countries, and practically operationalised through transparency, accountability, participation, and anti-corruption. Example The project manager of a water utility is responsible for managing a large-scale infrastructure contract. During the procurement process, a construction company interested in being awarded the contract offers the project manager a generous bribe in order to win the bidding process. The project manager rejects the bribe and denounces the construction company to the water regulator. The project manager decided to act with integrity. Integrity failures can be defined as instances in which integrity has broken down or been violated. These may include illegal activities, or activities which are legal but not moral or just . Example Cutting water to poor households in an emergency like the COVID-19 pandemic; failing to implement legislative or constitutional obligations to guarantee the human rights to water and sanitation; and not acting to upgrade water and sanitation services in informal settlements all constitute failures of integrity. Integrity management is a change management approach for improving integrity in an organisation’s governance and operations (for example across human resources, procurement, operations and maintenance, financial management, etc.). Integrity management relies on the identification of integrity risks. It aims to reduce losses from corruption and bad practices, and reduce reputational risks. Integrity management includes elements of countering corruption and adhering to rules but goes beyond this, to include cultivating a culture of integrity and applying high ethical standards to organisational processes and activities. Example In Bangladesh, the water utility of Khulna city, Khulna Water and Sewerage Authority, has launched an integrity management process using integrity tools . The process has involved regularly identifying critical integrity risks for the organisations and best approaches to mitigate these. An Integrity Pact is a ‘collaborative mechanism in which public contracting authorities and bidders sign a public agreement committing to refrain from corruption and enhance transparency and accountability in a public contracting project . As part of the agreement, an independent civil society organisation monitors compliance with applicable laws and regulations, provides recommendations to mitigate corruption risks and foster good governance, and informs the public throughout the whole process’. Example Since 2002, Transparency International has supported Mexico to monitor and oversee the transparency and integrity of public contracting processes for large-scale hydroelectric infrastructure projects . High-level Mexican government authorities instructed the Federal Electricity Commission to work together with Transparency International in the implementation of Integrity Pacts, including the intervention of social witness groups for monitoring and evaluating projects’ execution. The success of Integrity Pacts in improving transparency and preventing corruption in large-scale infrastructure projects led to a new law ordering mandatory Integrity Pacts and the intervention of Social Witness groups in all public contracts with a value over a certain threshold. Integrity risks are conditions (e.g. limited capacity) or processes (e.g. flawed standard operating procedures) that will negatively affect the capacity of organisations to fulfil their mandates with integrity and that compromise sustainable water and sanitation service provision. Integrity risks have a known (or estimated) probability of occurrence. Integrity risks exist at different scales: from individual actions such as accepting bribes for service delivery and maintenance, to collusion in big infrastructure projects involving powerful groups. Integrity risks can also take many forms in any of the operational areas of an organisation or different business and sector processes – from contract awards and budget allocation to meter readings and maintenance. Example An internal audit reveals that a water utility is subject to integrity risks because it does not have the adequate internal controls in place to prevent accounting fraud. Following the recommendation of the auditors, the water utility is adopting a computerised accounting system. Integrity tools are standards, management processes, and operating procedures that can be implemented by organisations to identify, analyse, prevent, avoid, minimise, and mitigate integrity risks. Example Detailed job description is an integrity tool to prevent favouritism and nepotism in recruitment processes. Integrity pacts are integrity tools aimed at preventing corruption and collusion in procurement processes. A Code of Conduct is a typical integrity tool to set standards of behaviour and prevent misconduct and wrongdoing among employees and staff. When a water utility finds that some of its staff have been involved in cases of water theft, different integrity tools (measures or actions) can be implemented, such as Anti-Corruption Measures, Staff Rotation, or Integrity and Compliance Training, to prevent the risk’s occurrence. Informal water provider Integrity Integrity failure Integrity management Integrity Pact Integrity risk Integrity tool N Negligence Nepotism Non-Revenue Water (NRW) Negligence is a failure to exercise appropriate or ethical care under specific circumstances, or a failure to take into consideration the potential harm that they might foreseeably cause to other people or property. It can be an integrity failure. Nepotism is the act of abusing one’s power or official position to offer a job or a position to a close contact while disregarding their merit and qualification. It is a form of favouritism shown to acquaintances and family members. Example A water utility is publicly owned and controlled. The newly elected ruling coalition overstaffs public utilities to pay for electoral favours. Unions are very strong and generally well connected politically. Accordingly, downsizing is a difficult task because of strong union opposition and explicit or implicit political support. Overstaffing results in low productivity and low staff morale. Non-Revenue Water (NRW) is water that is distributed through the centralised network but is lost before it reaches the customer. NRW can be caused by physical losses from leaking or broken pipes, and by losses resulting from metering inaccuracies, data errors, illegal connections, and water theft. High levels of NRW are detrimental to the financial viability of water utilities. NRW is not synonymous with corruption but there are links between corruption, low integrity, NRW, and capacity or willingness to address NRW . Negligence Nepotism Non-Revenue Water P Participation Patronage Participation implies that all stakeholders, including marginalised and resource-poor groups, are meaningfully involved in deciding how water is used, protected, managed, and allocated , as well as how sanitation services are provided. Example A water utility is responsible for distributing water in an informal settlement where infrastructure is very precarious. Together with the local government, the water utility trains residents to install communal water sinks, toilets, and sanitation facilities. The community actively participates in the management of the shared infrastructure and co-manages water resources to distribute them equitably among the residents according to their needs. This participatory approach contributes to the legitimacy and ownership of solutions adopted within the community. Patronage is a form of favouritism in which a person is selected, regardless of qualifications or entitlement, for a public sector job or benefit because of political affiliations or personal connections (see also nepotism). Example The newly elected city mayor, who will also be sitting on the board of directors of the public water utility, finds a good opportunity for patronage distribution by appointing his friend and closest political advisor as the Head of the Communications Department of the utility, although the friend does not have prior experience in communications or the water sector. Participation Patronage R Reconciliation of accounts Red flag Regulatory capture Revolving door Reconciliation of accounts is an internal process by which the integrity of an accounting system is verified to detect and prevent embezzlement, misappropriation, and misuse of financial resources of an organisation. This internal control mechanism is established to confirm that the internal monetary records of an organisation align with the records of the bank used by the organisation for incoming and outgoing payments . Example Every month, the accounting department of a water utility undertakes a reconciliation of accounts by cross-checking its internal accounting records with those from the bank to verify that incoming and outgoing money transactions are identical. The procedure reveals that in the last three consecutive months, pay checks amounting to US$ 10,000 have been transferred to an unknown account. An investigation is initiated to identify who is responsible for fraudulently transferring money to a personal account. Red flags are indicators of potential issues such as governance or integrity failures, collusion, or corruption within an organisation, workplace, or project. It must be noted, however, that the presence of red flags should not necessarily be treated as evidence of corrupt activities. Rather, red flags should be observed and further probed or investigated for potential incidences of corruption . Example The Framework for Integrity in Infrastructure Planning is (FIIP) is a tool to detect red flags in the early phases of water infrastructure development. It includes a series of indicators related to the purpose and beneficiaries of the investment, the type and scale of the investment, and the planning process. Regulatory capture occurs when a regulator is dominated and controlled by the commercial interests of the industries it is mandated with regulating. The result is that, instead of acting in the public interest, the regulator acts in ways that benefit the companies and organisations it is supposed to be regulating. Example Water-intensive industries such as hydroelectric power generation and large-scale agriculture lobby and improperly influence the water regulating agency in a country to pass regulations favourable to them and to ease their regulatory burden, to the detriment of residential customers and small farmers. (See also state capture.) Revolving doors refers to the movement of individuals between positions of public office, such as regulators or agencies, and private sector jobs in the same sector . If not properly regulated, this can lead to conflict of interest and open the door to abuse. A cooling-off period is the minimum time required between switching from the public to the private sector, intended to discourage the practice and minimise its impact. Example The former director of the water regulating agency joins the largest water utility in the country as a member of the board. A few months later, an investigation reveals that prior to joining the utility’s board, and while still acting as director of the regulating agency, she leaked confidential and privileged information to the water utility, favouring the utility’s market position and resulting in an unfair competitive advantage. This revolving-door case involves the misuse of privileged information and a clear conflict of interest. Reconciliation of accounts Red flag Regulatory capture Revolving door S Service Charter Sexual corruption (sextortion) State capture A Service Charter is a document that outlines how an organisation promises to work with its customers and how it operates. It informs the customers about the practices of the organisation and the services it provides, thus functioning to establish a good relationship with customers and increase the reliability of the services offered. Example The Water Service Regulatory Board's (WASREB) service charter is a statement of the organisation's commitment to water users. The charter defines the manner in which WASREB intends to relate to users, the services they should expect from WASREB, the manner in which these services will be delivered, and the options for recourse in the event of inadequacy. Sexual corruption (also referred to as sextortion) is a form of sexual exploitation and corruption that occurs when people in positions of authority engage or extort sexual acts in exchange for something within their power to grant or withhold. In effect, sexual corruption is a form of corruption in which sex rather than money is the currency of the bribe . Example In Nairobi, cases of water vendors taking advantage of the socio-economic vulnerabilities of women and girls to coerce them into sex in exchange for access to water and/or sanitation services are common knowledge for many living in informal settlements. The local jargon for sextortion is water for water. KEWASNET and ANEW have done research on the issue and supported the development of a bill to criminalise the practice. State capture refers to the situation where powerful individuals, organisations, companies, or groups within or outside a country use corruption to shape a nation’s policies, legal environment, and economy to benefit their own private interests . (See also regulatory capture.) Service Charter Sexual corruption State capture T TAPA Transparency TAPA stands for Transparency, Accountability, Participation, and Anti-corruption. It is a four-pillar framework developed by the Water Integrity Network (WIN) to advance integrity in the water sector. It is premised on the notion that implementing transparency, accountability, participation, and anti-corruption measures in organisations and across the water and sanitation sectors is a practical way to increase integrity and reduce corruption. In the water and sanitation sectors, this could include: Transparency measures could include: disclosure rules, transparency on tariffs, strong right-to-information laws Accountability measures could include: clear responsibilities, auditing rules, social accountability mechanisms like citizen report cards or public expenditure tracking, support to media, grievance mechanisms Participation measures could include: public consultations and hearings, civil society access to decision-making instances, boards and meetings Anti-corruption measures could include: recording conflicts of interests, protecting whistleblowers, strict debarment and due diligence rules. Transparency means that everyone has access to relevant information, including information about budgets, plans, and implementation progress, in a manner that is easily accessible and understandable. Transparency is a prerequisite for meaningful participation and accountability. Example A local government adopts measures to make all documentation related to the public budget available on the local government website in accessible language and open formats. This includes information on budget design, implementation, and expenditure. This makes it possible for citizens to hold government accountable. TAPA Transparency W Water cartel / water syndicate / water mafia Water theft Whistleblower A water cartel (or water mafia or water syndicate) is a fraudulent organisation which exerts partial or total control of water supply services in a particular area in order to sell water to users for its private gain. Cartel behaviour includes seizing water infrastructure, charging abusive prices, and reducing water supply. Water cartels might also provide sanitation services, such as when they seize and control public bathrooms and toilets serving a community. Members of water cartels may include owners of water points, as well as the owners of pushcarts used to transport water to households, and legal or illegal landlords or landowners. In some contexts of pronounced informality, water cartels have been found to have links with politicians and public authorities, who turn a blind eye to their illegal activities in exchange for bribes or political support. Example In Mukuru, an informal settlement in the city of Nairobi, Kenya , powerful water cartels seize public water kiosks installed by the water provider to supply services to the community. The cartel reduces water supply deliberately by vandalising water pipes to create scarcity and increase the price of water for their own profit. Water theft is any taking of water in violation of existing regulations . Such violations can include not paying the amount specified by local water regulations, tampering with water meters, tapping boreholes without necessary licenses, or installing unauthorised connections to the water network. A whistleblower is an individual who reports or exposes wrongdoing within a private or public company or government organisation to his superior, the public, or the authorities. Whistleblowers are often employees of the organisation who have become aware of some wrongdoing while performing their job duties, but they may also be contractors, customers, or anyone else who witnesses or becomes aware of illegal activities within an organisation. Whistleblowers require protection from those they expose. Whistleblower protection refers to the measures taken to shield an informant from retaliation. Whistleblowing policies that describe the role of whistleblowers and the protections they are entitled to, are an important integrity tool for water service providers and sector institutions. Example An employee of a water utility noticed that the acid and chemicals used for cleaning the filters of a wastewater treatment plant were dumped back into the drinking water supply system. The employee alerted her superiors, who did nothing and ordered her to remain quiet about the incident. Lacking internal reporting mechanisms, the employee acted as a whistleblower by reporting the actions to the local newspaper, which resulted in a formal investigation against the water utility led by the regulatory agency. Water mafia Water theft Whistleblower

Water Integrity Global Outlook 3 - Integrity for Water and Sanitation finance - new report on integrity risks that increase the water and sanitation funding gap and compromise sustainability - with recommendations and examples on how to lead sector reforms that work to safeguard and attract new financing. INTEGRITY FOR WATER AND SANITATION FINANCE Water Integrity Global Outlook 3 Practical insights to ensure fair and transparent financing for sustainable water and sanitation. DOWNLOAD NEW REPORT EN ESPAÑOL Confronting corruption for sustainable water and sanitation To achieve SDG 6, tripling investments and improving governance are essential. In practice, this is not so straightforward. Corruption remains a major, overlooked barrier to progress , driving inefficiency and inequity in water and sanitation services. This Water Integrity Global Outlook (WIGO 3) shines a light on these pervasive challenges across the budget cycle. The report offers practical solutions to ensure that investments are well managed and effectively lead to sustainable and equitable outcomes . A must-read for water sector professionals, decision-makers, and funders dedicated to driving real change. Download Water Integrity Global Outlook 3: Improving Integrity for Water and Sanitation Finance Find out: Where is the money? What integrity risks threaten it? How do we use existing funds better? How do we improve integrity in water and sanitation organisations and utilities? What role for civil society and regulators in ensuring accountability? DOWNLOAD WIGO3: FINANCE DOWNLOAD SUMMARY IN SPANISH DOWNLOAD SUMMARY IN FRENCH New! Regional analysis Water Integrity Global Outlook: Finance - Latin America What can utilities do to control integrity risks in service delivery in low-income areas? To ensure rural water supply, how can we improve the relationships between local stakeholders like municipalities and water committees? How do we strengthen accountability in new management and financial models for service provision, especially when decision-making is decentralised? DOWNLOAD WIGO3: LATIN AMERICA IN SPANISH DOWNLOAD WIGO3: LATIN AMERICA IN ENGLISH Latest insight on water and sanitation finance Water and sanitation PPP reforms: best practices for integrity and accountability Strengthening financial integrity in water and sanitation utilities in Latin America ¿Cómo fortalecer la integridad financiera en las empresas prestadoras de agua y saneamiento en América Latina? Do-it-yourself water? The benefits and pitfalls of self-supply for water and sanitation To provide reliable and sustainable water and sanitation, dive into open contracting What it takes to stop throwing money down the drain in water and sanitation work 1 2 3 What's in the report Addressing corruption and integrity failures in water and sanitation financing is critical to ensuring the efficient use of available funds —and the improvement of service delivery. The cost of inaction on integrity is unacceptably high. By far the greatest source of funding for water and sanitation is from water users, followed by government, although there are significant regional variations. Someone always pays. The most poor often pay more. Shrinking civic space and climate change are compounding the integrity challenges in water and sanitation finance. Inadequate participation and limited civic infrastructure are skewing sector investment. Climate change adds costs. Climate adaptation work does have new financing sources but integrity risks are high, especially in emergency situations. Action for integrity is possible and effective at different levels - within projects, within organisations, as well as in local and national financial management systems. There are integrity risks across the budget cycle. In response, focusing on procurement risks is important, but insufficient. Project and infrastructure planning, as well as tariff design need more attention. Better internal management of service providers, including for non-revenue water programmes and financial management, is also key. Effective integrity action combines three pathways for change. Digital innovation can boost all three of these pathways. Ensuring there is 'no reason ' and no rationalisation of corrupt behaviour, Putting in place processes and oversight to leave 'no room ' for corrupt acts, and Detecting and sanctioning corruption so there can be 'no reprieve '. Starting today, there are three major opportunities for change: Strengthening public financial management ; Enabling stakeholder engagement in water and sanitation; and Promoting a culture of integrity for water and sanitation. There is expertise and support available from oversight institutions, as well as open government and anti-corruption organisations. Making sure the water and sanitation sectors builds links with these organisations is vital. All water and sanitation stakeholders have a role to play - decision-makers, utilities and service providers, regulators, funders, and civil society. By addressing corruption and integrity challenges head-on, with honesty and collaboration, we can ensure investments in water and sanitation lead to sustainable, equitable outcomes for all. Different sources of finance for water and sanitation and the major trends affecting their management: climate change, shrinking civic space, and AI. Integrity risks in water and sanitation finance across the budget cycle, from budget allocation to accounting for the money spent. The 3Rs for effective integrity strategies in water and sanitation finance: No Reason, No Room, No Reprieve Recommendations for action by all stakeholders, to strengthen public financial management, engage with civil society, and build a culture of integrity. “ WIGO2024 is forging a resilient future, where accountability and ethical practices safeguard our most vital resource. Through its exploration of the synergy between water, finance, and integrity, WIGO2024 will inspire you to cherish water, fortify decision-making, and promote transparency and good governance. Together, we can create a world where water thrives and generations flourish.” Amgad Elmahdi, Regional Manager, Green Climate Fund JOIN US Join us at upcoming events WIGO3 CSO Discussion Feburary 27, 2025 at 12 PM EAT Online webinar Register Spread the word on social #IntegrityInEveryDrop Share the report and messages on social media, send us your questions. Become a WIN partner Together we can make integrity the norm Formal partners commit to integrity in the work they do for water and sanitation Apply for partnership

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Plan for integrity, reduce corruption risks, build trust in water sector programmes and service delivery. Launch Integrity Management work with WIN tools and frameworks to strengthen utilities and water organisations. Monitor and improve infrastructure planning with our indicators. Acting for integrity Integrity failures and corruption in the water and sanitation sectors are not inevitable: they are symptoms of weak systems and they are often preventable with the right tools and resources. An investment in integrity is an investment for sustainability. There are many ways to act for integrity – in individual projects, within water and sanitation institutions, and across the water and sanitation sectors. We work with partners to motivate collective action at different levels. This can mean working with local integrity champions to monitor project implementation, managing integrity with service providers, or supporting regulators to promote integrity for the sector. Principles for integrity To build integrity, start with the building blocks: promoting Transparency, Accountability, Participation, and Anti-corruption (TAPA). There are then many ways to act for integrity, in individual projects, within water and sanitation institutions, and across the sector. Tools and support for integrity management Integrity management is the process of assessing risks regularly, then creating a practical action plan to address them. Our open integrity tools can facilitate this process. We work especially closely with service providers from major cities to remote communities, that use integrity management tools to increase user trust, develop better customer relations, and ensure financial stability. We also provide facilitator training and support for integrity processes at all levels. TOOLS FOR UTILITIES TOOLS FOR COMMUNITY SYSTEMS TOOLS FOR REGULATORS TOOLS FOR PARTNERSHIPS Tools for water and sanitation utilities Utilities face major challenges to deliver on their mandate and provide essential service in the face of climate change and urban transformation. The best leaders will make sure integrity issues don’t hold them back. Integrity management tools can help utilities: Develop staff understanding of the integrity risks that can jeopardise performance, creditworthiness, and reputation. Develop practical plans for improvement on key issues related to human resources, accounting, contract management, or customer relations. Get support for integrity management work: CONTACT US Get started with self-assessment! Where does your utility stand across the 5 integrity principles of corporate governance? GO TO SURVEY ACCEDA A LA ENCUESTA ACCEDER AU QUESTIONNAIRE Integrity Management Tool InWASH The complete integrity management toolbox for water utility performance, with resources to assess risks and plan practical integrity work. ACCESS INWASH Resources for a coached integrity management process with assessment indicators Developed with support from the IDB, GIZ, cewas, and SIWI In use since 2014, in over 20 utilities worldwide Case studies: Through an integrity management process, utilities in Albania and Bangladesh have worked to address staff motivation issues, implementing more effective monitoring and increasing field inspections. By doing so, both utilities were able to better control illegal connections and reduce non-revenue water (NRW). LEARN MORE Tools for small and community-managed water systems Small water supply management committees face steep challenges to ensure water is available for their community. With limited means, often limited support from authorities, unclear regulatory frameworks, systems not always built to last will fail prematurely or be difficult to keep up. One-time technical trainings are not the solution. An integrity lens makes it possible to: Focus on root causes of poor system performance and premature failure Find systematic solutions in a participatory manner Get support for integrity management work: CONTACT US Integrity Management Toolbox for Small Water Supply Systems (IMT-SWSS) Practical resources for managing committees of small water supply systems or community-based systems. Integrity Management Tool Resources for a coached integrity management process Developed with Caritas Switzerland with input and support from KEWASNET, KWAHO, NIA, Controla Tu Gobierno, and Cantaro Azul Used in 100 communities in Kenya, Mexico, Ethiopia, and South Sudan Case study: Mexico In Mexico, rural communities located in the centre and south of the country which have implemented the IMT-SWSS, put in place a numbers of measures to engage with users, for example: complaint mechanisms for users, regular meetings with families and community audits, or agreements on a transparent fee or rate structure. The measures are changing the reputation and support for the water committee and are the foundation for better service. LEARN MORE Tools for regulators Regulatory agencies have a crucial role in promoting and safeguarding integrity in water and sanitation. They can incentivise equitable and professional service and hold water and sanitation stakeholders accountable, against clear standards. Regulators must also be protected from corruption, capture and undue interference. Integrity management tools can help regulators to: Develop an understanding and address internal integrity risks that would compromise their position Develop frameworks for accountability of water service providers under their purview, for example reporting standards on integrity, procurement, or disclosure. Get support for your integrity management plans: CONTACT US Integrity Management Toolbox for Water Sector Organisations A set of resources to launch and facilitate a long-term integrity change management approach in a water and sanitation sector institutions Integrity Management Tool Resources for a coached integrity management process Developed by the Consortium for Water Integrity in Latin America (WIN, cewas, SIWI) with support from IDB. Piloted in Latin America Case study: Honduras In Honduras, where a large share of water services are managed by community groups, applying the IMT allowed the regulator to address integrity risks and legalise more than 500 water boards, ensuring funds in the name of organisations and not individuals and limiting opportunities for fraud. Resources for multi-stakeholder partnerships for water Cooperation, across sectors or across stakeholders, is critical to effective water management. Integrity is a way to build trust and develop common ground among different partners. Where governance structures are fractured, complex, or vulnerable to capture by morepowerful partners, integrity can contribute to more balanced decision-making and limit accountability gaps. There are high integrity risks in water and natural resource management that need to be taken into account directly for partnerships to be effective, serve the public interest, and secure funding. Integrity tools can help partnerships put in place the needed structures and safeguards to reach their objectives sustainably. Get support: CONTACT US Integrity Framework for Water Stewardship Initiatives A risk management framework build trust and ensure effectiveness of water stewardship initiatives through integrity. Integrity Management Tool Resources for introducting integrity measures across the lifecycle of water stewardship initiatives Developed with support from GIZ Guidelines for integrity in WEFE nexus initiatives Practical guidelines on how best to strengthen four governance areas of WEFE Nexus initiatives: Institutions, Information, Investment,... Integrity Management Tool Resources to build trust among partners and strengthen integrity in key risks areas of WEFE Nexus inititiatives Developed with support from GIZ Case study: Zambia The Lusaka Water Security Initiative (LuWSI) has an extensive stakeholder engagement process including local and national, public, private, and civil society actors working towards water security. Importantly, the initiative also gathered input from 12 of the city's most vulnerable wards to inform its plans. LuWSI also publicly shares information about its results and expenditure. Tools training For consultants and facilitators: We offer training and backstopping for consultants and facilitators supporting utilities or communities to improve service and governance. CONTACT US

Water Integrity Network (WIN) - Championing integrity for effective water and sanitation management. Join us and 65+ global partners committed to a just world with decent water access. Who we are By promoting integrity and addressing corruption in water and sanitation, together we can transform water and sanitation management and service delivery to reach everyone, including the most marginalised. We work as a global research and advocacy partnership, focusing on: awareness raising for integrity, training and knowledge sharing on clean water governance, technical assistance to water and sanitation organisations, to assess integrity risks and prevent corruption. Join and support us to ensure transparency, accountability, participation, and anti-corruption shake up the water and sanitation sectors for good. Global Network Over 65 partner organisations sharing knowledge and tools JOIN NEXT EVENTS Research and Advocacy Partnerships On WASH finance, rural and urban service delivery, regulation, water stewardship, sexual corruption... BROWSE PUBLICATIONS Country Programmes Local integrity networks for action in Bangladesh, Kenya, Mexico, and Uganda FIND OUT MORE Technical Advisory Working with water and sanitation utilities, water management committees, regulators, policy-makers, WASH and climate organisations GET IN TOUCH "The challenges facing the water sector are immense and no single actor can solve them alone. Only through concerted efforts by all stakeholders—including governments, public institutions, businesses, private organisations, and civil society—can these challenges be confronted. WIN invites you to join this journey, and to promote a culture of integrity in pursuit of a socially just world in which everyone has access to decent water and sanitation services." Barbara Schreiner, WIN Executive Director Strategy 2023-2033 READ OUR STRATEGY Water integrity partners We work with more than 65 partners from all over the world, including civil society organisations, international development organisations, sector funders, water and sanitation service providers, regulators, and associations. Becoming a partner is free and open to any organisation aligned with WIN’s values. Formal WIN partners publicly commit to launching integrity initiatives and are supported by the WIN team. WIN teamWIN team.WIN Put integrity at the heart of the water and sanitation sector, become a partner! JOIN US WIN team We are small, dedicated, international team based in Berlin, Germany and Nairobi, Kenya. Barbara Schreiner Executive Director Barbara has over 30 years’ experience in water management in developing countries with a focus on good governance and addressing poverty and inequality, including in relation to gender and other forms of social and economic marginalisation. Before joining WIN, she was Executive Director of the Pegasys Institute, and a Director at Pegasys Consulting. She worked for over a decade in senior management in the public sector, has been advisor to three Ministers, and is a member of the National Anti-Corruption Council of South Africa. Kelly Acuña Programme Lead Latin America, Regulation Kelly is responsible for the implementation of water integrity management programmes in Mexico and across Latin America. She is an economist with post-graduate degrees in Public Policy and Economics from Hertie School of Governance. Kelly is an expert on water and sanitation regulation with several years of professional experience in the regulation of water and sanitation services in Colombia focusing on fostering efficiency, innovation, sustainability, and good governance. Mary Galvin Programme Lead Research Mary has worked on water, sanitation and climate issues as a researcher, development practitioner, consultant, and water justice activist in South Africa and globally since 1992. She has directed three non-profit organisations engaging in community organising, action research, and advocacy in these areas. From 2014 to 2023 she was Associate Professor in development studies at the University of Johannesburg. She obtained a MA from Yale University in 1992 and a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley in 2006. Eliška Godiveau Finance and Administration Manager Eliška is responsible for financial management, human resources and administration at WIN. She is a certified accountant and holds a degree in Middle Eastern studies and Translation and Interpretation studies. Claire Grandadam Programme Lead Communications Claire manages external communication and also supports change management processes of service providers. She makes sure Transparency, Accountability, Participation, and Anti-Corruption measures in the water sector gain visibility and traction. She has 15 years of professional experience in corporate and non-profit communication work in the renewable energy and water sectors. She also has professional experience as an internal auditor and expert for compliance and ISO-9001 quality management. Marcela López Programme Lead Capacity Development Marcela is in charge of Capacity Building and Knowledge Management programmes at WIN. She is geographer with an interdisciplinary background in urban and environmental studies. She has been working at the interface between corporatisation, water governance and infrastructures. She also works as a Senior Lecturer at the international Urban Management master's course at the Technische Universität Berlin and New York University, Berlin. George Osoro Programme Lead East Africa George is responsible for water integrity management programmes and advocates for integrity with partners across East Africa. He has a post-graduate degree in Water Engineering. George has several years of professional experience in the water and sanitation service sector, working on enhancing efficiency, innovation, sustainability, coordination and good governance amongst water service providers, state and non-state actors. George is specialised in water and climate governance, WASH, IWRM, and urban and rural water management, system strengthening. Rebecca Sands Programme Lead - Tools, Climate, GESI Rebecca manages WIN's tools portfolio and leads the climate work stream. She also ensures that gender and social inclusion are integrated across WIN's areas of work. She has a Master's degree in Environmental Policy from Sciences Po Paris and has over 5 years' experience working in research and analysis, project management, and stakeholder engagement across INGOs, NGOs, and the private sector. Josefa Vergara Programme Officer Josefa supports the development of educational and training material at WIN. She is an Engineer in Natural Resources, with a Master's degree in Global Change Geography from the Humboldt Univeristät zu Berlin. With over five years of experience in Chile and Germany, her work has focused on ecosystem services, urban ecology research, and water governance. Ivan Zupan Programme Manager Ivan is heading WIN country programmes in Kenya, Mexico, Bangladesh, and Uganda. He also assists the Executive Director with management, planning and fundraising. Ivan has more than 10 years of working experience in the anti-corruption section with previous engagements with Transparency International and the International Anti-Corruption Academy Ruchika Satish Programme Lead South Asia, Sanitation Ruchika is responsible for water integrity projects in Bangladesh. She has over five years experience working in the development sector in India, specifically with Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning activities and reporting process for Donors, Incubators, and NGOs working in Renewable Energy, Health, Education, Livelihoods, WASH, and Gender. She also has experience implementing sanitation projects in rural India. Talented interns and work students regularly enrich the team and we are grateful for their contribution. Interested in joining us as well? Check our opportunities or get in touch directly. Contact us First name Last name Email Write a message SEND Thank you! Your message has been sent. Main Contact Us Anchor Governance The General Assembly of Members is the primary governance body of the WIN association. It decides on long-term strategy as well as annual planning, and is composed of up to 15 members, including organisations and individuals. Three to five WIN members are elected to form the Supervisory Board and provide oversight of the WIN Executive Director. The Board is currently composed of: Ede Ijjasz (Chair of the Board), Peter Conze, Robert Gakubia, Alana Potter, and Jane Nabunnya, IRC Uganda Country Director as representative of IRC. The Supervisory Board appointed Barbara Schreiner as the Association’s Executive Director (Vorstand) in 2018. Current General Assembly Members Organisations Current General Assembly Members Individuals Aquafed AquaFed (https://www.aquafed.org/)is the International Federation of Private Water Operators. End Water Poverty End Water Poverty i(https://endwaterpoverty.org/)s a global civil society coalition campaigning for governments to respect, protect and fulfil people’s human rights to safe water and sanitation. Global Water Operators' Partnerships Alliance (GWOPA) The Global Water Operators’ Partnerships Alliance (GWOPA) (https://gwopa.org/)is an international network created to support water operators through Water Operator’s Partnerships (WOPs), peer support exchanges between two or more water operators, on a not-for-profit basis. IRC IRC (https://www.ircwash.org/)is an international think tank actively building strong water, sanitation and hygiene systems – from the bottom up and the top down. International Water Management Institute (IWMI) The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) i(https://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/)s a non-profit international water management research organisation under the CGIAR Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) The Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) i(https://siwi.org/)s a not-for-profit institute working globally to change how water is understood, valued and managed. World Youth Parliament for Water The World Youth Parliament for Water (https://youthforwater.org/)is a network of passionate young people making waves of change in the water sector in over 80 countries. Ede Ijjasz Ede Ijjász-Vásquez retired from the World Bank after a 23-year career. He is a nonresident senior fellow in the Africa Growth Initiative at Brooking and an advisor for sustainable development organisations. He led work in a wide range of development topics including global environmental issues, sustainable development, green infrastructure, smart cities, water resources, climate change, agriculture, blue economy, resilience and disaster risk management, fragility and conflict, resettlement, PPPs, ESG, and urban development. He worked in more than 90 developing and emerging countries in all regions of the world – from fragile and conflict-affected countries to high middle-income countries. He also has over 20 years of teaching experience at the graduate level in the US and China. Peter Conze Peter Conze is a co-founder and partner of the Humboldt-Viadrina Governance Platform, and on the advisory board of the Garment Industries Transparency Initiative. He worked for 35 years for the German aid agency Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammentarbeit (GIZ), where he served as Africa director and was Division Chief of GIZ for Eastern Europe. He also served as government advisor to the Ministry of Finance. He was a founder of Transparency International (TI) and advises on Africa activities. In addition, he is a member of the TI-Germany Board of Directors. Robert Gakubia Robert Gakubia is the outgoing CEO of the Water Services Regulatory Board of Kenya. He is an expert on regulation and institutional development issues in the water sector and has significant hands-on experience in water policy, water law, and water sector administration. He was previously Chief Engineer/Director of Water Services at the Kenyan Ministry of Water where he first started his career in public service. He was in the strategic leadership team of the Kenyan water sector reform after 2004 and was a key member of the Team preparing Vision 2030 for the Kenyan water sector in 2005-2007 and the first Medium Term Plan [2008 - 2012] for its implementation. Dick van Ginhoven Dick van Ginhoven is a consultant for the Water Finance Facility (WFF) and UNICEF in the East Asia Regional WASH Programme. He previously was a diplomat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. From 2004 to 2017, he was responsible for the formulation and implementation of the DGIS development policy for drinking water and sanitation. In this period, Dick was member of the Governing Council of the WSP/World Bank, the WSSCC and SWA. He held several positions at the Ministry, in southern Africa, in the Gulf region and in North Africa. He joined the WIN Supervisory Board in 2017. Vasudha Pangare Vasudha Pangare has been working as a gender equality and social inclusion specialist in the areas of land and water management, environment conservation, climate change, water for agriculture, water supply, rural livelihoods, policy and governance for almost four decades. She has extensive field experience across Asia and Africa. She has contributed to global, thematic, national and programme evaluations of FAO's work in gender, water, and agriculture. She is a Gender Advisor to UNESCO's World Water Assessment Programme, and is an author of the UNESCO WWAP toolkit on sex-disaggregated water data, assessment and monitoring. Alana Potter Alana Potter is the Head of Research and Advocacy at the Equality Collective, a community-based law clinic in the Eastern Cape. Alana has extensive water sector experience, starting at the Mvula Trust in South Africa, and continuing as lead of IRC’s Africa Regional programme, working with public, private, and civil society actors in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda. Alana was Director of Research and Advocacy at the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI), and then coordinator of End Water Poverty (hosted by WaterAid), a global civil society coalition of more than 150 civil society organisations in 80 countries focusing on the realisation of their rights to safe water and sanitation and a safe environment. She has and is advising Human Rights Watch; the AMCOW International Task Force; the UN Water Expert Group; the Africa Water Justice Network’s interim steering committee; the Water Integrity Network’s Supervisory Board; Accountability for Water’s global advisory group; Sanitation and Water for All’s grants committee; the steering committee for the Public Interest Law Gathering (2017-2020), and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) CSO Coalition, among others. Fermin Reygadas Fermin Reygadas has 20 years of experience working towards the fulfillment of the human rights to water and sanitation and the equitable management of water resources. He is co-founder and Executive Director of Cantaro Azul and a board member of the first public-community municipal water institution in Mexico. Fermin has served as an advisor to the Water Resources Committees in the Congress of Chiapas and the Chamber of Deputies of Mexico. For his track record of innovation and systemic change, Fermín has been elected as an Ashoka Fellow. Oriana Romano Oriana Romano heads the OECD Water Governance Initiative and coordinates the programme on the Economics and Governance of Circular economy In Cities at the Cities, Urban Policies, and Sustainable Development Division of the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities. Before joining OECD in 2013, she was research assistant and university lecturer in Environmental Economics at the Centre for International Business and Sustainability in London Metropolitan University and at the Department of Social Science of the University "L'Orientale" in Naples. (Naples, Italy). Funders and supporters WIN’s work is possible thanks to the contributions and ideas of our partners and members who implement programmes with us on water integrity worldwide and thanks to the funding of GIZ, the Hewlett Foundation, the Inter-American Development Bank, NVF, and the governments of the Netherlands (via DGIS), Sweden (via Sida) and Switzerland (via SDC). Thank you! Opportunities Announcements of vacancies, internships, volunteer opportunities, and calls for proposals for services, for WIN and our close partners are posted here. Office space for rent at Water Integrity Network main office in Berlin Jul 14, 2025

The Water Integrity Network is putting integrity at the heart of water management and the delivery of water and sanitation services. Clean water needs clean governance Integrity can make the water and sanitation sectors more resilient, more equitable, and less vulnerable to corruption, and malpractice. Join us in advocating for integrity and ensuring clean water management and services, for all . FIND OUT MORE Save your spot Wed 18 Mar Integrity Talk 16: Water Justice Advocacy in Mining Areas / online RSVP 18 Mar 2026, 09:00 – 11:00 GMT-5 online In mining areas across the world, civil society organisations are demanding water justice and coming together with different strategies to confront corporate and government abuse of power. This talk is a space to learn from these organisations, and share experiences for fair water futures News SEE ALL POSTS Report: Water Integrity Global Outlook 3 READ REPORT Latest trends and practical insight to promote integrity in water and sanitation finance Water integrity? It's essential Corruption and integrity issues happen everywhere and in all sectors, but in water and sanitation, the impact is particularly dramatic, for people's lives, communities, economies, and ecosystems. We can change this, with integrity . We can ensure resources are used where intended and most needed. We can fix the leaks and systematic weaknesses that leave infrastructure at breaking point and pollution unchecked. Stand with us for change. What you can do Water integrity is not a pipe dream. There are many practical ways to ensure sector institutions are run with integrity and without impunity. We can start by realistically discussing integrity risks and corruption issues. We can then nurture integrity through Transparency, Accountability, Participation, and Anti-corruption measures. And, we can work collectively for change. Get training TRAINING Understand integrity risks ASSESSMENTS Strengthen your work with integrity TOOLS Become a partner NETWORK Newsletter Sign up to our newsletter First name Last name Email SUBSCRIBE Thanks for subscribing! Partner network Our network, events, and tools are open and available to all. We welcome collaboration, questions, and feedback. Organisations that wish to show their commitment to improving integrity in water and sanitation management and actively collaborate on integrity programmes are also invited to partner with us formally. Take a stand for water integrity: become a formal WIN partner now. JOIN WIN

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Wed, 11 Sept | online webinar Water Integrity Global Outlook 3: Integrity for Water and Sanitation Finance – Global Launch To achieve SDG 6, tripling investments and improving governance are essential. Yet, corruption remains a major, overlooked barrier to progress. The Water Integrity Global Outlook 2024 (WIGO 2024) shines a light on these challenges and offers practical solutions. Join us to find out more. RSVP Time & Location 11 Sept 2024, 12:00 – 13:30 CEST online webinar About the event Reaching SDG 6—universal access to clean water and sanitation—requires a three-fold increase in investments and a sharp focus on improving governance and management across the sector. Yet, in practice, achieving this is far from straightforward. A key obstacle to success remains largely unaddressed: corruption. This pervasive issue is a major driver of inefficiency, mismanagement, inequity, high costs, and poor performance in water and sanitation services. The Water Integrity Global Outlook 2024 (WIGO 2024) offers a timely and critical analysis of this challenge, shedding light on the deep-rooted issues stemming from corruption and integrity weaknesses in sector financing. From the planning and allocation of resources to income collection and expenditure tracking, WIGO 2024 provides a comprehensive roadmap for action on integrity. By addressing the challenges head-on, with honesty and collaboration, we can ensure that investments in water and sanitation lead to sustainable, equitable outcomes for all. Join us to launch this vital report and learn how you can contribute to a future where water integrity is the norm, not the exception. Show More RSVP Share this event