Water Services Trust Fund Financial Support for Improved Access to Water and Sanitation Planning & Presence Operation of water supply schemes for the urban poor  What makes them unsustainable?  What goes wrong?  How to improve? Mombasa, Han Seur (GIZ Advisor WSTF) 1

2 Planning & Presence A) Impact of poor project planning on operation & sustainability Proposal preparation (project planning)Project implementationProject operationProject evaluation

What are the main objectives we want to achieve with our pro-poor water supply and sanitation projects? 1.Social & public health objectives 2.Financial & commercial 3.Technical (choice of technology & maintenance & repair) 4.Environmental 5.Sector (regulator) 6. Image objective Only proper planning results in sustainable operation!! Good planning requires considering all objectives 3 Planning & Presence A) Impact of poor project planning on operation & sustainability

How to get it wrong? Racecourse Water Project in Kitwe, Zambia Causes of failure: No collection of data Project only guided by social & public health objectives (1/250) Neglect of the current water supply situation No respect for the decisions households make Neglect of the interests of Kiosk Operators Neglect of kiosk design (to control costs) 4 Planning & Presence A) Impact of poor project planning on operation & sustainability

How to get it wrong? Racecourse in Kitwe, Zambia 5 Planning & Presence A) Impact of poor project planning on operation & sustainability

How to get it wrong? Racecourse in Kitwe, Zambia 6 Planning & Presence A) Impact of poor project planning on operation & sustainability

So what happened to the project? Few customers at each kiosk Low consumption levels (2-3 l/c/d) Low Operator incomes Operators not motivated to work at kiosk and to pay their water bill Kiosks are abandoned or closed Low revenue, low collection efficiency & high maintenance costs Water bills are not paid & no longer prepared WSP is not motivated to carry out all required O&M works Gradual neglect of the scheme (perceived as not viable) Dilapidated infrastructure & poor water supply 7 Planning & Presence A) Impact of poor project planning on operation & sustainability

What often happens after a festive project inauguration? Example: Kosovo Village, Mathare, Nairobi “Complicated area” Many illegal connections Semi cartels, violence, crime NCWSC/Pamoja/WSTF Successful implementation 8 Planning & Presence B) Operating Schemes in Low-Income Urban Areas: Getting the right mindset & creating a real presence

9 Planning & Presence

What were the key problems? Initially NCWSC did not establish a real presence in the area: Scheme was not monitored Maintenance and repair works were not carried out Customers received no bills or estimated bills Customer complaints were not addressed Local water committees ( created to work with NCWSC ) were ignored Poor internal (NCWSC) communication 10 Planning & Presence B) Operating Schemes in Low-Income Urban Areas: Getting the right mindset & creating a real presence

Impact of WSP’s absence? Kiosks became dirty Meters were not read Bills were not prepared or residents receive the wrong bills Illegal connections gradually reappeared People prefer to get/buy (cheaper) water from an illegal connection Fewer people came to the kiosks Kiosks were often closed Pipes and kiosks were vandalised and not repaired Customers did not know how to enquire or file complaints No revenue; The scheme was seen as not being viable 11 Planning & Presence B) Operating Schemes in Low-Income Urban Areas: Getting the right mindset & creating a real presence

What is the solution? 1. Developing a new mindset: See slums as a business opportunity Provide better services in slums reduces non-revenue water Treat slum dwellers as customers entitled to the same services Customers who want to pay! 12 Planning & Presence B) Operating Schemes in Low-Income Urban Areas: Getting the right mindset & creating a real presence

2.Adopting improved operation procedures and practices: Create a small team (existing staff members) offering services in slums Decentralise operation More efficient use of staff (Plumbers in ??) Establish a small local office (Mathare Nairobi) Implement a customer care concept Close monitoring of the scheme & supervision of Operators Carry out necessary O&M works and disconnections Prepare bills based on real meter readings Experiment with pre-paid meters (Nakuru) 13 Planning & Presence B) Operating Schemes in Low-Income Urban Areas: Having the right mindset and creating a real presence

Improved operation procedures and practices: More efficient use of staff (Plumbers in Webuye) 14 Planning & Presence B) Operating Schemes in Low-Income Urban Areas: Having the right mindset and creating a real presence

Functionality of WSTF-funded urban infrastructure 15 Planning & Presence A) Impact of poor project planning on operation & sustainability INFRASTRUCTURE TYPE NO.FUNCTIONALNOT FUNCTIONAL Water Kiosks (86%)24 (14%) Yard Taps (72%)43 (28%) Storage Tank10 9 (90%)1 (10%) Pumping Units3 3 (100%)0 (0%) Public Sanitation Facility12 11 (92%)1 (8%) Total (80%)69 (20%)

16 Planning & Presence B) Operating Schemes in Low-Income Urban Areas: Getting the right mindset & creating a real presence Moving beyond project implementation: Support provided by the WSTF Tools that can improve project planning (Toolkit) MajiData Field appraisals carried out by the WSTF/UPC team Support provided by the Field Monitors (site selection, adapting scope) Support to the low income area units of the WSPs!! The WSTF aims to enable licensed Water Service providers to extend their services to the urban low income areas

If their WSS schemes in slums flop many WSP and donors conclude that pro-poor water supply & sanitation are to be left to the NGOs or the community (disengagement) The principle; Why should I, being a slum dweller, be made dependent on the ability of my fellow slum dwellers or local entrepreneurs to operate a water supply scheme? Why am I not entitled to receiving services from my licensed provider? Am I different? Romanticizing the community & creation of cartels Question Question: Why should WSPs not deliver WSS & customer care services directly to all its customers? 17 Planning & Presence Community- or Delegated Management: The solution?

18 Planning & Presence Thank You!