2. Context
ASHWAS: A CITIZENS SURVEY OF HOUSEHOLD WATER AND SANITATION
ASHWAS conducted by Arghyam in 2008
Sample size :17200
Households across: 172 GPs
Districts of Karnataka: 28
Objectives:
• Survey captured perceptions of citizens on
water, sanitation, health and governance
• Survey reports developed for each GP,
disseminated through half day meetings with each GP
• Most GPs did not seem to have capacity to
internalize these issues and take action, even on
urgent issues like quality

3. Key findings from ASHWAS
Water
• 45 % households face water shortage for more than a
month
• % levels beyond permissible limits for water quality
– Fluoride 60% (at WHO std)
– Bacterial 38%
– Nitrate 20%
Sanitation
• 72% citizens practice open defecation
• 75% citizens either do not have access to drains or
their drains are never cleaned
• 63% people undertake no form of treatment before
drinking water

4. Key findings from ASHWAS-
contd.
O&M and Governance:
• 21% GPs in Karnataka used water quality testing kit
provided free.
• 73% disruption in water supply due to lack of O&M
• 42% of stipulated WATSAN committees (Village Water
and Sanitation Committees) were active
• Rs.14/- was collected per capita p.a. water tax, as
against a much higher per capita expenditure
• Merely 10-20% households pay water tariff.

5. Reasons for Disruption in Water
Supply
40.00% 36.44%
35.00%
30.00%
25.00% 22.51%
20.00%
15.00%
10.00% 8.18% 8.48%
4.78% 5.63% 5.87%
3.99% 4.12%
5.00%
0.00% Water supply
Water is Reduced water The source is Poor
Financial reason Natural calamity switch is not Lack of staff Power cut
contaminated availability dried up maintainence
switched on in
Series1 3.99% 4.12% 4.78% 5.63% 5.87% 8.18% 8.48% 22.51% 36.44%

6. We decided to explore capacity issues at the
GP level in greater depth, with the premise that
sustainable implementation cannot happen
until the GPs are strengthened.
6

7. Perspectives from the Ground:
What do people and GP members
say?
“Government line departments are
pessimistic about GPs’ performance
which pushes GPs towards
underperformance”
“Women and men are equal
members” 7

8. Other
Perspectives
“A strong GP will
“Criticism against GPs
demand for more
is because funds are
transparency and
coming directly to GPs”
accountability”
“75% of the work in the
“GPs are important as villages is being done
now people have an through the GPs”
agency to go to, as
against going to the
district or MLA/MP
who are too distant”

9. The Issue
Despite the 73rd Amendment…
Panchayats are treated as the
government’s delivery arm than as
independent self governing units

10. Challenges
Unwillingness in
government to actually Capacity building efforts
devolve power to the GPs. have focused on program
Strong preference to delivery than governance
create parallel and management
implementation structures
With more money, but
Financial allocations have being weak organisations,
increased, but are mostly GPs tend to become ripe
tied funds. There is very platforms for strongmen to
little leeway for meeting use/misuse their powers,
administrative costs reinforcing the GP
stereotype.

11. A Strong Gram Panchayat Organisation…
Will strengthen local institutions
Help it acquire negotiating ability
FacilitateGram Panchayat organisation will acquire
A strong decentralisation at different levels
negotiating powers to push the decentralisation
agenda at different levels
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12. Arghyam has followed the Organisation
Development framework to strengthen the
GP
Project objectives:
1. To design a step by step framework for developing a
strong GP organisation
2. To initiate a process of real time change in 2 Gram
Panchayats in Karnataka, while implementing the above
framework
3. To leverage strengths and capacities of elected members
and staff of the GP, as core members of the self
governing body

13. Our Partners
O’Mittur (Kolar district) and
GRAM PANCHAYATS Dibburhalli (Chikkaballapur
district)
Grama Vikas (GV) and
NGO PARTNERS Foundation for Ecological
Security (FES)
Shri T. R. Raghunandan,
ADVISOR Former Jt. Sec, Govt of
India
Panarc Consulting, New
HR CONSULTANTS
Delhi
PROGRAMME MANAGER Arghyam, Bangalore

14. Key Aspects
Aligning members and citizens to a VISION and PURPOSE
 Vision workshop
 Participatory Rural Appraisal
 Focus group Discussions
 Unique focus areas
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15. Our Approach
Purpose of the GP:
Functions Mapped:
Vision and Mission
1. Street Light maintenance
2. Drinking water through
piped water supply
Workflows and Roles:
3. Cleanliness of roads and
Process Mapping* drains
4. Procurement
5. Complaint handling
Not just the role of
6. Greening the village
Organisation the GP, but role
clarity within the 7. Food security
structure within the 8. PDS
GP, among
GP members and staff 9. Fixing Water tariff
10. Preventive health
Clear action plans: 11. NREGA
Perspective and 12. Housing
13. Education
annual plans 14. Revenue generation
15. Protection of CPR
16. Agriculture and Animal
Handholding GP during husbandry
implementation of plans 17. Planning
* Roles - Responsibility Accountability, Collaboration and Information providing

16. Together with Panchayat members, we arrived at this
organisation structure for these two GPs
Grama
Sabha/ Ward
Sabha
Production Social Justice Amenities
Standing Com Standing Com Standing Com
•Revenue • PDS •Drinking •Housing- •Facilitating
Generation •Food Security Water- piped •Protection of capacity
•Greening the •Complaint water supply CPR building of
village handling •Cleanliness of •Education heads, staff
•Agriculture roads and • Street light and members
and animal drains maintenance
husbandry •Preventive
•NREGA health
Heads to be supported by staff, members, Line departments and 61A Committees

17. O’Mittur Panchayat Members:
Time spent on Activities
Time spent between
No. GP Members May and December,
2013
1 Bharathi, Social Justice Head 12.65%
2 Nagarajappa, Production Head 18.83%
3 Amarnarayan Swamy,
8.42%
Amenities I Head
4 Venkatramappa, Amenities II
9.23%
Head
5 Vasantha Kumari, Capacity
19.90%
Building Head
17

18. Dhibburhalli Panchayat Members:
Time spent on Activities
Time spent between
No. GP Members May and December,
2013
1 Venugopal, Social Justice Head 21.89%
2 B.C Manjunath, Production
22.30%
Head
3 Narsimha Reddy, Amenities I
20.20%
Head
4 D.P Nagaraj, Amenities II Head 15.97%
5 Nataraj, Capacity Building
18.52%
Head
18

19. The structure enables GPs and other institutions to leverage
each other better
Example of Head- Amenities I
Departments and programmes
- Taluka Panchayat: - Takula Panchayat, Junior - Taluka and District Health
- Panchayat Raj Engineering Engineer offices
Department - Department of Health - Public Health
- Mines and Geology - Nirmal Bharat Abhiyaan - Centre
Department - Arogya Raksha Samiti
- Statistics/ Revenue
Department
Function: Drinking Water- Function: Cleanliness of Function: Preventive
piped water supply roads and drains, sanitation health
Sub GP bodies and staff
VNHSC, Waterman, Bill VNHSC ANM, ASHA/
Collector Anganwadi worker, VNHSC

20. A step by step approach for strengthening
the GP organisation as a self governing
unit
Elected members should be at the centre of the change
process
GPs should develop their own long term vision and purpose ,
which is not just a sum of government programs
Key processes for service delivery, governance and
management should be developed along with the
members
GPs should have an internal organisation structure, focusing
on distributed leadership and building stronger
ownership among members

21. For sustaining a well functioning GP,
supportive policy formulations are
required
Create provisions for GPs and government institutions to
leverage each other better
Mutual expectations and funds flow to be spelt out
Parallel bodies such as SDMC, BVS etc. to be accountable to the GP
Compensate GP for delivery of rural development programs
Create provision for compensating GP members for work
done
A more targeted and GP centric training by SIRDs and other
institutes

22. Thank you
Arghyam, Bangalore
Contact Information:
Habeeb Noor (habeeb@arghyam.org) or Sonali Srivastava (sonali@arghyam.org)
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