The document discusses monitoring rural water services beyond just measuring infrastructure coverage and functionality. It notes that while access to improved water sources has reached targets, service quality is often poor. Effective monitoring looks at additional factors like quantity, quality, reliability and accessibility of water services. Data from Ghana shows poor performance of handpumps and community operators. Comprehensive monitoring can improve rural water service delivery and sustainability by assessing services provided, service providers, and the functions of governing authorities at local and national levels.

1. Monitoring Rural
Water Services
Triple-S
IRC, Netherlands
Harold Lockwood
Aguaconsult
Tunis, 26.03.2013
1 Presentation Title

2. Monitoring
really does
matter .….
“You can’t manage
what you don’t
measure”

3. Millennium development goal on safe
drinking water reaches target early
2.75 billion people in rural areas now have access to an
Improved water supply as defined by the Joint Monitoring
Program
3 Presentation Title

4. But too many
people with an
improved water
supply receive
a poor level of
service
 Monitoring has focused overwhelmingly on
infrastructure and levels of coverage
Monitoring service
delivery tip of the iceberg
 Functionality – does the system work or not? –
is just the
4 Presentation Title

5. Monitoring water
services to improve
sustainability
1. Services
delivered
2. Service providers
3. Service authority
functions
5 Presentation Title

6. Source: Triple-S Ghana, 2012
Hand pumps in Ghana: headline non-
functionality rates

7. Source: Triple-S Ghana, 2012
Comparing functionality with actual
services delivered (CWSA norms)

8. Monitoring rural water
services goes far beyond
just functionality
 Quantity
 Quality
 Reliability
 Accessibility
 (Affordability)
8 Presentation Title

9. Source: Triple-S Ghana, 2012
Community service providers (operators)
also perform poorly

10. Monitoring
service provider
performance
 Technical
 Financial
 Management
 Community
organisation
 Governance
10 Presentation Title

11. Monitoring
service
authority
functions
 Technical support to (community) operators
 Monitoring /oversight – regulation
 Bye-laws and letting contracts
 Financial and infrastructure planning
11 Presentation Title

12.  SIASAR – Central America region
 3 countries with World Bank support
12 Presentation Title

13. “Weighing a pig doesn’t
make it any fatter”
Monitoring is all about
improving performance
from local to national levels
End goal is to improve
impact and sustainability
13 Presentation Title

14. Monitoring
to improve
performance
 Historic trending
 Benchmarking
 Thematic analysis
 Informed decisions
 Aids sector learning

15. Thank you
IRC, Netherlands
Aguaconsult, UK
h.lockwood@aguaconsult.co.uk
Triple-S
http://www.waterservicesthatlast.org/
Ghana data
http://www.waterservicesthatlast.org/index.php/Countries/G
hana-Triple-S-initiative/Publications