This document summarizes a presentation on a sustainability model for water service delivery in East Gonja District, Ghana. The presentation discusses: 1) The Triple-S initiative, which supports rural water sectors in Ghana and Uganda to develop innovative approaches to improve water services. 2) Baseline findings from East Gonja District which showed low functionality of water points and piped systems, and substandard service levels. 3) The district's response to the findings, which included rehabilitating water systems, developing an action plan to support service authorities and committees, and exploring options to improve water quality and supply.

1. SUSTAINABILITY MODEL FOR
WASH SERVICE DELIVERY:
Experiences from East Gonja District
Jeremiah A.
Atengdem,
Presented At MOLE XXIII on 23rd August 2012, Regional
International Conference Centre, Learning
University of Development Studies, Tamale Facilitator,
Triple-S

2. THE SUSTAINABLE SERVICES AT SCALE
INITIATIVE
•A global learning initiative to improve on water services
•Ghana and Uganda selected as learning countries
•Supporting the rural water sector in Ghana to develop and test
innovative elements improved water services and to address
systemic bottlenecks to providing sustained water services
•This is done through:
oAction research
oPiloting and testing innovations
oMulti-stakeholder dialogue
oSector change and reforms
•The project is hosted in Ghana by CWSA
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3. BUSINESS AS USUAL OR DELIVERING A SERVICE
Business as usual Service Delivery Approach
Implement Implement Implement Implement
Replace
Upgrade Upgrade
Time
Investment Investment
(capital (operational Service
expenditure) expenditure) level
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4. A service means water users
receive
• An agreed quantity of water
• An agreed quality of water
• An agreed distance/time
• An agreed level of reliability
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5. What makes a service work?
 Clear sector policies
 Well defined institutional roles
and responsibilities
 Strong planning, coordination,
leadership
 Relevant management models
 Long-term support and monitoring
 Good implementation practices
 Finance for life-cycle costs
 Appropriate technology
 Learning and innovation
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6. WATER SERVICES THAT LAST …6

7. Triple-S Ghana Intervention Framework
Gaps and bottlenecks Intervention modules
National level
- normative
and policy
•Operational documents and guidelines
• Different, fragmented and uncoordinated
•Sector harmonization and coordination
approaches
•Capacity support to CWSA
• Unreliable data on functionality and
service authority
services
Intermediate
•Functionality tracking, sustainability and
• Unclear role of local government in the
level –
water service monitoring system
delivery of water services
•Planning, budgeting and tariff setting
• Insufficient expenditure on direct support
and capital maintenance •Capacity support for local water
• Weak DA support to service providers governance
level
Service provider
• Non compliance to national standards and
norms •Citizen government engagement on
• Low functionality and unreliable service water services
• Weak service provider institutions •Capacity support for service providers
• Ineffective supply chain and technical •Innovative options for capital
services maintenance
• Lack of accountability and transparency in
•Supply chain and technical services
service delivery
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8. Triple-S scheme of work
National Level
•Development of indicators for measureme
and reporting of functionality and service
levels
•Support to SSDP and SWaP development to
promote sector coordination
•Support to CWSA to finalise operating
documents,NCWSP,DOM to reflect service
delivery for application
ser Level
Strengthening of spareparts
District Level
upply chain and provision of • Monitoring and reporting of
echnical services
functionality and service level
Support DA to assess user •Capacity support to service
atisfaction of water services
authority-DOM
sing Sense Maker •Application of standards,
norms, guidelines, operating
documents and feedback to
policy
•Promote learning through
existing platforms in the district
•Testing of innovations for
uptake by the sector
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9. Application of SDA in East Gonja
Enabling
environment
Pol
Eco
Soc
Tech
Env
Legal
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10. RESULTS OF BASELINE: FUNCTIONALITY
OF POINT SOURCES
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11. SERVICE LEVELS SCORE
Indicators Number of point sources meeting indicators by Area
Council
Bunjai Kpariba Kpembe Kulaw Makango/ Salaga
n=1 n=6 n=37 n=32 Kafaba n= 30
n=16
Reliable( not more than 18 2 21 23 8 18
days downtime in a year)
Distance(not more than 1 4 28 28 10 26
500m)
Quality(GSBs standards) 4 33 30 15 30
Crowding(not more than 4 2 4 1
300 persons for boreholes
and 150 for handdug well)
Quantity(20lpcd) Insufficient data
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12. SERVICE LEVEL
Service level Description of service level Level of service
delivered by
point sources
High level service People access a minimum of 60 lpcd of high quality water on demand.
Reliability is 95%
Intermediate level people access a min of 40 lpcd of acceptable quality water from an
improved source, at a distance less than 500m. The number of people
service using the hand pump is 300 in the case of a bore hole and 150 in the case
of a hand dug well and reliability is 95%.
Basic level service People access a minimum of 20 lpcd of acceptable quality water (GSB)
from an improved source, at a distance no more than 500 m. The number
of people using the hand pump is 300 in the case of a bore hole and 150
in the case of a hand dug well and reliability is 95%
Sub-standard level People access service that is improvement on having no service at all, but 36%
service that fails to meet the basic standards on one or more criteria (quantity,
quality, reliability, distance, max number of people served)
No service People access water from insecure or unimproved sources, or sources 64%
that are too distant (> 500m), too time consuming, or are of poor quality
(less than GSB standard)
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13. FUNCTIONALITY OF PIPED SCHEMES
Indicators Number of piped Number of
systems standpipes
N=8
Functional 7 23
Partial functional 1
Non-functional 37
Total 8 60
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14. SERVICE INDICATORS OF PIPES
SCHEMES
Indicators Number of piped
systems meeting
indicators
N=8
Reliable( not more than 18 days in a year) 1
Distance(not more than 500m) 5
Quality(GSBs standards) 8
Crowding(not more than 300 persons for 6
boreholes and 150 for handdug well)
Quantity(20lpcd) No data
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15. WATSAN COMMITTEES THAT HAVE MET
THE INDICATORS
N=60
% of WATSAN
Number of WATSAN
Indicator Committee meeting
Indicator Committee meeting
group indicators indicators
A well-qualified, trained and experienced gender
balanced WATSAN is in place 8 13%
Governance Technical, Administrative and financial Reports are
and kept and read out to the Community at least once 27 45%
management every six months
There is no political and chieftaincy influences in the 52 87%
composition of the WATSAN or WSDB
Spare parts are available to enable maintenance 24 40%
Area mechanics are available to enable maintenance 25 42%
Corrective maintenance is executed in an effective
way 37 62%
Operations
Periodic maintenance is executed in an effective way 46 77%
Water Quality Sampling and Analysis services are
performed on half yearly basis by recognised 37 62%
institutions
Annual income from water sales exceeds total 32 53%
annual expenditure
Financial There is sound financial management, accounting
management and auditing 10 17%
Tariff setting is taking into account the lifecycle costs 13 22%
DWST monitors O&M of water facilities in terms of
financial, technical and administrative performance,
Support SERVICES THAT LAST 14 23%
WATER
including periodic audits, and provides support …15

16. WSDBS THAT HAVE MET THE
INDICATORS
Number of Piped
Indicator group Indicator Systems meeting
indicators
A well-qualified, experienced and trained team
Technical, Administrative and financial Reports are kept and read out to the
Governance Community at least once every six months
and
management There is no political and chieftaincy influences in the composition of the 6
WATSAN or WSDB
WSDB meetings organised and minutes kept 1
Private sector provides the needed support to WSDB 1
Preparation of workplan and budget for O & M
Operations
Water Quality Sampling and Analysis services are performed on half yearly basis 2
by recognised institutions and paid for through tarrif
Annual income from water sales exceeds total annual expenditure 6
Financial There is sound financial management, accounting and auditing
management
Tariff setting is taking into account the lifecycle costs
Interference of MMDAs in tarrif setting does not affect revenues
DWST monitors O&M of water facilities in terms of financial, technical and
Support administrative performance, including periodic audits, and provides support
where needed
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17. RESPONSE BY DA TO MONITORING
INFORMATION FEEDBACK
Adoption of functionality and
sustainability indicators for routine
monitoring
Baseline data discussed at Executive
committee meetings
The East Gonja District Assembly
using own resources have rehabilitated
3 water systems (boreholes) in
Jankpariba, Chachosi, and Mariche at a
total cost of about GHc 1,200
Data used to guide investment
planning
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18. RESPONSE BY DA TO BASELINE FINDINGS
Developed comprehensive action plan on water service
delivery spanning 2012-2013 focusing on:
Support to DWST to routinely update functionality and
sustainability data and carry out service authority function
Refresher training of WATSAN Committees and WSDBs
Identification and training of area mechanics
Explore options of treating surface water for drinking in
communities with low water tables
Water quality testing and analysis
Citizens government engagement around key issues of
water delivery
Strengthening spare parts supply chain and report system
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19. CONCLUDING…
Financing is at the core of sustainable water
services. To achieve sustainable water services
which Triple-S is about, financing ought to be
considered very importantly.
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20. For more information visit :
www.waterservicesthatlast.org
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