The Uganda WASH sector is awash with government and non-government actors at national, district, sub-county and even parish level. However, the variation in mandates, agenda, and resources often lead to duplication and ineffectiveness in terms of service delivery, as well as lack of alignment with government policies and guidelines. This lack of coordination at national and district level affects the sustainability of rural water services.
Published on: 02/08/2011
The Uganda WASH sector is awash with government and non-government actors at national, district, sub-county and even parish level. However, the variation in mandates, agenda, and resources often lead to duplication and ineffectiveness in terms of service delivery, as well as lack of alignment with government policies and guidelines. This lack of coordination at national and district level affects the sustainability of rural water services.
Efforts towards harmonisation and coordination have been made, especially through the Sector Wide Approach to Planning (SWAp) at national level and through decentralised structures. Sector policies and guidelines help to ensure that there is a proper framework and standards for service delivery.
The District Implementation Manual (DIM) was issued by the Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE) to provide specific guidance for sector stakeholders at district local government level. The DIM spells out the many ways in which parish and sub-county levels link to the district in terms of planning, monitoring, and evaluation of water services. While in most districts the District Water and Sanitation Coordination Committees (DWSCCs) are functioning well, coordination at sub-county level has not been fully explored. Sub-counties fill a significant local government gap between the parishes and the district. A district is made up of several counties, each of which is divided into sub-counties. There are many parishes in each sub-county.
Logiri sub-county in Arua district provides a good example of the viability of sub-county water and sanitation coordination committees. In 2009, under the Learning for Policy and Practice (LEAPP) initiative, SNV and NETWAS Uganda piloted sub-county level coordination in Logiri with a focus on capacity development, working with the local Youth Development Organisation (YODEO), to support the Logiri Sub County Water and Sanitation Coordination Committee (SCWSCC) to hold quarterly meetings.
Once the committee was fully functional, SNV and NETWAS phased themselves out, while the Logiri SCWSCC has continued to date to hold quarterly meetings that have progressively addressed key WASH issues. One of their best achievements is compilation of up to date data on household sanitation, collected from all the 86 parishes in the sub-county.
YODEO coordinator, Odama Oscar, reported that before the SCWSCC many non-functional sources were never reported to the District Water Officer (DWO). With sub-county level coordination, any non-functional sources are quickly reported and rehabilitated and this has resulted into increased functionality. The DWO also now has reliable data about the Logiri sub-county, which has gained recognition in DWSCC meetings and reports.
In April 2011, with support from Triple-S Uganda, a group of sub-county WASH actors from Lira district visited Logiri to learn more about sub-county level coordination and to make efforts to replicate the lessons in their own areas. The learners expressed particular interest in issues like the rationale for SCWSCC, its funding, communication with and support from the DWO, and linkages with the Water User Committees.
Relating the story of Logiri SCWSCC, the Arua DWO, Stephen Obitre, explained that the reason why they decided to go to the sub-county was because the key issues of sustainability of sources, operation and maintenance all happen at that level. They decided that the sub-county would handle all critical issues while the district concentrated on support, monitoring and supervision.
Since their visit to Logiri, sub-county level WASH actors in Lira have taken steps to establish their own SCWSCC. Annet Birungi, a Health Assistant in Lira sub-county explains that as soon as she got back to Lira, she wrote a report about the Logiri learning visit and shared it with the Lira sub-county political leaders and technical staff, including the sub-county Chairperson and the sub-county chief. Working with other non-government WASH actors, they organised an advocacy meeting. The idea was welcomed by all key actors and a SCWSCC was formed immediately. Since the financial year was ending, there were no funds to facilitate the committee activities in the short term. However, sub-county leadership has already committed to budget for the SCWSCC next financial year 2011/2012 that started on 1 July. Birungi attributes the turn of events to the fact that already in Lira sub-county, WASH was a priority. Both the political and technical arms of local government welcome ideas on how to enhance service provision.
Lydia Mirembe; Communication and Advocacy Officer, Triple-S Uganda
