Analysis on IRC's use of Pay as You Fetch : Kabarole district, Uganda

This report analyses the potential feasibility, sustainability, and effectiveness of the pay as you fetch (PAYF) management model at boreholes in Kabarole District, Uganda. PAYF is being piloted by IRC as a potential solution for improved water service delivery and sustainability in the district Kabarole District. In the PAYF model users fetch water and pay the handpump caretaker a set price per container of water collected to the handpump caretaker. The handpumps are maintained by the Kabarole Hand Pump Mechanics Association (KAHASA).  

Due to the small quantity of data collected, only a broad assessment of the performance of each water point under PAYF is given. To supplement this, information was gathered to gain perspective around successes and failures of PAYF implementation at boreholes through interviews with relevant stakeholders, and a small desktop study on hand pump mechanics in Uganda, operation and maintenance, and cost recovery.

The study highlights the importance of data collection: both continuing and improving existing data collection, and expanding data collection to further explore PAYF's viability and success. Conclusions and recommendations are provided on improving data collection, tariff structure experimentation, stakeholder engagement, cost recovery analysis, additional research and capacity building.