Inventory of available information on SWAPs in the water sector : literature overview for DGIS

There are a few overview documents on SWAPS and specific to the water sector, available. These documents mainly describe the purpose and main characteristics of SWAPS. Some of these documents look into the support to sector programmes and SWAPS in the context of PRSP or in light of the agreements made in the Paris Declaration. SWAPS are generally considered as a new way of practicing development cooperation, reflecting the commitments made of the donor community to seek for more efficiency trough better coordination, harmonization and alignment. However it is also stated that donor harmonization not necessarily leads to a SWAP as it can take place outside the framework of national (sector) structure. Furthermore coincidence seem to exist in the recognition that a SWAP need to be considered as a process (not as another project or instruments) oriented towards ensuring complete leadership of the recipients countries in the priority setting, formulation and implementation and monitoring of national policies. Also the necessary co-responsibility and partnership between the donor countries and the governments of the recipients countries are considered to be long term commitments going beyond short term objectives and targets. [authors abstract]