A principle-based approach to sustainable rural water services at scale : moving from vision to action

Triple-S (Sustainable Services at Scale) is an action-research project which seeks to improve the sustainability of rural water supplies at scale. Triple-S is being implemented in Ghana and Uganda. As the sustainability of rural water supplies depends on a whole range of inter-related factors at different institutional levels, systemic change is often needed at sector level to make step changes to improve sustainability. To that effect, Triple-S adopted a Principle-based Approach. It consists of defining a number of key principles, which are considered to be critical for achieving sustainability and which need to be imbedded at various institutional levels, which are then used to define country-specific outcomes and strategies to address sustainability issues.

A first step was developing a Principles Framework, a matrix with key principles based on a vision of sustainable services at scale. This matrix draws on earlier work of groups working on the sustainability of rural water supply. At country level, these principles were translated into an Outcomes Framework: a matrix with outcomes describing an ideal situation of how the rural water supply sector should look regarding key aspects such as the service delivery approach followed by: financing, transparency and accountability, capacity, harmonisation, and coordination efforts. Contrasting outcomes with the current situation helps to identify a Strategic Plan with strategies at different institutional levels, and the links between them, to address sustainability issues. This paper presents the Principles Framework (refer to Section 3.1) and the key concepts behind it. It also provides a description of how the Principle-based Approach is being applied in Ghana and Uganda. [authors abstract]

This is part of the Triple-S (Sustainable Services at Scale) Water services that last-project.

200