Scoping study : dialogue between the World Bank and civil society organisations about urban water and sanitation : final report

This report reflects the outcome of the preliminary research and the workshop at the Bank's Water Week in Washington, D.C., organized as part of a scoping study to assess the potential for dialogue on urban water supply and sanitation between the World Bank and civil society organisations and to identify particular themes and modes for dialogue at global, regional and national levels.
The workshop reviewed the lessons and experiences of earlier attempts to sustain information sharing and knowledge development between civil society organisations and the World Bank in the sector, and explored how dialogue could be carried forward in future. Themes discussed included how to enable the participation of poor people in diagnosing and overcoming the obstacles to provision of services to them; how those services can be financed; and the roles of the public and private sectors and community-based groups in providing them.

The draft process guidelines and feasibility criteria have been subjected to widespread consultation, and 38 dialogue activity proposals have been evaluated in accordance with them. Presented here are : 1) details of the dialogue activities currently in development; 2) process guidelines with which dialogue activities are expected to comply; 3) criteria by which proposals have been evaluated; and 4) a list of proposed activities which did not meet the feasibility criteria. In addition, the report outlines the way in which the scoping study has been conducted, and a bibliography of written material consulted as part of the study. Earlier reports are also included as appendices.