1. Applying
Sustainability
Analysis to Rural
Water Services
Dr. Peter Harvey
Regional WASH Adviser
UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa

2. Why analyse sustainability?
 To identify the constraining factors/bottlenecks
that are resulting in low levels of water service
sustainability;
 To determine appropriate intervention levels at
which action is needed (national, sub-national,
community, private sector etc.);
 To identify areas of intervention (for respective
levels) to increase sustainability;
 To develop a sustainability improvement plan;
 To increase rural water service sustainability.

3. Sustainability
A water supply service can be said to be
sustainable if:
 the water sources are not over-exploited but naturally
replenished;
 water systems are maintained in a condition which
ensures a reliable and adequate water supply;
 the benefits of the supply continue to be realized by all
users indefinitely; and
 the service delivery process demonstrates a cost-
effective use of resources that can be replicated.

4. Sustainability factors
 Policy context (P)
 Management and institutional
arrangements (M)
 Financial issues (F)
 Community and social aspects
(C)
 Technology and environment
(T)
 Supply chains (S)
Policy
• Programme approach
• Service delivery focus
Management
• Support to communities
• Private sector options
Finance
• Sustainable financing
• Realistic cost recovery
Community
• O&M management options
• Equity strategies
Technology
• Technology choice
• Local option priority
Supply chain
• Local procurement
• Integrated supply chains

5. Sustainability assessment and
planning process

7. Sustainability factor Score Rank
Policy context (P) 0 Weak
Management and institutional arrangements (M) 2 Medium
Financial issues (F) 4 Strong
Community and social aspects (C) 1 Weak
Technology and environment (T) 3 Medium
Supply chains (S) 4 Strong
TOTAL 14 Medium
Sustainability assessment
framework

8. P, M, F
M, F, C
F, C, T
C, T, S
S
Policy
Management
Finance
Community
Technology
Supply chain
Intervention levels and areas of engagement

9. Policy
• Programme approach
• Service delivery focus
Management
• Support to communities
• Private sector options
Finance
• Sustainable financing
• Realistic cost recovery
Community
• O&M management options
• Equity strategies
Technology
• Technology choice
• Local option priority
Supply chain
• Local procurement
• Integrated supply chains
Paradigm shift required from:
 Projects (time-bound, funding linked to
construction, handovers)
 Facilities (infrastructure based,
maintenance focus)
to
Programmes (long-term funding
and operational strategies)
Services (focus on ongoing water
delivery)
Programmes & Services

10. Policy
• Programme approach
• Service delivery focus
Management
• Support to communities
• Private sector options
Finance
• Sustainable financing
• Realistic cost recovery
Community
• O&M management options
• Equity strategies
Technology
• Technology choice
• Local option priority
Supply chain
• Local procurement
• Integrated supply chains
 Institutional support is required and
must be budgeted for.
 Accurate cost-determination and
sustainable financing mechanisms
are needed.
 Sustained technical capacity must be
developed.
 If community management is not
viable, private sector service delivery
models should be explored.
Making
community
management
work (or not!)

11. Policy
• Programme approach
• Service delivery focus
Management
• Support to communities
• Private sector options
Finance
• Sustainable financing
• Realistic cost recovery
Community
• O&M management options
• Equity strategies
Technology
• Technology choice
• Local option priority
Supply chain
• Local procurement
• Integrated supply chains
 Cost-recovery targets must be
realistic.
 A tariff hierarchy can be developed to
assess and set targets.
 Sustainable (innovative) community
financing mechanisms are needed.
 Equity-focused financing strategies
can be developed for:
• cross-subsidy within communities;
• cross-subsidy across communities;
• households to access micro-credit facilities;
• institutional support to communities.
Financing

12. Policy
• Programme approach
• Service delivery focus
Management
• Support to communities
• Private sector options
Finance
• Sustainable financing
• Realistic cost recovery
Community
• O&M management options
• Equity strategies
Technology
• Technology choice
• Local option priority
Supply chain
• Local procurement
• Integrated supply chains
 Community management is one
option for O&M but it is not the only
one!
 Different O&M options need to be
considered so that each community
has a choice.
 Where appropriate, community
management may require
strengthening.
 Alternatively, public-private
partnerships and private sector O&M
models may be implemented and
critically evaluated.
A flexible approach to O&M

13. Policy
• Programme approach
• Service delivery focus
Management
• Support to communities
• Private sector options
Finance
• Sustainable financing
• Realistic cost recovery
Community
• O&M management options
• Equity strategies
Technology
• Technology choice
• Local option priority
Supply chain
• Local procurement
• Integrated supply chains
 Ensure communities
have a real choice
 Introduce
appropriate low cost
technology options
 Improve artisan
skills and equipment
 Support local
innovation
 Monitor water
resource
sustainability
Technology & Environment

14. Policy
• Programme approach
• Service delivery focus
Management
• Support to communities
• Private sector options
Finance
• Sustainable financing
• Realistic cost recovery
Community
• O&M management options
• Equity strategies
Technology
• Technology choice
• Local option priority
Supply chain
• Local procurement
• Integrated supply chains
 Support to integrated supply chains –
e.g. contractual options for provision
of equipment and O&M services
 Local procurement
 Quality assurance
 Policy and co-ordination
Supply chains

15. Application of tool
 The tool has been applied by Government sector
agencies (with UNICEF support) to develop rural water
service sustainability improvement plans.
 It can be reviewed and adapted to the local context.
 An appropriate entry point is needed, such as a sector
or programme review.
 The tool raises awareness of issues affecting
sustainability and identifies potential ways to tackle
them.
 It complements other sector analysis tools that focus
more on service coverage.
 Monitoring service sustainability and functionality is
essential to measure impact of improvement plans.

16. Thank you