WaterAid Nepal's contribution to submission
on Water Service Delivery
1. With the preparation of a Terms of Reference
for sector stakeholder group at Ministry of Physical Planning
and Works (MPPW), and with the regularization of bi-annual meeting,
the sector co-ordination has made some progress recently. It is,
however, in its nascent stage and needs robust leadership from
the Government for enhancing cooperation, collaboration and developing
synergy within the sector. Nevertheless, there is a lot of hope
as it provides an opportunity and a single platform for the Government
for policies and programmes to be discussed and debated, and ideas
and information exchanged.
2. During the latter half of 2005 under
their new water and sanitation strategy DFID Nepal, with the support
of WAN and other sector actors, develop a concept for an umbrella
arrangement under MPPW termed the Sector Alliance, which was proposed
to build on current support to three well established specialist
NGOs. These are the Gurkha Welfare Scheme, Nepal Water for Health
and the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Fund Development Board,
with other implementing agencies able to join over time.
3. The Alliance aimed to coordinate member
inputs to improve service delivery coverage across the country,
with an emphasis on the un-served regions in Nepal. It was envisaged
that the Sector Alliance would consists of a central pool of resources
with performance based fund allocation, joint monitoring using
standard indicators, identification and mainstreaming of best
practice and cross-learning.
4. In addition, and drawing on recent and
successful DFID-Nepal experience in the Ministry of Education
and DFID-Uganda experience in the National Water and Sanitation
Support Programme, a specialist sector advisor was proposed to
be based within the MPPW to facilitate functioning of the Alliance,
liaise with other major donors (notably the World Bank and Asian
Development Bank) and help prepare a full or partial Sector Wide
Approach (SWAp) for implementation in 2009. The technical assistance
role would help to address sector governance issues around accountability,
transparency, responsiveness and collaboration. Further responsibilities
such as supporting MPPW's monitoring and evaluation unit to meet
Mid Term Expenditure Framework objectives, track progress against
Poverty Reduction Strategy /10th Plan and MDG targets, and monitor
project impact on the lives of poor and excluded people were also
envisaged. The strategy was sound and would address a major lacuna
in the sector.
5. During the first quarter of this year
DFID development assistance to Nepal was significantly reduced.
While the reasons for this have not been publicly shared, it is
likely that this is linked to the political situation in Nepal.
Despite the high priority DFID in London, place on water and sanitation
sector, budget lines in this sector were cut disproportionately.
As a result DFID placed the Strategic Alliance "on hold"
and a significant reduction was made to their planned investment
in the sector in the coming years. Need and predictability of
aid, as committed to by DFID through the Paris Declaration on
Aid Effectiveness, should underpin allocation decisions and not
political expediency. Where decisions to withdraw planned aid
is inevitable DFID needs to be accountable to the poor for such
decisions by publicly announcing, including to parliamentarians
and through the local media, the reasons for withdrawal and the
triggers for re-engagement. DFID also needs to work very closely
with other donors to increase their commitments to ensure that
sector plans are not negatively affected.
6. Since then Nepal has taken several steps
to reestablish democracy and sustain peace, including the removal
of the King from power, the reformation of parliament and ongoing
peace talks between the conflicting parties. Despite the changing
and relatively more stable context, DFID have not taken action
to rekindle the Sector Alliance initiative, which WaterAid believes
to be crucial for the increased effectiveness of the sector in
future years.
7. The continued weakness and undemocratic
nature of government at the local level results in a lack of proper
coordination and scrutiny on the ground. This has made the need
for increased communication and dialogue within the sector at
a national level imperative, in order to more effectively plan
and monitor implementation of water and sanitation activities.
WaterAid Nepal strongly recommends that DFID, in the participatory
manner in which the Alliance was conceived and developed, revives
the plans for the Sector Alliance, in order to address the crucial
issues of governance, accountability and effectiveness of all
stakeholders in the sector.
REFERENCES i Sector
Development Programme (SDP), Unit for Policy Implementation (UPI),
Local Government Division, Government of People's Republic of
Bangladesh, December, 2005.
ii Government of Bangladesh and UN Country
Team, The First Bangladesh MDG Progress Report, 2004.
iii Situation Analysis of Selected Six Pourashavas,
Participatory Management Initiative for Development (PMID), Dhaka,
Bangladesh, December, 2004.
iv Slums in Urban Bangladesh- Mapping and
Census, 2005. Centre for Urban Studies, National Institute of
Population Research Dhaka Bangladesh and Training (NIPORT) and
Measure Evaluation, 2006. Dhaka- Bangladesh and Chapell Hill,
USA.
v Situation Analysis of Selected Six Pourashavas,
Participatory Management Initiative for Development (PMID), Dhaka,
Bangladesh, December, 2004.
vi Dhaka Water Services Survey, Asian Development
Bank, Draft Report, September, 2005.
October 2006
|
