1. Good governance for water, sanitation and hygiene services
Achieving pro-poor decentralised services that are sustainable

2. Objectives of this presentation
To address the following
What is governance?
What is good governance?
What is water governance?
What is local governance for water, sanitation and hygiene services?
What are the key elements of a service?
How is good governance put into practice for WASH services?

3. Definition of governance
There are many definitions of governance
Some place more emphasis on the role of government
Others focus on the interaction between different role players and the need for co-operation
Most definitions refer to decision making and how this takes place in relation to public goods and services
Most recognise that governance is much more than government

4. What is governance?
Governance is about the processes by which decisions are made and implemented
It is the result of interactions, relationships and networks between the different sectors (government, public sector, private sector and civil society) to ensure optimal services
It involves decisions, negotiation, and different power relations between stakeholders to determine who gets what, when and how.

5. Governance stakeholders
Governance involves more than government - many stakeholders are involved
All those with a legitimate interest in the outcome of a decision-making process have a right to be involved
Stakeholders include communities, governmental organisations such as municipalities, utilities and other state owned entities, as well as service providers, capacity building organisations, NGOs, contributors of finance, the users of services and organisations that support them.

6. Systems of governance
Systems of governance range from centralised, top down approaches to those that are more decentralised and participatory
Increasingly WASH services are being decentralised
Good governance for WASH services will therefore require participatory approaches that are shaped by stakeholders and their relationships at the local level

7. What is good governance?
Good governance involves constructive co-operation between the different sectors where the result is:
efficient use of resources
responsible use of power, and
effective and sustainable service provision
Good governance emerges when stakeholders engage and participate with each other in an inclusive, transparent and accountable manner to accomplish better services free of corruption and abuse, and within the rule of law

8. Good governance? This photo is from South Africa, taken in October Police were brought in to manage community protest over poor services in the Western Cape

9. Public finance for decentralization and accountability
Good governance?
Decentralisation
Fair legislation
Public finance for decentralization and accountability
Gender mainstreaming
Responsive services
Promotion of democracy
Inclusive of all members of society
Protection of the environment
Strengthening civil society
Protection of human rights
Consensus about society’s best interests
Transparency, equity, accountability

10. Commitment to good governance
Countries need to create their own good governance frameworks, through locally led participatory processes.
“Without ‘good’, or at least ‘good enough’, governance the fight against poverty cannot be won.” (1)
(1) Dfid, 2007: Governance, Development and Democratic Politics: DFID’s work in building more effective states

11. What is water governance?
Water governance is the set of systems that control decision-making of water management and water service delivery
Water governance is about who gets what water, when and how
Water governance is profoundly political particularly where there is competition for limited water resources
Systems of water governance usually reflect the political and cultural realities at national, provincial and local levels

12. More effective water governance
Needs to address:
Policy and legislative frameworks that protect water resources and ensure water for social and economic development
Institutions for water management that facilitate participation of all stakeholders in a transparent, accountable, gender sensitive and equitable manner
Decisions making mechanisms and regulation that achieve responsible use of political power, optimal use of resources, sustainable development and ecological sustainability

13. Good water governance requires a multi-dimensional approach
Multi-jurisdictional engagement (local, municipal, provincial, national, international)
Multi-purpose development
Multi-sector planning
Multi-sector management
Multi-stakeholder institutions
Multi-purpose support and regulation

14. What is local governance?
Local governance is the set of:
policy frameworks
structures
mechanisms
relationships and
decision making
that takes place at the local level to deliver a service
Local governance varies from country to country
It depends upon the constitution, policy and legislation of a country
The greater decentralisation, the more developed local governance frameworks are likely to be

15. constitutional, policy, legislative and fiscal environment
National Framework:
constitutional, policy, legislative and fiscal environment
Enabling policy frameworks
Participatory decision making processes
Collaborative stakeholder relationships
Good local governance
Inclusive implementation processes
Efficient, effective and responsive services
Mechanisms for participation, responsiveness, equity, inclusiveness, transparency, and accountability

16. Getting governance right
According to the Water Budget Speech all sorts of arrangements have been made to improve water governance which will allow “communities to participate in their own development”

17. What is local governance for water, sanitation and hygiene services?
It is the decisions, processes and relationships governing WASH services at the local level
It involves all stakeholders who have an interest or role in WASH services, including the public, private and civil society sectors
Because water is key to development, local governance of WASH involves all those stakeholders involved in integrated development

18. Local governance for WASH services
National policy and legislative framework
Local Governance
Sanitation
Water
Hygiene
WASH

19. WASH governance is broader than water, sanitation and hygiene
Integrated Development
Water
Electricity
Sanitation and Hygiene
Housing
Transport
Waste management
Health
WASH governance is part of governance for local integrated development

20. Good governance for sustainable WASH services
Good governance for sustainable WASH services includes all the relationships, mechanisms, processes, and institutions through which stakeholders can mediate their interests, exercise their rights and obligations and make decisions for the delivery and provision of services

21. for sustainable WASH services means:
Good governance
for sustainable WASH services means:
Advocacy and communication to promote WASH services so that communities can express demand and make choices
Structures for participatory strategic planning where all stakeholders come together to make good decisions
Financial mechanisms which include cost recovery and innovative methods of finance
Sharing knowledge and information to empower local stakeholders to participate in problem solving, planning and strategic decision making and to improve their capacity to act

22. for sustainable WASH services means:
Good governance
for sustainable WASH services means:
Capacity building so that the capabilities, expertise and skills in local WASH institutions are retained and developed to improve the delivery of services.
Mechanisms to ensure access to transparent, gender sensitive, and equitable services
Ensuring an enabling environment for service provision, so that, service providers have access to support, such as skills development, specialist expertise, local supply chains, and other resources
Systems and procedures for accountability, monitoring, evaluation and reporting

23. Themes to achieve good governance for WASH services
Participatory and strategic approach to local governance
Themes to achieve good governance for WASH services
Financing and cost recovery
Advocacy and communication
Sector knowledge sharing and learning
Monitoring and evaluation
Good governance for WASH services
Support to community institutions
Sanitation, school sanitation and hygiene
Transparency gender and equity
Capacity development
Multiple use services

24. How is good governance put into practice for WASH services?
Good governance cannot be applied in a vacuum
It needs to be applied to the different elements of WASH services – from policy, through to planning, to financing, to developing infrastructure, to providing the service and ultimately to regulation

25. Good governance from policy to sustainable services
It needs to address the entire service delivery ‘life cycle
Policy
Planning
Financing
Implementation (infrastructure development)
Service Provision (sustainable services)
Good governance
The development of good policies require: participation, advocacy, communication, gender equity, transparency, monitoring and feedback, support, accountability, sector knowledge sharing, and so on.
The same applies to planning services, deciding tariffs and subsidies, implementing capital projects and ultimately providing the service

26. Delivering WASH services
Key elements to deliver WASH services
Infrastructure
Delivering WASH services 4
Institutional
arrangements for
service provision
Finance 3 5 2 6
Planning
Regulation 1
Policies and bylaws (enabling environment)

27. Key elements to deliver a service
An enabling environment which at the local level includes the policies and bylaws within which water, sanitation and hygiene services must be delivered
Planning services (for the municipal / district / local area)
Finance (capital and operating and setting tariffs)
Infrastructure (development of new infrastructure and maintaining existing infrastructure)
institutional arrangements for the ongoing provision of the services (a water service provider)
regulating the service to ensure that it is provided according to the policy and bylaws.

28. Water, sanitation and hygiene services (WASH)
Cost recovery and innovative finance
Monitoring and evaluation
Sector knowledge sharing and learning
Advocacy and communication
Infrastructure
Water, sanitation and hygiene services (WASH)
Institutional arrangements for service provision
Finance
Multiple use services
Participatory and strategic approach to local governance
Planning
Regulation
Capacity development
Policies and bylaws (enabling environment)
Support to community institutions
Gender and equity
Transparency