Sector reforms: lessons and challenges from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia

A paper [1] commissioned by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, summarises critical water and sanitation sector reform implementation issues by drawing from recent experience in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. It was written by a group of policy advisors of the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), who, as long term advisors, have supported these reforms.

The experiences examined in the four case study countries clearly demonstrate that the reform process is unique to the specific institutional, historical, socio-economic and other conditions prevailing in each country, as well as the existence of individuals who champion a reform process, or strong interest groups who try to prevent change. As a result, the authors said it was not possible to develop overall guidelines that would precisely match the reform needs in other countries. However, they did draw a number of lessons learned from the experiences that may help other countries to design and implement sector reforms, on the following issues:

• Reform history and timing
• Policy and strategy development
• Reform management set up
• Reform communication
• Role of development partners (including Sector Wide Approaches [SWAp])
• Establishing effective regulatory institutions
• Commercialisation and clustering
• Private sector involvement
• Community participation
• Addressing the staffing challenge
• Information management
• Resources management
• Pro-poor approaches

[1] Richards, T. … [et al.] (2008). Water supply and sanitation sector reforms in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia : challenges and lessons. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ). 33 p. Download here

Who Pays for Water? a case study of action learning in the islands of the Caribbean

Who Pays for Water? a case study of action learning in the islands of the Caribbean
Sarah McIntosh, Nicole Leotaud, Duncan Macqueen
Knowledge Management for Development Journal, Vol 4, No 1 (2008) p. 42-58
Full article

Abstract

This paper documents a case study of knowledge management and sharing in the Caribbean. The case study documents an action learning project on payments for watershed services (PWS) and their potential to enhance rural livelihoods, which is more fully described in the final project report (McIntosh and Leotaud 2007).

The paper considers how action learning contributed to knowledge sharing about economic instruments for watershed management and their potential to contribute to improved rural livelihoods. It documents the approach taken to action learning in a region comprising many small islands with differing institutions. It also examines the value of the partnership between a southern and a northern non-governmental organisation (respectively the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute and the International Institute for Environment and Development) and compares the Caribbean process with those in the other project countries. Finally, it identifies ways in which the action learning process could be further enhanced and adapted to the region, and how these are being incorporated into a new action learning programme on Forests and Livelihoods.