User participation and implementation strategies in water and sanitation projects

Factors Associated with Water Service Continuity for the Rural Populations of Bangladesh, Pakistan, Ethiopia, and Mozambique

“…Cross-sectional surveys spanning four decades show that a high percentage of water sources in low- and middle-income countries do not supply water at the time of data collection, especially in rural areas. ,,− ,− Studies have identified various factors associated with reduced water source functionality (whether the water source was operational on the day of observation), ,,− reliability (whether the water source had previously broken down), and continuity (whether the water source provided service 24 h per day). , The problem with these data is that such binary outcomes do not capture the temporal variability of water services and offer poor indicators to assess the cumulative risk over time posed by intermittent water services . Best available estimates suggest that intermittency from piped-to-premise water supplies alone may account for 109 000 diarrheal disability adjusted life years and 1560 deaths globally each year, but the predictors of intermittent supply are poorly understood.…”

The need for a standard approach to assessing the functionality of rural community water supplies

“…Estimates of the number of non-functional water points vary from 15 to 50% at any one time between different studies (Harvey and Reed 2006;Lockwood and Smits 2011;Banks and Furey 2016). These estimates of functionality have persisted since the 1970s, despite different approaches to introduction of services such as an increased emphasis on demand responsive approaches and community management (Cairncross et al 1980;Arlosoroff et al 1987;McPherson and McGarry 1987;Carter and Ross 2016;Whaley and Cleaver 2017). As a result, the original investment and the intended benefits (improved health, nutrition, time-savings and education) are lost for the communities affected (Hunter et al 2010;UN 2013).…”

Debating the Water Decade: A View from the Yemen Republic

“…They saw the reorientation of both national policies and bureaucracies towards real participatory approaches as rather intractable problems. McPherson and McGarry (1987) point out that, while some administrative and technical staff may understand the wider concepts of the participatory approach, others simply equate it with specific concepts of 'self-help', especially provision of free labour, local materials or local transport in order to reduce project costs and provide a demonstration of commitment. Many development workers now highlight that, instead of asking 'What is the agency role in community schemes?…”