2016年-世界发展银行全球_Strengthening_Local_Providers_for_Improved_Rural_Water_Supply_in_Pakistan_28页_1mb

Summary of the Report: Strengthening Local Providers for Improved Rural Water Supply in Pakistan

Core Content

This report details the World Bank's Technical Assistance (TA) project P131990, which aimed to improve rural water supply in Pakistan by strengthening local providers, particularly Community Based Organizations (CBOs), through policy, institutional, and technical reforms. The project was implemented by the Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) of the Global Water Practice and focused on Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provinces. The report outlines the process, outputs, intermediate outcomes, lessons learned, and recommendations for enhancing rural water service delivery and sustainability.

Main Objectives

• To support the Government of Punjab (GoPunjab) in strengthening the accountability and sustainability of rural water supply schemes managed by CBOs.
• To improve governance and service delivery through the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools.
• To institutionalize CBOs Performance Award Competitions (PACs) and develop a training program for CBOs and PHED staff.
• To assist the PHED of KP in establishing a Sector Reform Unit (SRU) for research, planning, and capacity building.

Key Initiatives and Outputs

1. Back-up Support Mechanism for CBOs

• A performance-based support system was designed for 2,448 CBOs in Punjab to ensure sustainability during technical failures.
• Rs. 250 M (US$ 2.5 M) was allocated in FY 2014-15 and Rs. 500 M (US$ 5.0 M) in FY 2015-16 for major repairs.
• The mechanism includes qualifying criteria, expenditure lists, and fiscal flow design.

2. Improving Governance through ICT

• An ICT-based platform was introduced for customer feedback and performance monitoring.
• The system uses SMS and Interactive Voice Recording (IVR) to collect feedback from over 550,000 users.
• Piloted in six districts, the system is planned for scale-up across the remaining 30 districts.
• Integrated into the PHED's Management Information System (MIS) for real-time monitoring.

3. CBOs Performance Award Competition (PAC)

• Three PACs were organized in the last three years, encouraging 2,800 CBO chairmen to apply.
• A process involving field verification, interviews, and SMS-based voting was established.
• Expected to be institutionalized in the annual plan of PHED Punjab with budget allocations in FY 2016-17.

4. Capacity Building of Stakeholders

• Training programs were developed for 300 CBOs and 100 PHED staff.
• Sessions covered management, operations, and gender participation.
• Special emphasis was placed on identifying and training local champions to share expertise.
• Training was rolled out across nine divisional circles of Punjab.

Intermediate Outcomes

Key Lessons Learned

• Community involvement is crucial for service delivery and sustainability, provided they are treated as equal partners and held accountable.
• Consistent policy and institutional approach are necessary to ensure effective and integrated reforms.
• Communication and respect for all stakeholders are vital to leverage resources and achieve common goals.
• Low-cost, easy-to-implement interventions are more likely to be adopted and replicated by stakeholders.

Recommendations

For Punjab

• Continue supporting the CBO managed model for rural water supply.
• Establish a dedicated administrative backstopping facility to assist with policy, legal reforms, and monitoring.
• Restructure the Community Development Unit (CDU) to proactively support CBOs in O&M and training.
• Develop a formalized technical backstopping facility to assist CBOs with technical challenges.
• Expand the CBO model to include the design and construction of rural water schemes to ensure community ownership and appropriateness.
• Assess and potentially strengthen the second-generation management model where CBOs subcontract to individuals or groups.

For Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP)

• Strengthen and mainstream sustainable O&M of rural water schemes.
• Re-engage with communities in all stages of scheme planning, construction, and post-construction to ensure trust and sustainability.
• Ensure the SRU remains a knowledge function and does not engage in project implementation.
• Focus on policy change, legal reforms, and capacity building to support long-term reforms in the water sector.

Context

• Pakistan is the sixth most populous country with a population of 191 million and a projected growth rate of 1.5%.
• Water supply is a provincial responsibility under the 1973 Constitution, with the 18th Amendment in 2010 strengthening provincial roles.
• The water sector receives only 4-5% of the Annual Development Plan (ADP), significantly lower than health and education budgets.
• Punjab has the largest population (100 million), with 60% living in rural areas.
• Punjab’s PHED has handed over 4,258 rural water schemes to communities for O&M.
• CBOs are responsible for tariffs, service timings, and maintenance, but lack adequate support for major repairs.
• The TA project aimed to address these gaps through financial, technical, and institutional support.

Conclusion

This TA project has significantly contributed to improving the sustainability and accountability of rural water supply in Punjab and KP. The introduction of back-up support mechanisms, ICT-based monitoring, and performance award competitions has laid a foundation for more efficient and community-driven water service delivery. Continued investment in institutional and technical backstopping, along with capacity building and policy reforms, is essential to sustain these improvements and ensure long-term access to safe and reliable water for rural communities.