69381 COMMUNI1Y MANAGEMENT OF RURAL WATER SUPPLY A STUDY OF SEVEN PROJECTS IN FRANCOPHONE WEST AFRICA l's-=J·lc <:..JOM REGIONAL WATER AND SANITATION GROUP \VEST AFRICA NOVEMBER 1989 Participants in the preparation of this report were: Letitia Obeng, Jennifer Sara, Robert Roche, Annie Manou-Savina, Boukari Tare, Friedheim Peel and Beyene Wolde-Gabriel Helene Katele-N'Cho, Evelyne Ligan, Florence Sakyiama all staff of the UNDP/World Bank Water and Sanitation Program. For copies of the Annexes, please contact Mr. A Locussol, Manager, RWSG-WA BP 1850, Abidjan 01, Cote d'lvoire COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT OF RURAL WATER SUPPLY CONTENTS PAGE BACKGROUND iii ORGANIZATION OF REPORT iv 1. ·LESSONS LEARNED 1 2. DESCRIPTION OF PROJECTS 3 3. PROJECT MANAGEl\IENT 6 4. COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT 7 5. EXTENSION SERVICE 13 6. MAINTENANCE AND SPARE PARTS DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM 20 7. HYGIENE EDUCATION 28 8. lATRINES 30 9. TRAINING MATERIALS 31 ANNEXES I Study Methodology II Sample Questionnaire III Seven Questionnaires IV List of Project Personnel Met V Project Documents Consulted VI Types of Training Materials Collected VII Bibliography of Training Materials Collected VIII List of Abbreviations TABLES 1. Community Management of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation 4 2. Community Water Committee 10 3. Community Funds 12 4. E.xtension Service 17 5. Community Caretakers/Mechanics 23 6. Area Mechanics 24 7. Central Mechanics 26 8. Spare Parts Supply 27 9. Hygiene Education 29 10. Latrines 31 FIGURES Fig 1. Project Costs ii BACKGROUND This report is part of the overall strategy of the UNDP/World Bank Water Supply and Sanitation Program to document community management approaches world-wide and to refine models for community management of water and sanitation services through demonstration projects. With water supply coverage in rural areas of developing countries currently estimated at 40% and sanitation lagging far behind this, there is growing concern that goals of the Water Supply and Sanitation Decade are not yet in reach. This is both because of the high cost of water supplies and because those systems that have been installed have often required continued external (donor) support to maintain, reducing effective investment in new facilities. Over the last twenty years, community management of water supplies has been promoted in many Francophone West African Countries. In view of the importance of communities taking responsibility for the long term maintenance of their water supplies, it was felt that many useful lessons could be learned from the experience of projects that had successfully involved communities in the management of their water supplies. The following seven projects were chosen: Mouhoun and Yatenga in Burkina Faso; Aqua Viva, Mali Sud and Kita in Mali; and Plateau-Savane and Maritime in Togo. They were selected on the basis of an initial review of project documents, progress reports, and evaluations. In addition, discussions were held with persons familiar with rural water supply projects in Francophone West Africa. Some of these projects have been completed and others are still in the process of implementation, but all projects had a duration of 6 to 12 years. Field work was conducted in October and November 1988 and the results are summarized in the report. The study methodology, described in detail in Annex 1, includes a description of the approach, a list of the people interviewed, and the types of questions asked. The methodology describes the basic approach of interviewing project staff, community members, area mechanics, artisans, water point committee members, etc. Each project was visited for about three days. A questionnaire was completed for each project based on the interviews conducted at each project site and these were then used as a basis for the report. A sample blank questionnaire is provided in Annex II and the seven questionnaires which were completed are included as Annex III. The questionnaires were used to obtain the following information on the projects: background on the projects and beneficiaries; water resource information; financing; construction; extension; water committees; maintenance and spare parts distribution; and other project activities. A list of persons met and project documents consulted during the study can be found in Annexes IV and V respectively. iii ORGANIZATION OF THE REPORT The report does not attempt to present a thesis on the subject nor is it intended as an evaluation or a criticism of the projects studied. Rather, it presents a summary of some of the components that are key to establishing community management of water supply. At the beginning of the report, a section on lessons learned summarizes factors that are believed to have been most responsible for the success of the projects in establishing community management of the water points. The components discussed are: project management community organization extension services maintenance and spare parts distribution The main focus of the report is water supply, however, sections are also included on hygiene edur.ation, latrines and training. Each section of the report is in general, made up of the following: a discussion of the component in question, a comment highlighting the aspects which contribute to the effectiveness of the approaches used, and tables with specific information on the component. The reader can also review the questionnaires (Annex III) which provide more background detail on each project. It is hoped that the information provided will give insight and ideas to project staff responsible for preparing and implementing such projects as well as to others working in this sector. iv 1. LESSONS LEARNED Perhaps the single most important lesson learned from these case studies was that all that is really needed to enhance system sustainability is enabling communities to keep their pumps in operation themselves. The details of water point management are really worked out by the, individual communities themselves. There are various other lessons to be learned from the projects visited during the study. These are presented below. Project Management II Effective project management requires dedicated staff who will implement the various activities planned. II National staff get experience in supervising water supply projects, but not in their management. Projects can pay more attention to developing the management capabilities of the nationals and this can best be done by limiting the time expatriates work on the project as well as including national management as a project objective. II The average cost of $18,500 per well precludes large scale replication, therefore ways must be found to reduce construction costs and expensive expatriate inputs, Community Management II Community management of a water point is sustainable and replicable. The main elements of the management system are: An effective extension service supportive of community capacity, The willingness of the community to have an improved water supply (possibly exhibited by up-front financial commitment). The establishment of a representative water committee and community fund for management of repairs and maintenance of the pump surrounds. A good maintenance system which uses trained local artisans and which is as autonomous as possible from the project and/or government. An effective spare parts distribution system. 1 Extension Service II Projects are likely to be a success in areas where there is a high demand for water, especially in the dry season. Consequently, the approaches used by the projects in mobilizing communities to establish community management of water supplies may not be replicable in areas where alternate water sources are readily available. 11 Hygiene education can only be effectively implemented by EAs involved in mobilizing and training communities if they are given the mandate, resources and time to do so. II The willingness of the communities to manage their water points is the critical factor of sustainability; extension services only serve to support that willingness and build internal capacity. Maintenance and Spare Parts Distribution II Area mechanics are capable of maintaining VLOM pumps without central back-up. II Community mechanics can maintain the Volanta pump with minimal support from area mechanics. Community mechanics could also undertake more responsibility for repairing VLOM pumps, if given the tools and training. II Private spare parts distribution is important, as exhibited by the fact that all the projects already have or are in the process of establishing distribution through local retailers. 2 2. DESCRIPTION OF PROJECTS The areas covered by the projects visited ranged from 8,500 km2 for the smallest project to 80,000 km2 for the largest, and the number of people served ranged from 65,000 to 600,000. The systems studied were handpump-based water supply projects although in some of the projects open wells and motorized pumps were also used. The costs per person served ranged from $24 to $128 and the cost per water point ranged from $14,000 to $27,000. Table 1 provides background information on each of the projects. The projects were located in similar environmental conditions, characterized by a lack of surface and shallow well water in the dry season but more readily available water in the rainy season. In all the projects the demand for water in the dry season was high, as traditional sources were generally 1 to 15 kilometers away. This no doubt had a strong influence on the willingness of communities to participate in the projects and contributed much to their success. It was also clear in all cases that, to the people, water quantity was far more important than water quality. Most communities visited had alternate sources of water (eg. traditional wells) which were polluted, but they were very happy to have them as supplements to their handpump water. 3 TABLE 1 COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT OF RlffiAL WATER SUPPLY PROJECT NAME MOilliOUN YATENGA AQUA VIVA MAU-SUD KITA MARITIME PLATEAU- SAVANE ================================================================================================================ Location Mouhoun Region, Ouahigouya Region, San Region, Mali Bougouni Region, Kita, Bafoulabe and Maritime Region, Plateaux and Savane Burkina Fa!o Burkina Faso Mali Keniebe Regions, Togo Regions, Togo Mali Principal Donor The Netherlands EDF France Switzerland IDA/World Bank Canada USA Project Duration 1979-1991 1981-87 1975-81 as NGO; 1977-89 1984-89 1985-89 1979-87 1981-89 Project Aie::l. 80,000 km 2 12,300 km 2 70,650 km2 39,100 kmz 35,250 km2 6,900 km 2 17,000 km2 and 8,470 km 2 Communities 600 479 500 487 294 240 850 Setved People Served 390,000 331,000 158,000 292,000 160,000 65,000 600,000 Project Profile • Initial focus on • Provision of • Drilled boreholes • Project executed • Drilled boreholes. • Formation of • Drilled boreholes hand-dug, open boreholes with selected by local by national staff. !MIT/Mali pump Village Development with Vergnet and wells. • Formation Vergnet pumps. government. • Upon community installation and Committees. UPM handpumps. of water committees. • Some hand dug, • Installation of request, boreholes maintenance training • Opening of • Formation of • Shift to drilled open wells and well/ Vergnet handpumps. and Vergnet pumps contracted to Community Bank Village Developmen wells with Volanta borehole installed and project national company. Accounts. Committees. handpumps. combinations. • Formation of water provides maintenance • Establishment of • Drilled boreholes • Opening of • Development of • Project transfer to committees. for 1 year. maintenance system. equipped witq Community Bank effective extension national staff. • In some cases, 2 • Since 1984, • Formation of water !Mil/Togo pumps. Accounts. activities. • Formation of water pumps are installed decentralized committees (by • Coordinated • Development of • Establishment of committees. per borehole. maintenance unit. agents from an planning with extension system maintenance system. • Establishment of • Installation of • Formation of water associated health national institutions. using government • Development and maintenance system. solar pumps. committees. project). • Development of agents. improvement of • Maintenance effective extension • Health education Volanta handpumps. system (since 1987). and maintenance (especially ORT). • Rehabilitation of systems. • Rainwater pre-project water • Community catchments with points. income-generating cisterns. • Pilot activities in micro- projects. • Household and latrine and health • Household and community latrines. education. community latrines. • Hygiene education. Systems Installed • 503 open wells, • 443 boreholes, 13 • 1,185 boreholes, • 740 boreholes. • 478 boreholes. • 200 boreholes. 104 • 1,048 boreholes, 277 boreholes. well/ borehole 51 open wells, rehabilitated wells. 59 rainwater combinations, 60 solar pumps. catchment systems. 88 rehabilitated wells, 126 open wells. 4 aJMMUNTTY MANAGEMENT OF RURAL WATER SUPPLY (CONTINUED) PROJECT NAME MOUHOUN YA1ENGA AQUA VIVA MAU-SUD KITA MAlU11ME PL\TEAU- SAVANE ===========================================================================~~=================================== ToW cost, USS $13M $14.5 M $4 M in phase II until 12/89: up to 1988: $8.3 M $17.2 M $17.5 M $10.8 M Cost Per Penon $33 $44 $51 $48 $68 $128 $24 Served Cost per Water $16,500 $21,500 $14,000 $23,500 $22,500 $27,000 $15,500 Point Initial Community • $167 paid for slab • $167 paid for • Since 1985: $167 • Since 1987: $400 • $450 collected • $117 in bank • $167 supposed to Contnbutiou construction, construction, paid prior to collected prior to prior to drilling. account prior to be in bank account training and tools training and drilling, $167 prior pump installation. pump installation. prior to pump prior to pump installation. to pump installation installation. installation. and $700 to be repaid over next 2 years. Extension Service • There are 3 groups • Each EA works • Each EA works • Each EA lives • There are three • The EAs conduct • EAs are grouped of EAs. One group with a group of 10 with about 20 within a central types of EA the mobilization in teams of 3 or 4. is responsible for communities during communities during community during a (community during a 2 month Each team of EAs mobilization, (8-10 campaigns which last campaigns which last campaign and works development period in which each works with 30 communities per 6 months each. 3 months each. with a group of 6 workers, health EA works with 4-8 communities and EA), the second for • The water • The water communities. workers and communities. visits each one at training the water committees are commillees are • After a year, technicians). • Training of least once a month committees (8-10 trained during this trained during this committees are • EAs live in central committees and throughout the communities per time and monitoring time. formed. community and work community project period. EA), and the third follows the training. • The committees in 20 of them at a monitoring follows. for monitoring arc trained during time. community progress this time and their (30-40 communities activities monitored. per EA). • Campaigns last 9 months. Maintenance System • Community • Community • Community • Community • Community • Community • Olmmunity Mechanic. Area Mechanic. Area Mechanic. Area Mechanic. Area Mechanic. Area Mechanic. Area Mechanic. Central Mechanic. Mechanic. Mechanics not yet in Mechanic. Project Mechanic. Project Mechanic. Project Mechanic with place. Project backup. backup. supervision and government backup. back-up. maintenance. Spare Parts • Project stocks and • Local distributor • Local distributor • Project now stocks • Project stocks and • Project stocks and • Local distributor D~tribution Networt sells parts through stocks and sells stocb and sells spare and sells spares sells spares through sells spares and is stocks and sells EAs. Local spares. parts. through area area mechanics or go-between for local Vergnet parts. distribution to be mechanics. Local agriculture agents. distributor or Project provides established. distribution to be IMII{fogo parts. spares for UPM. established. 5 3. PROJECT MANAGEMENT The projects have been managed by expatriates with national counterparts or by nationals with expatriate advisors. Nationals have been most actively involved in the supervision of extension and construction activities and to varying extent in planning and reporting on them. Administrative experience, particularly in budgeting, has been limited. All the projects took a "cookbook" approach to project implementation in which the mobilization activities and conditions for community participation were pre-specified by a project document. They differed, however, in terms of the involvement of national staff in project planning, as some project teams were simply presented with an implementation recipe that they were to carry out, while others were involved in developing and modifying it. Those projects that involved staff in planning tended to be more flexible and refined their implementation strategy over time. Most projects had 2 to 6 international staff who remained throughout the project either as advisors or managers. However, one of the projects never employed international staff but had external consultants and another eliminated their positions after a few years. The necessity of retaining international staff for an extended period of time was not demonstrated in any of the projects. It appears that the projects would have benefited from a strategy to turn over full management responsibility of the project to national staff in a predetermined time period. On average, projects constructed 100 boreholes per year at a cost of $18,500 each ($14,000 to $27,000). 80% of this cost was directly related to well construction and pump installation, 15 percent to management and administration and 5 percent to extension service. For an individual pump this works out to $14,500 for construction, $3,000 for management (administrative overheads) and $1,000 for extension. Expatriate inputs to management averaged about 3.5 staff years PROJECT COST per 100 pumps installed or about $3,000 per pump. Cost per Water Point (Thousands) $30r---~------------~------~----. It is clear that construction dominates project costs and that expatriate $:?5 labor adds substantially to costs. As indicated in Figure 1, economies of scale also are a determining factor. For example, $20 ·--··· ·-·-·-·- ····-- proJect costs per borehole were about $25,000 if 50 wells per year were constructed and half that if 150 per year were $15 -·--·-·-·-···--- constructed. This study did not investigate the $!0 reasons for well construction being so high. It is clear, however, that while the maintenance systems appear to be both $5 replicable and sustainable, the extremely high construction costs, preclude replicability. Ways of reducing construction $Ok-------L-------L-------~----~ costs must be found if widespread coverage 0 50 100 150 zoo is to be attained. Number Water Points Constructed per Year 6 4. COMMUNI1Y MANAGEMENT Community mobilization and organization were important components of all the projects, and even though different approaches were taken, it is interesting that all communities ended up with very similar management systems. The process of selecting communities as beneficiaries of the water points varied among the different projects. In some cases, a survey was used to help with selection of communities, in others, a request for a new water supply was made by the communities. The communities all had strong leadership structures, elected officials sometimes existing alongside the traditional leadership groups. All the communities had other existing community organizations and therefore the formation of water committees was not new to them.· 4.1 Water Committees Table 2 presents information on the water committees (or development committees, as they were called in some project areas) established by the communities. All projects took the approach of establishing water committees for the management of the water points, although in one or two cases, the committees were established retrospectively after the water points had been installed. In all cases, project staff, usually the extension agents, described the requisite roles to be played by members of the committee. Subsequently, the committee members were chosen by the communities or selected by the traditional leaders. Committee members who did not perform satisfactorily were replaced. In some projects, community leaders also became committee members. Projects did not, as a rule have a role in the committee selection process. Occasionally, in response to complaints, extension agents would intervene to confirm that the committee members were acceptable to all community members. It appears that on the whole, communities readily established their water committees. There was usually one water committee per pump. Sometimes, therefore, a community had more than one committee. The water committees all comprised the following basic members: president, treasurer, secretary/accountant, community mechanic and a woman responsible for cleaning the pump surrounds. In all the projects an effort seemed to have been made to ensure that women were part of the committees but usually only as "les femmes responsibles" that is the person responsible for keeping the pump area clean but with no decision making power . In two projects however, efforts were made to ensure that there was greater participation of the women in other committee roles, either through a quota system or other means, although none of the committees visited had women mechanics. Committees sometimes had two people per job in order to reduce the possibility that the job would not be done because the person responsible was not available. Criteria for selection of committee members by the communities included the following characteristics: a respected member of the community, married and literate (for secretaries/accountants). It is clear that each community established its own criteria for selection of committee members. Committee members were not paid for their services and some had been members for quite some time. It was clear from interviews with committee members, that most of them took their jobs very seriously. The most important thing was that the committee members volunteered their services to the community and were trusted by their fellow community members. 4.2 Responsibilities of the Water Committee Members Committee members each had specific roles and responsibilities. As a team, they were responsible for ensuring that the community provided funds for maintenance and for settling disputes 7 about the water point. They were assisted in this by the community leaders. They were supported in the maintenance of the water points by area mechanics and in one case by central mechanics. Individual responsibilities included the following: president to chair meetings and lead the committee treasurer to collect and keep funds secretary/ accountant to keep a record of meetings, accounts, pump repairs, and spare parts used community mechanic to make repairs on pump and do preventive maintenance woman responsible to supervise pump users and keep pump surrounds clean 4.3 Training of Water Committee Members Once committee members were chosen, they were trained by members of the project team, usually the extension workers. Those who received the best training were usually the community mechanics, the secretary/accountants and the treasurers. However in almost all cases, this training was very limited, although it was sufficient to enable the committee members to carry out their various duties adequately. The community mechanics typically received at least one day followed by on-the-job training. The details of their training are presented in Section 6. The secretary/accountants received instruction on how to take minutes of meetings, and how to keep a simple record of the community accounts, noting funds received, disbursed and balances. They were also shown how to keep a record of repairs made on the pump or at the water point. Where bank accounts were opened by the communities, the treasurers and secretary/accountants received special training to help them manage the bank accounts. Other committee members such as the women responsible for the pump surrounds were usually just given basic instructions and advice on how to avoid and control conflicts at the water point and on how to promote cleanliness at the pump site. They were instructed for example to make sure that footwear was not worn at the water point site and that children did not play there. More extensive training especially of these women would have enabled the communities to better address issues which impinge on the quality of the water supply, such as environmental sanitation and hygiene. 4.4 Collection of Funds One of the main jobs of the water committees in all the projects was to collect funds initially for the installation of the pump and subsequently for the purchase of spare parts and payment of area mechanics. In all the projects, sums of money to be collected by communities before they could receive their water points were determined by the project. These ranged from 50,000 CFA to 300,000 CFA Table 3 describes how funds were collected and used in the different projects. All communities were able to collect the amounts requested of them. Several communities had previous experience in fund raising as they had collected or borrowed (from banks or loan agencies) much larger sums for the purchasing of mills, motors etc. The communities established set dues for each community member or household and monitored/policed the collection process with various types of penalties required of defaulters. Some communities had regular monthly dues, and others only called for funds when a repair had to be carried out. 8 In most of the projects, the funds were used for maintenance of the water point and its surrounds. Some communities used some of these funds for other community development activities. The funds once collected were in all cases, except for the two projects in Togo, kept within the community, usually with the treasurer. In Togo, the majority of the funds were put in a bank with small amounts kept in the community coffers. 4.5 Income Generating Activities Several of the communities that were Visited had been in the past or were currently involved in some income generating activity but not necessarily for water supply activities. Agricultural and women's groups were usually vary active in this area. 4.6 Comment One of the keys to community management is the establishment of a functioning water committee. Some projects established water committees after pump installation and as the project evolved. For the majority however, the establishment of the water point committee was the initiation of management of the water point. Once the communities had got their committees organized and trained, they functioned with little input from the project. Training, although limited, provided the necessary skills for each committee member to fulfil his or her role and responsibility. The collection of funds was a responsibility which was willingly carried out by the communities, who were determined to keep their water points in operation. Furthermore, sustainability of the committee was facilitated by the fact that the entire community had a role in electing and replacing committee members and that the :traditional leaders usually had a good relationship with them. 9 TABLE 2 COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT: COMMUNITY WATER COMMITTEE PROJECT/ MOUHOUN YATENGA AQUA VIVA MAUSUD ICITA MARfllME PlATEAU- ELEMENT Burnna Faw Burkina Faw Mali Mali Mali Togo SAVANE (NETIIERlANDS) (EDF) (FRANCE) (Switzerland) (IDA) (CANADA) Togo (USA) ================================================================================================================ Traditional deruion • Revolutionary • Revolutionary • Community chiefs • Tradition still has • Chief and elders. • Hierarchy of chiefs • Strong traditional makers/leaden. committee (CDR) committee in charge have strong strong influence. in charge. chieftaincy structure. leader has ultimate • Chiefs and CDR authority. • Area chief has authority. coexist. ultimate power. • Traditional leaders accept this. Eristing community • Many committees • Women's groups. • Collective farm • Agricultural • Development • Women's groups. • Women's groups. organizations representing • Agricultural work. groups. groups. • Cotton committees. • ORT committees. different interest groups. • Agricultural groups groups. (women only and mixed). Criteria for • Members live in • Communities • Secretary must be • People who take • Treasurer must be • Members must be • Members must be commiuee member community. ch~e members literate in initiative are literate. respected by dynamic. selection • Members have after project French/Bambara. chosen. • Members must be community. • Members must be family. explains roles. • Committee • All must be reliable. • 30% women quota. respected residents. • Accountant speaks • Accountant must members must be married. • Secretary must be • Women are French and is be literate. married and • Secretary must be literate in French. encouraged. literate. respected by literate. • Secretary must be • Representatives of villagers. literate. young. old and women. • Treasurer is wealthy. Member selection • Traditional leaders • Community votes • Members are • Members are • Members are • Members are • Choice is left up proccs and number and elders select for nominees. selected by chiefs assigned by elders chosen by village nominated in open to community. of members members. • Each part of the and elders. • There are at least council. meeting. • There are 5 • There are least 7 community is • Community gives 7 members. • There are 3 • There are at least members. members. represented on the approval. members. 8 members. a There is an committee. • There are 7 associated women's • There are 7 members. ORT committee. members. 10 COMMUNfrY MANAGEMENT: COMMlJNfiY WATER COMMITIT\8 (CON11NUI:'ill) PROJECT/ MOUHOUN YATENGA AQUA VIVA MAUSUD KITA MAPSITME PLATEAU- ELEMENT Burl:ina Faso Burl::ina Faw Mali Mali Mali Togo SAVANE {NE1HERLANDS) (EDF) {t-RANCE) {Swi tzcrland) (IDA) (c.A-"'ADA) Togo (USA) ==~============================================================================================================ Roles and • President chairs • President leads • President calls • President leads • Treasurer keeps • President chairs • President calls/ Respo!lSibili ties. meetings. committee. meetings. committee, honora!)' funds. meetings has deputy. presides over • Treasurer keeps • Treasurer keeps • Treasurer keeps position. • Secretary accounts • Secretary keeps meetings. money and receipts. and disburses funds. money. • Treasurer for funds and keeps records has deputy. • Secretary keeps • Secreta!)'/ • Secreta!)'/ • Secretary accounts keeps and records. • Treasurer does minutes and accountant writes accountant keeps for and keeps funds. collects funds. • Pump repairer collection, documents. minutes of meetings. minutes of meetings • Women caretakers • Secretary maintains repairs pumps. accounting, banking, • Treasurer collects • Mechanics do and accounts. clean pump area. records. has deputy. and banks money. preventive • Community • Mechanics prime • Caretakers (man • Pump caretakers • Mechanics repair maintenance and all mechanics do pump and change and woman) keep • Optional members: above ground parts repairs except on preventive work and above ground parts. pump area clean. health and micro· and buy spare parts. rising main. repair above ground • Mechanic primes project advisors. • Woman caretaker • Women keep parts only. pump, repairs above keeps pump area pump area clean. • Women keep ground parts. clean. pump area clean, prevent fighting. TDining • Committee training • The committees • 80 committee • Only the mechanic • Individual • Committees are • Committees are is in groups of 6 to are trained in groups members are trained receives a specia I 4 committees are each trained each trained 10 during a one during a one week at one time. day training. trained by the E.As. separately on the separately on the week period. period. • All receive job. job. • The president and • All the members training during treasurer each except the mechanics 4 day period. This is receive 2 days receive a total of 2 partly paid for by training, the women days training. the communities. one day, the • The mechanicS secreta!)' 4 days and receive 3 days the mechanics 2 days training. plus on the job training. Methods for conflict • Peer pressure. • Older men settle • Use traditional • Meetings • Leaders resolve • Chief arbitrates. resolution • Take goods to pay disputes. village court. conflicts. • Prefect arbitrates. dues. • Offenders fined. • Fines for • Refuse access to • Peer pressure. offenders. water point. • Verbal warning. 11 TABLE 3 COMMUNITY FUNDS PROJECT/ MommUN YATilNGA AQUA VIVA MAUSUD KITA MARTI1ME PLATEAU- EIF:MENT Burtina Paw Burona Faw Mali Mali Mali Togo SAVANE NETIIERLANDS) (ED F) (FRANCE) (SWITZERLAND) (1DA) (CANADA) Togo (USA) ================================================================================================================ How much collected 75,000/pump 50,000/pump 300,000/pump 120,000/pump 135,000/pump 35,000/pump 50,000/pump (FCFA)? l-ICJ'R are funds • Community • Each adult gives a • Traditional • Each community • Community • Community • Door to door collected? decides. fixed amount each methods. member pays decides on a sum to decides. collection. • Community month. • Fines. something. be contributed by • Committee • Collective farms. members sometimes • Revenue from each member. encouraged to collect pay in groups. hiring out a work 2000/month. group. • Wealthy relatives help. Who keeps and • Treasurer keeps • Treasurer keeps • Treasurer • Treasurer keeps • Treasurer keeps • Funds kept in • Majority of funds aroou.nt.s funds? roc funds. funds. supposed to keep funds. funds. Bank. are kept in bank. • Secretary/ • Secretary/ often with chief. • Sometimes funds • Secretary accounts • Small amounts • Small amounts accountant keeps accountant keeps • Secretary keeps taken out of for funds. kept in community kept in community. records. records. records. community account with treasurer. held by chief. Who estab&hes rates • The water • Community • Water committee • Rates are • The village • Community. • Treasurer and (FCFA)? committee and the determines rates. 25 informs heads of established by council. president. village elders per man and 15 per households when community. establish rates. woman each month. additional funds are • Usually 100-150 is needed. collected per adult. What regulations are • Village water • Community urged • Money can only be • 2 out of 3 put on money use? committee decides. to use money for withdrawn from bank committee members • Usually only used water point related with 2 of 3 need to be present for pump repairs, activities only, but signatures. for withdrawal of purchase of cement not enforced. • 1/3 funds used for funds. Extension etc. micro projects, agent has to co-sign 1/3 for other • Money usually activities and 1/3 for used for pump pump repairs. repairs. 12 5. EXTENSION SERVICE Extension Agents (EAs) involved in the projects were responsible for mobilizing and organizing the communities, training water committee members, and ensuring the establishment of community management of the water supplies. Extension agents were each responsible for approximately 15 water points per year. There appears to be little difference among the approaches used by the seven projects to provide an effective extension service. It must be noted that on the whole, financial resources put into extension services were limited. In all the projects except for one, extension staff were recruited specially by the project. In the one exception, extension was made the responsibility of health workers working in the region as an addition to their other activities. The number of EAs employed on the different projects ranged from 3 to 120. There are however, slight variations in the way in which extension was carried out in the projects. These will be presented below. Table 4 summarizes various aspects of the extension in the projects visited. It presents among other things, recruitment methods, selection criteria, the responsibilities and the reporting procedures for the extension agents and process of extension within the project. 5.1 Selection and Training of Extension Agents All the EAs had a minimum of 6 years of school. They carne either from ministries associated with development/health work or were specifically hired by the project. Those hired by the projects, were often community or agricultural development agents (or occasionally health workers). They were usually given a written or oral test prior to recruitment. Language skills and willingness to work in the communities were also taken into account. The EAs received monthly salaries comprising a minimum of 30,000 CFA and supplemented by various benefits for health care, field trips etc. A key characteristic of the more dynamic extension agents interviewed, was their dedication to their work. Most of the extension agents were male. Project staff (male) felt that this was in part because the need to travel across harsh terrain on mopeds discouraged many women from considering the job. However, the few female extension agents interviewed were just as effective and efficient as their male colleagues. All the projects provided training for their EAs and followed up with refresher courses or additional courses as required. Some EAs were trained at schools specializing in extension work and others were trained by the projects. There were basically two variations on the approaches used by the projects in preparing their EAs for their work: a) In the first, EAs were given intensive training on a very well defined system and procedure (cookbook) for extension, and then left to implement it without much deviation from the planned procedure. They received some follow-up training or refresher courses at various times during the implementation of the project. b) In the second, EAs were given general training on the project and then they developed messages and the procedure for the extension work themselves together with their supervisors. There was follow-up training or a refresher course provided at various times during the implementation process and there were also opportunities to try out new ideas. Periodic work planning meetings which all the EAs attended also provided an opportunity for further training. 5.2 Interaction with Communities One or more meetings were held with the communities who were to receive the water points. Various messages were conveyed to them. These included information on the project, what it was offering and what was expected of them. The communities were required to establish water committees, 13 take certain decisions, and collect money and materials before the construction of the water point. EAs provided a good liaison between the construction teams and the committees. Members of the water committees were trained, and community performance was monitored after installation of the water points. The following steps were taken in establishing community management: a) Communities were identified either through a socio-economic survey or a community request to the project. b) A series of meetings were then held to mobilize the communities. Often, a contract would be signed either at the beginning of the mobilization process, or at the end when the installation was complete to signify that the water point now belonged to the community. Not all projects had a contract signing ceremony. The members of the water committees were then trained by the EAs. c) Some form of commitment was sought from the communities prior to beginning construction activities (financial outlay, formation of committees etc.) The timing between the different meetings depended on the number of EAs, the number of communities they had to work in, the speed with which the communities did what was expected of them and the availability of the drilling teams (there was no point in preparing the people and then letting them wait for several months before they received their water point). In some projects, the mobilization process occurred within a one to two month period. In others, it took several months. Also in one project, there was a 1 year long period after the initial community mobilization prior to the identification and training of committees. 5.3 Meetings with the Communities Each project determined its own unique process of extension. The number of meetings however ranged from a total of 3 to a meeting once a month for the duration of the project. Where there were fewer EAs, the project usually followed a campaign type of approach, rapidly mobilizing the communities within a short period to prepare them for the construction activities and then moving on to a new area. The subject matter usually covered included the following: a) First meeting: general presentation of the project, the proposed activities and inputs to be made by all, (ie. the community/community representatives, the project staff and local government). Often this meeting was held at a district/regional level, bringing together only community elders and leaders. b) Second meeting: more detailed discussion of various aspects of the project with the entire community, for example choice of water point (handpump or open well), reiteration of the need to collect funds and provide construction materials, water point sitting, and selection of committee. c) Third meeting: discussions with committee members, if open well construction was part of the project, this meeting might be used to ensure that all the labor input required by project from the community had been provided. d) Additional Meetings: these were held for the resolution of conflicts, or to organize specific activities such as construction of animal watering troughs, or to run special campaigns such as for ORT training. e) Training of Committees: individuals of the water committees received appropriate 14 training for their different duties. (This has already been discussed in Section 4). f) Monitoring of progress: each project established a system for monitoring community progress in establishing management of the water points. Sometimes monitoring would continue for up to one year after installation of the water point. Discussions on progress with the establishment of committees, maintenance of water points, collection of funds etc., would be held during these meetings. 5.4 Transport/Housing Availability of transport also played a role in the efficiency of service and all the projects ensured that the EAs had access to some form of transport. EAs were given mopeds, or motorbikes and occasionally project vehicles to assist them in doing their work. In some projects EAs had motorbikes and stayed with the communities for the duration of the project whereas in others they moved from one area to another. The transport and fuel were provided by the projects. EAs were expected to find their own housing. Some had to stay in central communities during campaigns and work in the surrounding area, others lived in the project area, whilst others lived and worked out of nearby towns. 5.5 Monitoring Monitoring of the activities of the extension workers, was an integral part of the implementation of the service. There was usually provision for the exchange of ideas and discussion of problems/issues between EAs and their supervisors, as well as among themselves. Weekly, fortnightly, monthly, quarterly and annual reports prepared by the EAs and their supervisors were useful tools for monitoring their activities. In addition, the EAs held regular review and discussion meetings to discuss progress and solve problems. 5.6 Comment An effective extension system will ensure that community management of a water point can occur. The keys to this effectiveness are: good communication between the extension agent and the community, a desire/mandate to transfer management responsibility to the community and away from the project, a willingness to work together and, mobilization prior to construction (good timing). Projects either brought EAs in from outside the project area, or used those who already worked within the area either for government or for other agencies. Using locally based agents was advantageous in that they would already be familiar with the communities. Also, it would be of benefit to recruit extension agents from ministries already working in the area, because they could remain after the project was completed to provide follow-up and support (if funds were available). Where extension agents lived within the communities, they were more obliged to use a less rigid approach because they were very much a part of community life. On the other hand, where the contact with the communities was only during specified campaigns, it was simpler to have a set or "cookbook" approach. 15 Some EAs received training which enabled them to provide a broad range of messages to the communities including the specific ones related to receiving the water point. However, in most cases, the EAs were ill equipped to address issues such as environmental sanitation, albeit this was not within their terms of reference. The training that they were able to provide to the committee members was also limited to the specific goals of the projects. The number of EAs working on a project also affected the emphasis of the different projects on mobilization activities, environmental sanitation and health education. Because mobilization was a relatively short term activity in which EAs focused on about 15 communities each year and then moved on to the next group of communities, it was cost effective to provide them with transport. However, had the projects been designed to also provide long term environmental sanitation and health education support, this would have meant that EAs would have had to remain working within a group of communities for a much longer period of time and the transport issue would have had to be handled differently. The extension systems used by the projects were on the whole effective in establishing community management of the water points in the areas where the projects were active. The two main approaches used to communicate with the communities and establish management both had their merits and disadvantages. The approach of giving the EAs flexibility in the field, to modify and adapt to suit community pace and needs helps make the service work. However using a "cookbook" approach also has its merits. In both cases, however, it was the willingness of the communities to participate which made it possible for the interaction to take place and the management system to be established. 16 TABLE 4 EXTTINS!ON SERVICE PROJECr/ MOUHOUN YATENGA AQUA VIVA MAUSUD KITA MARfi1ME PLATEAU- FTFMFNT Burl::ina Faw Burl::ina Faso Mali Mali Mali Togo SAVANE (NEIHERLANDS} (EDF) (FRANCE} (SWTfZERL\ND} (IDA) (CANADA) Togo (USA) ================================================================================================================ Recruitment • Recruitment is • Recruited by • Recruitment is • Recruitment is • Agents engaged in • Extension agents in • Euension agents from private sector. various means from from private sector. from private sector. other development public sector in the of that zone • Job advertised public and private • Recruited by the • Recruited by the projects in the region and new belonging to the through media. sector. project. project. region. recruits by project. public sector. • Agents of public sector working within the scope of other projects. Number of E.:s:t=ion • A total of 19 EAs • A total of 3 EAs • A total of 4 EAs. • A total of 5 EAs • A total of 22 EAs. • A total of 45 EAs • A total of 120 Agents (EAs} and 4 supervisors. and 1 supervisor. and 6 masons. and 1 supervisor EAs. 1 supervisor per 6-8 EAs. per 12 EAs. Employer • Project and ONPF. • Project and ONPF. • Public service. • Public service. • Public service. • Public service. • Public service. • Project. • Project. • Health project. • Project. Selection Criteria • 8 years of school • A minimum of 6 • Local language • 6 to 9 years • CDT with 9 years • More than 2 years • 6 to 9 years required. years school skills required. schooling required. schooling. training in social schooling. • Speaks Dioula. required. • Willingness to • 4 years work as • 4 years training or affairs required. • 3 years technical • Written test and • Recruited through work in the Community 6 years schooling • Many have training. interview. interview. community. Development and in Bambara. university degrees. • Some university Technician (CDT). • llealth workers • • Written test and degrees. 9 years schooling interview. and 3 years at health • Women preferred. school. • Technician • 4 years training at college and experience. Training for Project • 2 months training • 15 days at CESAO • 1 month with • 1 week with • 10 days training at • 5 days information • 1 week seminar < by project. (Burkina Faso). consultant follow-up after 1 Kita and 5 day on project for the beginning of • Refresher course (BURGEAP). month. refresher course. orientation; project. at the start of the • 2 months during • New EAs get on 5 days motorcycle • 3 day regional campaign. project. the job training. training; seminar on next • Some go to 5 days planning of campaign themes. CESAO. village meetings. • 2 weeks training • Periodic training latrine and cistern· on campaign themes. construction. • Day of reflection. • Training assured by USAID or national supervisor 17 EXffiNSTON SERVICE (CON11NTffiD) PROJECT/ MOUHOUN YA1ENGA AQUA VfVA MAUSUD KITA MARITIME PlATI!AU- ELEMENT Burkina Faso llurl:ina Fa.so Mali Mali Mali Togo SAVANE (NEUIERLANDS) (EDF) (FRANCE) (SWITZERLAND) (IDA) (CANADA) Togo (USA) ================================================================================================================= ResJX>nsibi.li ties • There are 3 groups • The EAs mobilize • Each EA has 20 • Provide • Hold community • Conduct socio- • Ek conduct 1 of EA: 9 Ek for the communities, communities per information to meetings: economic and visit per month to mobilization o[ 8-10 train the water campaign. communities, 2 days - 1 meeting/ sanitation survey. community during communities each committees and • Activities include: [or each one. district and • Provide community installation. per 9 month monitor progress · 1 meeting per • 1 EA based in - 1 meeting/village. information for • Train committee campaign; after water point is district, "center" village • Research existing contracts signing. members chosen by 4 Ek for water in operation. - 2 meetings per during 20 days and structures for the • Train water community. committee training, • Each EA worn community; serves 6 villages. management of the committee. • Help open bank each with 8-10 with 10 villages - signing of contract Activities include: water point. • Help committee account.· communities; during campaign. with community; health education; • Training of the open bank account. • Health campaigns 6 Ek for - 4 days training of treasurer training; treasurer and • Give technical (ORT, latrines, monitoring and water committee; and monitoring after secretaries. advice on guiding rainwater follow up, each with - evaluating pump is in place. • 1 EA lives new activities. catchments). 30-40 communities community borehole throughout the year • Lead 3 health • Inform water during year. needs; in one village and education campaigns. supply service in settling of community serves 20 villages. • Lead latrine case of break-down. and drilling team construction. • A team of 3 to 4 disputes; • 1 EA worn with 4 Ek serve 30 • Ek do three to 8 communities. villages. campaigns a year. Sequence of • Each campaign • Each campaign • Each campaigns • There is a 2 day • The campaign • There are 8 • There are three Community lasts 9 months. lasts 6 ween. lasts three months. mobilization using a continues throughout meetings per meetings per Mobiliza tioo and • There are three • There are 5 • Mobilization slide show. the year. community and community and Commiu.ee Training meetings for meetings in all for started late in the • A contract is • Meetings are held campaign which campaign followed mobilization after mobilization. The project. signed and a site is with family heads to result in the by the signing of which contract is first has an audio- • There are three chosen. take decisions. formation of a contracts. signed. visual show and the meetings for • Other mobilization • The committees committee and • The committees • Other meetings for other 4 are used to information, activities occur. are chosen and signing of the are trained. slab construction etc. organize and select committee formation • 1 year later, there trained. contract. • Selection and the committees. and contract signing. is a 3 day training • There are training of • Training of • Training of session using a education campaigns committee. committee. committees. flannelograph on health etc. • Monitoring 6 • 12 • Monitoring. (GRAAP method) in • The committees months after pump is which a water are trained. installed. committee is formed. • During the year before this happens, the community manages on its own. 18 EXrENSTON SERVlCE (CONTINUED) PROJECT/ MOUHOUN YATENGA AQUA VIVA MAU SUD KITA M.ARTI1ME PLATEAU- E.Lfl.MENT fiurtina Fa= fiurtina Faso Mali Mali Mali Togo SA VANE (NE1HERLANDS) (ED F) (FRANCE) (SWITZERlAND) (IDA) (CANADA) Togo (USA) ========================================================================================~~===============~===== Average No. of • About 8 meetings • 5 community • 3 meetings. • 4 meetings plus I • Three 1 hour • Eve!)' 2 weeks, for • Once eve!)' month Meetings with each and 2 monitoring meetings. follow-up. sessions per 4 years (ongoing). for project duration. Community meetings after 1 year. community. Reporting by EAs • Each group of • Weekly meetings • Annual report by • Monthly reports by • Monthly meeting • Weekly meeting • Monthly meeting EAs: weekly with reports by EA EAs to chief the EAs. with project director. with supervisors. at regional reporting on or supervisor. hydrogeologist. • Reports by EAs • Project report at • Meetings eve!)' two headquarters. activities. • Monthly and after each village end of annual weeks with regional • Seminar with unit • Bi-weekly quarterly reports by meeting. campaigns. head of socia I head. workplanning supervisor to project • Semi·annual • Quarterly reports affairs department. sessions for each director. evaluation with by supervisor. group. • Annual reports by project director. • Monthly meetings supervisors. for all. • 3 day semi-annual meetings. • Annual self evaluations. Transport • Project provides • Project provides • Project provides 1 • Project transports • Project provides • Project provides • Project provides a motorbike (Honda), motor scooter. vehicle for 3 of EAs EAs to central motorcycle on a hire- motorcycle with fuel motorcycle. renewed every 3 and a motorcycle to village and provides purchase basis with allowance. years. the fourth. motor scooter with fuel allowance. fuel. Accommodation • None provided by • None provided by • None provided by • None provided by • None provided by • None provided by • None provided by project. project. project. project. project. project. project. • 3,000 FCFNmonth • Lodged by village • Lodged by village • Lodged by central • Lodged by central allowance for EAs during project. during the project. village. village. who sell spare parts. Payment per EA. • Monthly salary: • Monthly sala!)': • Monthly sala!)': • Monthly sala!)': • Monthly Salary: • Monthly sala!)' • Monthly sala!)' (FCFA) 60,000. 35,000. 45,000. 30,000. 31,000. (public): 47,000. 50,000. • Health insurance • 6% risk, • 1,000 bonus per • 1,250 allowance • 15,000 bonus. • Project bonus • Per diem for 80%. 25% work, and 5% work day. per day and 2,000 • Fuel. 8,000. training: 2,100 per bonus are added. • 50 kg of rice per night spent in • Per diem for • Monthly sala!)' of day. • 10,000 per • 4 liters of field. training: 2,000 per project staff: 60,000 month for kerosene. day and for refresher to 88,000. transportation. course 1,000 per day. • Per diem for • Free medical training. consultation. 19 6. MAINTENANCE AND SPARE PARTS DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM The key to effective management of a water supply system is sound maintenance and a sustainable spare parts distribution system. Even if a community is willing to pay for its water supply and manage it, nothing will be achieved unless there is a means of ensuring adequate maintenance and spare parts distribution. All but one of the projects employed a tiered maintenance system comprising combinations of community mechanics, area mechanics and project back-up with area mechanics being relied upon for below ground repairs. 6.1 Community Mechanics Each community selected its own community mechanics as part of the water committee. In Table 5, the process of selecting community mechanics, their responsibilities and the training they received are presented. Like other water committee members selection was based on various criteria. In most cases their selection was based on the nominees having mechanical ability. Community mechanics were not paid for their services but in some projects they were reimbursed for travel to purchase spares. There were two community mechanics per pump. One project specified that these both had to be men, and another encouraged selection of a woman as one of the mechanics. All received a small number of tools (mainly wrenches and spanners), to help them carry out the repairs. These mechanics were trained by the project in the repair of the above ground parts of their pumps. The training took the form of a specific course of one or more days and on the job training. Additional duties included preventive maintenance, acquisition of spare parts from the project or a retail outlet and monitoring of pump use. The community mechanics were only allowed to repair the above grounds parts of the pumps installed. There was one exception to this where they were allowed to repair specific below ground pans of the Volanta pump. 6.2 Area Mechanics All but one of the projects had area mechanics (AMs) who were available to repair the pumps when requested by the communities. Some of the AMs had their own jobs and therefore did not have to depend on pump repair for their livelihood. The number of pumps served by the area mechanics ranged from 5 to 40. Criteria for their selection included, mechanical ability, literacy, stability in community, interest in job, and availability. Other details of their selection and responsibilities are presented in Table 6. They were trained to install new pumps, and, if they were part of the project team, to train community mechanics and occasionally to sell spare parts. Training courses ranged from a period of five days to one month. Both theory on pump components and operation as well as practical skills in installation and repair were taught. The area mechanics were responsible for the repair of the pumps as requested by the communities, and as already stated, this usually involved all below ground repairs. Some stocked and sold spare parts and others were required to train the community mechanics. In all cases, they were given tools. These tools were either paid for by the community in which the AM lived or were paid for in part by the AMs over a period of time. Transport to and from the water point was the responsibility of the AM. They carried out repairs in response to community request and were paid for their pump repair services by the communities. In some cases the transport of the AMs was paid for as part of the repair. Some of the AMs were reasonably autonomous from the projects and others were an integral part of the project teams. 20 6.3 Centralized Maintenance Only one project had centralized maintenance support to the community mechanics. There were no area mechanics. Central mechanics were assigned from the parent Ministry to the project area provided project vehicles to repair pumps as requested by the community or extension agents. They received a monthly salary for their services. Table 7 describes the roles of central mechanics in the project. 6.4 Back-up Support With four of the projects, there was either project back-up or ministry support to the AMs to help with difficult repairs, use of tripods, distribution of spares and monitoring of pumps. Support to the communities was therefore provided by a combination of AMs and the project/Government. With the other two projects, this type of back-up had been or was being phased out, and as already stated one project had central maintenance and no area mechanics to back up. The support provided to communities served by this system, was therefore fully provided by the area mechanics. The need for extensive back-up support depended also on the type of pump being provided to the communities, this was largely because of the lifting tackle required by the India Mark II. Both the Vergnet and Volanta were well suited to a combination of community and area mechanic service. 6.5 Pumps The pumps used by the projects were the Volanta, the Vergnet, the India Mark II (including local versions), and the UPM (see Table 8). The Vergnet and UPM were the only ones solely manufactured overseas. For all these pumps with the exception of the Volanta, the community mechanics were only allowed to repair above ground parts. This was mainly because government/projects considered that below ground repairs would be beyond the capability of community mechanics. For the Volanta the community mechanics were able to make below ground repairs also, except for work on the rising main for which the area mechanic was the only one trained. 6.6 Spare Parts Supply The distribution systems used by the different projects have been alluded to in the sections above. Table 8 describes each one in greater detail. In three of the cases, the projects had control of the spare parts distribution and would procure the parts and sell them through the EAs or the area mechanics. In the four other cases, local distributors sold the spare parts to the communities. In two projects, agricultural outlets were involved in the distribution process. Those projects which had not yet done so planned to get out of the loop of spare parts distribution as soon as they could find suitable distributors. Sometimes communities bought and kept a small stock of the parts in order to reduce the visits into town. The projects all tried to ensure that the spare parts were readily available otherwise the maintenance system could not function. Occasionally when spare parts were not available locally, enterprising distributors would get them directly from the manufacturers overseas. Prices for the spares were controlled by the projects, manufacturers, distributors or the Government. 6.7 Comment The ultimate aim of all the projects was to put in place a working maintenance system. Those systems which had a combination of community maintenance and area mechanics with minimal or no back-up from the project would stand a better chance for sustainability once the project was complete than those which had a large dependence on the projects for management of their systems. 21 Furthermore having AMs for whom this was not the sole source of income, was beneficial to the system. Those with a centralized maintenance system would always depend on the project or government for maintaining their system and at the end of the projects when there were no more external funds to support the centralized system problems would arise. The most suitable maintenance systems were those that were truly community managed: where there were choices for methods of fund-raising, accounting, selecting those who would repair and maintain the pump, and ·having spare parts available on the local market. Only one project encouraged women to be one of the community mechanics. This was apparently not a consideration for the other projects, although it has been demonstrated in many elsewhere in the world that because of the vested interest and the key roles played by women in acquiring water it is advantageous to have them participate as community mechanics. The ease with which this is done also depends on the type of pump, and the prevailing socio-cultural conditions. In all cases the communities paid for their spare parts. In the four projects where the sale of spare parts was established with local retailers, the system functioned independently as long as they received the parts from the manufacturers or their representatives (together with approved price lists). Price control was necessary since there was usually only one distributor. In a situation where parts are readily available such control would not be necessary. Problems arising with availability of spare parts in the remote, rural areas seemed linked to the distribution system for the capital city to the retail outlet and not to the non-availability of parts from the (international) manufacturer to the whole-sellers in the capital. The use of independent distributors instead of the project as a distributor provides an autonomy which is desirable since the distribution system must continue after the project is completed. It was clear from the projects visited, that for a maintenance and spare parts distribution system to be sustainable, it was necessary to ensure as much autonomy from the project as possible. 22 TABLE 5 MAINTENANCE.: COMMUNITY MECHANICS PROJECT/ MOIDIOUN YATENGA AQUA VIVA MALI SUD KITA MARmME PLATEAU- ELEMENT Burl:ina Faso Burtina Faso Mali Mali Mali Togo SAVANE (NETiffiRLANDS) (ED F) (FRANCE) (SWITZERLAND) (IDA) (CANADA) Togo (USA) =============================================================================================================== Selection Pnx=s 11By elder!, • By community. 11By chiefs and • By chiefs and • By community. 11 By community. 11 By community. community elders. elders. repr~ntatives and Village Water Committee. Selection criteria 11Two mechanics. • Two mechanics. • Mechanical ability. 11 Two men. 111 mechanic per 11 Two mechanics. 11 Bicycle mechani< 11Mechanical ability. • Bicycle or motor pump. One woman • Young and • Family in bike mechanic. encouraged. dynamic. community. 11 Active in 11 Available to do community. work. 11 Interested in job. Responsibilities • Carry out all 11Repair above 11Prime pump. • During first year 11 Transmit training 11 Check pump 11 Repair above repairs on Volanta ground components 11Repair above inform AM of messages on pump discharge. ground compooenl that they can. Thi! on Vergnet. ground components. problems. maintenance. 11 Repair above on Vergnet when includes work on all • Preventive • Thereafter, make 11 Lubricate pump gr6und components requested by wate: but rising main. maintenance. above ground repairs each week and help on Vergnet. committee membe: on the Vergnet. area mechanics. 11 Preventive 11 Give worn parts maintenance only on treasurer. India Mark II. 11 Report problems to area mechanic. 11 Get spare parts. 11 Keep surroundings clean. Training 111 day training by • Each given three 11 Trained with 11 After one year 11On job training in 11Half day by EAs 11 Two 1(2 day EA when pump days of training by village water each given 4 days of pump installation 2-3 in groups of 12 sessions with EA , installed and EA and AM. committee. training in groups of hours training. persons. hydraulics person! periodic review 40. sessions. • Village pays 5000 • Periodic refresh • Training done by FCFA for this. sessions. AM at new sites. Payment 11 None 11 None • None • 2,000 for training. • None 11 Reimbursed for 11 Reimbursed for 11 May get in-kind travel. travel. help. Tools • Short chain for • Spanner for pedal. • Spanner for pedal • Spanner for pedal • 2 spanners, 2 • Two spanners. 11 Two spanners. removing the pump screwdrivers, 2 pipe rod. wrenches, 1 metallic brush, I !lat file. Tratuport 11 None provided. • None provided. • None provided. 11 None provided. • None provided. • None provided. • None provided. 23 TABLE 6 MATNTP-NANCE: AREA MECHANlCS PROY'L.CT/ MOUHOUN YATF--NGA AQUA VIVA MAUSUD KITA MARTI1ME PLATEAU- ELEMENT Burl::ina Faro Burkina Faro Mali Mali Mali Togo SAVANE (NETilERLANDS) (EDF) (FRANCE) (SWITZERLAND) (IDA) (CANADA) Togo (USA) =============================================================================================================== Selection Proce:s • Community • Each community • EA asks • Selected by 11 Blacksmiths. • Nominated by • No area mechanics given nominates 5 local communities for training unit • Motorcycle EAs. mechanics. practical test by mechanics, those recommendation. following village repairers. • Initial screening project to assess mentioned most • Often selected mechanic training based on ability to their mechanical often are because of previous course. select tools and ability. interviewed. training on other repair a sim pie projects. mechanical device. Selection Criteria • Mechanical ability. • Mechanical ability. • Literate. • Best pump • Stability in village. • Mechanical ability. • Interest in the job. caretaker. • Permanent resident. • Married. • Available to do work. R=poosibililies • Carry out all • Repair below • Repair pumps on • Repair pumps • Repair pumps. • Inspect pump repairs in their area ground component! request. Plans are for when requested by when requested by when requested by and any above AMs to install new community. community and water committee. ground that pumps. • Sell spare parts to repair it after • Contract with community mechanic • Some stock and community. community obtains project to install new cannot make. sell spare parts. required spare parts. pumps and train • Install pumps and community train community mechanics. mechanics. Training • One month • 5 days of training • 5 to 10 days • 1 or 2 AMs join • 5 days training in • Two week course training at project provided by Centre training in groups of project team for 3 to theory and 5 days (theory and headquarters, half National de 10 to 15 given by 4 weeks for on the practical training. practical) given by theory and half Promotion d'Artisan project pump job training in central mechanic and practical. Refresher Ruraux. Receive technician. installation and project tee hn ica I course given after certificate. repair of pumps. advisor. two years. 24 MAJNlT'.NANCE: AREA Mr£l!ANlCS (CON1lNlffiD) PROJECr/ MOUHOUN YA1ENGA AQUA VIVA MAUSUD KITA MARIT1ME PLATEAU- ELEMENT Burl:ina Faso Burkina Faw Mali Mali Mali Togo SAVANE (NETiffiRLANDS) (EDF) (FRANCE) (SWITZERlAND) (IDA) (CANADA) Togo (USA) =============================================================================================================== Payment (FCFA) • 25 for transport • 1,500 to 10,000 • 2,500 per repair • 2,500 per repair • Payment set by • 1,000 for Vergnet. and 400 per hour per repair. • plus transport, plus parts cost. considering distance • 1,000 plus 200 plus 1,500 per 9 Community pays. negotiable with Transport included. travelled to repair per pipe length after meters of rising main 6,000 to AM to community. site. first 5m for India removed (3 x 3m install their pump. Mark II. sections). • 10,000 for pump installation and training of community mechanic. • Small per diem given during initial training course. Toob • Tools purchased • Tools cost 55,000 • Presently loaned • Tool set provided • 350,000 FCFA kit • 30,000 to 50,000 by community in FCFA (1981). by project to AM on by project. 60% of given after training is FCFA (half price of which AM lives on • Money earned an as needed basis. cost repaid over two complete. tools) repaid by AM condition that he during installation year period. over a three year repairs pumps in his used to repay cost of periO!i on monthly community for free. tools basis. • Project subsidizes portion of the cost. T=port • CN;n arrangements. • ().vn arrangements: • ().vn arrangements. • Bicycle provided • Own arrangements. Usually by bicycle or usually motorbike. by project. 60% of Usually private public transport. cost repaid over two motorcycle or taxi. years. 60,000 FCFA paid by AM for bicycle and tools. Commnnities served • 5 to 10 pumps per • At least 10 • 10 pumps per AM. • 15 to 40 pumps • 30 'pumps per AM. AM. Distances up to communities per per AM. Distances up td 60 25 km. AM. Community can km. call on any AM to make repair. 25 TARLE 7 MAINIT<.NANCE: CI<.NTRAL MECHANICS PROJECT MOUHOUN YA1ENGA AQUA VIVA MAUSUD KITA MARITIME PlATEAU- ELEMENT Burkina Faso Bu~-.in.a Faro Mali Mali Mali Togo SAVANE (NETifERLANDS) (EDF) (FRANCE) (SWIT'Lf''.RlAND) (IDA) (CANADA) Togo (USA) =============================================================================================================== Selection Process • Central mechanics • Central mechanics • Shift to area • No central • No central • Ministry of • Central mechanics not needed. have been phased mechanic system. mechanics. mechanics. Hydraulics provides assigned by Ministry • Little project back- out. • Project back-up. • Project back-up • Project provides back-up. of Hydraulics. up. • No project back- team is provided. back-up. up. Selection Criteria • Section head, • 2 staff of the • Two mechanics per Accountant, Ministry of region. Four in total. stockroom clerk, Hydraulics work 5 repairer and driver. years on project. Responsibilities • After training of • Install and repair • Monitor all pumps • Repair pumps area mechanics in pumps during period quarterly, inform when requested by 1985, central of warranty. EAs of problems. community. mechanics available • Train community • Visit AMs for back-up but not and AMs. monthly, collect needed. Now doing • Procure and payments for tools. experimental work distribute spare • Provide technical such as installing parts. assistance to AMs on motors on Volanta • Monitor AMs. request, e.g. fishing pumps and downhole handpumps in hand components. dug wells. Training • Training in hydrogeology. 1 month with local hand pump manufacturer. Payment • DNHE salary plus • Monthly GOT • Monthly GOT field bonus. salary. salary. Tools • Full set provided by project, including two tripods that project will transport to site for CM to make India Mark II below ground repairs. Transport • Two vehicles • Motorcycle and • Project vehicles. provided by project. fuel provided by project. Communities served • 740 pumps served • 150 pumps per • 250 pumps per by team. person. Distances up mechanic. to 75 k11:. 26 TABLE 8 MATNTP..NANCE: SPARE PARTS DISTRffilmON PROTflLT/ MOUHOUN YATENGA AQUA VTVA MAU SUD KITA MARITIME PLATEAU- ELEMENT Burl:in.a Faw Burldna Faro Mali Mali ~;{ali Togo SAVANE (NETHERlANDS) (EDF) (FRANCE) (SWITZERLAND) (IDA) (CANADA) Togo (USA) =============================================================================================================== Distribution ~tem • Project procure$ • Local distributor • An auto-parts • Project purchases • Project stores • UPROMA parts • SGGG, a major parts from suppliers in the project area distributor in San parts from spares and has 2 available at major chain of retail outlets and distributes to gets spares from took over project manufacturers and technicians in charge. retail outlet in in Togo, procures community based Vergnet stock but now distributes to area • Spares are also project area. Vergnet parts from EM. representative for obtains parts from mechanics for sale available in districts • Vergnet parts France and • Manufacturer in Burkina Faso in Vergnet every 3 months. through agriculture procured from distributes them in Ouagadougou has Ouagadougou. representative for • Project considering agents. France by project country. Local store agreed to supply • Monthly sales are Mali located in establishing • Government will and available at had few parts in spare parts to about 500,000 FCFA Bamako. independent be responsible for headquarters. stock. farmers' cooperative with profit of about • No arrangements distribution Network. stocking and selling • Community member • Project provides that will sell spares. 15%. He plans to yet made for Mark II parts for 2 years goes to Tsevie to get spares for UPM expand supply region parts distribution. after project ends. parts from project or pumps. Some villages wide through his distributor. stock spares. other stores. When: manuf.actnred • Volanta: • Vergnet: France. • Vergnet: France • Vergnet: France • India Mark II, • Vergnet: France • Vergnet: France Ouagadougou (green India Mark II: Mali India Mark II: Mali EMAMA factory, UPROMA India UPM: France colored pumps). Mali. Mark II, Togo Netherlands (red pumps). Price control • Pri= set by • Established by • Government agents • Project sets prices • Project holds • Project reviem project. manufacturer and monitor pri= in charged to villagers. periodic discussions prices periodically. distributors. outlets around with UPROMA country every two concerning prices. months. • Initial project stock sold at 10% profit. 27 7. HYGIENE EDUCATION Project staff see the need for communities to modifY various habits in order to obtain the maximum benefits from their water supply. Water supply projects therefore often attempt to provide health messages but usually with limited sua:ess. Often, especially in areas of extreme water scarcity, all that the beneficiaries want is water, and the quality is of secon'dary importance. The objectives of many projects are often the provision of water_ supply in order to improve the health of the population. It has been shown that provision of water supply contributes to improving the general health condition of the beneficiaries, but that without other interventions such as primary health care, improved hygiene practices and environmental sanitation, drainage etc. full health benefits cannot be realized. A minimum input to a water supply project is hygiene education which can help to assure that the water is collected, stored, and used properly, and that the environment of the population is kept clean. If water supply projects are to be fully effective then a sound hygiene education program is essential. In order to have an effective hygiene education program, it is essential to have: a) well defined and clear messages; b) an effective strategy of delivering messages; c) time for changes to be effected. None of the seven projects visited had a specific health education component although some had hygiene education inputs (see Table 9). The projects tended to address this issue basically through the efforts of the extension agents who were inadequately trained to handle this subject or who were not given enough time to devote to it. They were usually only trained to present basic messages on keeping the water point area clean and ensuring that the soakaway for the waste water at the water point was functioning properly. These messages were given to the women responsible for the pump surrounds. Sometimes the EAs worked with the health departments in delivering hygiene education messages to the communities and in promoting proper environmental sanitation and the use of latrines. This could be taken a step further, where the health department staff could be trained to deliver water hygiene and environmental sanitation messages as part of their daily duties. Then this could help reduce the load on the EAs, but at the same time enhance the quality of the support being provided to the communities. Specific community members can also be trained to be focal points for information and promotion of good hygiene practices. The "femmes responsibles" (women on the water committees) would be ideal for this type of training. One of the projects visited had a very effective ORT training program which was run by the community women themselves after they had received initial training from their extension agents/health workers. 28 TATILE 9 HYGIENE EDUCATION PROJECT/ MOUHOUN YATENGA AQUA VIVA MAUSUD KITA MARITIME PLA1EAU- ElEMENT Burtina Faso Burl::ina Faso Mali Mali Mali Togo SAVANE (NE11IERlANDS) (EDF) (FRANCE) (SWITZERLAND) (IDA) {CANADA) Togo (USA) =============================================================================================================== Organization • No planned hygiene • No hygiene • No hygiene • Part of extension • Part of extension. • 3 campaigns led by • ORT campaign. education (HE) education. education. responsibility of EAs on 3 specific componenL health workers in themes. region. • Vaccination campaign. Training • I day • Included in the ··---- • EAs train women training and who in tum train retraining. other women. Who ~ Re:.ponsible • 2 village women. • Project EA. • Project EA. • Project EA. • Project EA. Materials Used • GRAAP methods. • Box of pictures • No specific • Handbook drawn by national material. distributed to women. graphic designer. Health Facilities • 1 community health centre. Other Activities • Contact with • Health survey on department of health prevalence of to improve HE in diseases, treatment, future. traditional beliefs and needs and on what is expected of project. 29 8. lATRINES Only three of the projects had components for the provision of latrines. These were additions to the water supply projects which were being developed. Of the three, one project provided community latrines and the other two, family latrines. In all cases, masofi$ were trained in latrine construction. For the family latrines, part of the pit construction costs and all the superstructure costs including labor were paid for by the beneficiaries. For the community latrines, the communities were only required to provide labor (Table 10). Promotion of environmental health as part of the latrine component was extensive in only one project. There was a reluctance of many potential beneficiaries to· accept the public latrines which they were being offered as they preferred family ones. The projects were limited in the number of latrines to be constructed within the project areas. In one project, health agents were paid by the project to promote and coordinate the latrine component. Once the project is completed, this promotion will stop unless it becomes an integral part of the service they were to the community. Construction of public and institutional latrines especially for health units, markets and schools, would, if they were properly operated and maintained and managed, be a useful way of latrine promotion. Use of approaches such as environmental health education in schools and with women's groups would also enhance the awareness of the communities to the need for latrines and improved sanitation practices. It is obvious that a clear and well defined marketing and promotion strategy needs to be employed in order to get families and communities to construct and use latrines properly. 30 TABLE 10 LATRINES PROJECT/ MOilliOUN MARTITME PLATEAU- ELEMENT Burkina.Faso Togo SAVANE (NETHERLANDS) (C.A-~ADA) Togo (USA) =========================================================================================================== Summary of Activities • Since the start of the project in September • The initial campaign to build community • A total of 473 VIP community latrines 1987, a total of 225 family/community latrines latrines has been replaced by building family have been built in 26 communities. have been constructed in the project area (15 latrines. 200 latrines have been built. • The community is responsible for unskilled communities). • Two EAs per project zone have been labor construction while the project hires and trained by technical assistants and two GOT trains masons to assist them. • The superstructure is built by the family or sanitation specialists. They promote latrines, • Masons have had difficulties getting community with local materials. The help select sites, supervise brick construction, communities to help as communities by far communities pay the masons, the project is oversee construction of pits, monitor masons' prefer family latrines. subsidizing the slab production. Two work and vent pipe installation. • EAs have spent much time in supervising community masons are chosen by the health • Two masons have been trained to make this contribution, ensuring that masons are committee and trained on latrine pre-fabricated slabs which are transported by housed and fed. construction. the project to the communities. • During the training, the project feeds the • Superstructure design is left to individuals. masons. The health agents attached to the The families recruit local diggers and masons project have a widespread sensitization and negotiate payment. program in latrine, use and health education. Type of latrine • The type of latrine is a modification of the • Lined or unlined pit latrines. • Ventilated, improved double pit latrines. Mozambique slab with footrests, a reinforced Superstructure design is left to individuals. The pits are fully lined. circular slab, and a keyhole shaped concrete No other information is available. plug. The pit is 3 m deep and l m in diameter. The superstructure is built with local materials. Costs • Actual cost per slab is 7,000 FCFA, the project is subsidizing the production. • The cost of unlined pit latrine is about • The community pays the masons 300 20.000 FCFA : the project pays 16.000 FCFNslab, the cement is provided by the FCFA, household provides I bag cement for project. There is no information on who pays foundation, pays for labor and provides for the sand, the gravel and the steel used necessary local materials. for the reinforcement. • The cost of lined pit latrine is about 30.000 FCFA: the project pays 21.000 FCFA, household provides 2 bags cement, mason and superstructure. Mobilized towns must collect l/3 of material costs. . The family recruits local diggers and mason and negotiates payment (project guidelines: 2.000 FCFA for pit-lining and 2.000 FCFA for superstructure). Note: Only three projecU had latrine components. 31 TABLE 10 L A T R I N E S {ffiNTINUED) PROJECf/ MOUHOUN MARITlME PLATEAU FJ FJ...-ffiNT Durl:in.a P:uo Togo SAVANE (NE1HERLANDS) (CANADA) Togo (USA) =============================================================================================================== Training of M.=>ns • Two community masons are chosen by the • 1\vo masons have been trained to make • Project hires and trains masons, who assist health committee and are given one day pre-fabricated slabs in Tsevie. The slabs were the unskilled labor contribution of the training on how to make latrine slabs, one then transported by the project to the communities. day for the well collars, and one day general communities. Trained EAs supervise brick training. construction, oversee construction of pit, • The project feeds the masons during the monitor the mason work (foundation slab training. installation) and vent pipe installation. • Superstructure design is left to individuals, and that is why the construction is done by local masons. Participation of the Communities • The communities pay the masons 300 • Mobilized towns request project assistance • Community is responsible for unskilled FCFA per slab. They build the and must collect 1/3 of material costs. labor contribution. Masons have had superstructure of the latrines with local • The family recruits local diggers and difficulties getting communities to help as materials. masons and negotiates payment. For lined pit they prefer family latrines. • In 1987, 25% of the communities worked latrines household provides 2 bags cement, on building latrines. mason and superstructure. Promotion of lAtrine Use • The project decided to improve the • Health education campaigns were carried • EAs mobilize women to sensitize the sensitization by collaborating closely with the out by EAs. In the sanitation sector the population in the project areas in health health department workers in the sensitization focuses on the following areas: education. communities. principal diseases, village cleanliness, latrine • With regard to the sanitation sector, the construction and utilization, drainage and project focuses on the following areas: health excreta disposal. education in primary schools and latrine construction. • Retraining of health agents on environmental conditions. Health education to provide preventive health care. Note: Only three projects had latrine components. 32 9. TRAINING MATERIALS As part of the study, an attempt was made to collect and identify the different types of training materials which were used in these projects. The majority of the materials collected pertained to the mobilization of the communities, and training of the water committee members. They described how to: hold community meetings; keep accounts; repair the various pumps; conduction extension; monitor progress; prepare contracts etc. In addition there was material on drilling of boreholes and manuals for training the trainers of extension agents as well as information on latrine construction. Annex VI lists the types of training material collected at the different project sites Annex VII provides a bibliography of th{: training materials collected including a brief abstract for each item. Training materials are essential tools for preparing all those involved in the project for their respective roles. Guidelines on how to do things, and clearly defined messages to be presented to the target audiences are invaluable to a project. A range of training materials were used by the projects. The majority of materials were typed guidelines and instructions on how to carry out various activities. Very few used audio-visuals as communication tools although there was agreement during discussions held with extension agents and other project staff, that these tools would be very useful during discussions with communities, to help explain what the project was offering. Training materials should provide specific messages and recommend alternative methods of service delivery. The messages should not be cornplicated and should be clearly presented. Suitable ones should be developed for use with the different audiences, the young as well as the old (males and females). 33 ANNEXES I TO VII AVAILABLE ON REQUEST 34 ANNEX VIII LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AM Area Mechanics EA Extension Agents DNHE Direction Nationale de !'Hygiene et Energie FED Fonds European de Devloppment GOT Government of Togo IDA International Development Association IMII India Mark II ORT Oral Rehydration Therapy NGO Non- Government Organization CDR Revolutionary Committee 35 SKAT ............................................................................... Swiss Center for Appropriate Technology Centre Suisse pour la technologie appropriee Schweizerische Kontaktstelle fi.ir Angepasste Technik postal address: Tigerbergstr. 2, CH-9000 St.Gallen.Switzerland phone: 071 30 25 85. telex: 881 226 skat ch, fax: 071 22 46 56 ••..••....••.....•.......•.•.......••••....•••...••....•...•....••........••••• Ref: ME St.Gallen. August 29. 1991 Handpump Meeting in Islamabad Dear Madam or Sir, Enclosed you fmd the report of the Proceedings of the Handpurnp Meeting held recently in Islamabad, Pakistan. The report covers the main part of the meeting from 24 - 27 June in Islamabad. and also the optional field trip to Lahore and Karachi from 28 - 29 June. A separate appendix to the report contains the papers which were presented to the meeting by delegates. This appendix has not been circulated with the main report but is available from SKAT on request. One of the important outputs of the Meeting was agreement on changes to the Afridev Specification to reflect field and manufacturing experience since the original Specification was issued in October 1989. These changes are now being incorporated, and the revised Afridev Specification is expected to be published by SKAT in October 1991. Yours sincerely. SKAT- Swiss Center for Appropriate Technology Gi 53-4-o Markus Eisenring sw~~ Encl. Report of the Proceedings of the Hand pump Meeting Distribution: Participants and according to the separate list