Challenges of Exclusionary Planning of RWSS

Davis Ddamulira – Head of Advocacy and Communication

WaterAid Uganda

- Setting Direction and mapping out roles: The experience in Uganda is that in the past this was a preserve of government but there has been great development towards inclusion of other players

- Emerging trends: The call for clarifying the role of governments vis-à-vis other players e.g. Private sector, CSO, donors etc.

- Policy priority and Financing: Setting priorities against the weight of level of financing. Harmonising agendas and changing the status quo

- Centre and Local Government(Decentralisation): Clarity on levels of roles

Context of Planning (Focus on Local government)

• Historical Aspects of Participatory (Inclusion) Planning:

- Efforts towards inclusionary planning: Participation of Non-state actor, Mainly from the time of Developing “Nationally Owned” policies post-SAP era e.g. Development of Poverty Eradication Action Plan

- Push from Development Partners: The concept was promoted as increasing ownership

- Power and Influence: This was mainly around experience and new comers – Donors, government, private sector, CSO etc

- Political Climate: The weight of views from CSOs were either considered political because of the blurred role and mandate.

• Control : In some cases, this is used as a means of control and influence.

• Accountability: Blurred roles of and lack of clear accountability

• Identification and Targeting: Planning becomes one size fits all

• Inefficiency: Because of lack of accountability there is inefficiency of government and wastage of resources.

• Limited long term focus: Service provision becomes more focus on short term

• Political Interference: Technocrats succumb to pressure of politicians

Some of the Challenges of Exclusionary Planning

Some of Approaches current being promoted by WaterAid Uganda

Participatory Budgeting

Participatory Budgeting

Increasing dialogue between Citizens and local leaders/service providers

Editing Community Voices

Phone Calls

Capturing Community Voices

Basis for Monitoring

Parish Area Popn

Water sources Pon. Served

Functionility

Coverage

Coverage with 100%

functionalityFunctional

Non functional

Total

Kasenda 9,126

19

13

32 2,668 59% 29% 58%

Nyabweya 7,225

9

18

27 2,000 33% 28% 78%

Isunga 6,696

23

2

25 5,700 92% 85% 93%

Sub-County

23,047 51 33 84

10,368 61% 45% 74%