Improving the effectiveness of Ugandan water user committees

This article outlines issues affecting the functionality of Ugandan water user committees responsible for managing communal water and sanitation (WASH) services. Research undertaken demonstrated that their effectiveness is compromised by poor understanding of their rights and responsibilities by stakeholders within and outside the committees. Following the research, a handbook was produced that explained the rights and responsibilities in a form that is accessible to all community members. Preliminary feedback from committees that have used the handbook suggests that it has the potential to improve the functionality of the water user committees, thereby helping to improve the local management of WASH services in Uganda

Training for real: matching employer needs to training supply

This article was published in the journal Proceedings of ICE: Municipal Engineer [© Institution of Civil Engineers]: www.municipalengineer.comFor 40 years, the Water, Engineering and Development Centre of Loughborough University has trained engineers in the practical requirements for infrastructure services in low- and middle-income countries. This was started to rectify a mismatch between what was being taught in universities and what was being done in practice. Often this gap was addressed by ad hoc, uncoordinated, costly and often ineffective training courses. This mismatch is still apparent and so researchers explored why training providers are not meeting employers' needs. The action research went behind training needs analysis to examine the dialogue between the 'suppliers' (universities) and the 'demands' of the employers (local authorities and water utilities), across the water and sanitation sector in Uganda, through a series of forums, interviews, workshop appraisals and case studies, as well as trialling innovative training techniques. The research identified areas for improvement, especially in the area of employer engagement, skill needs and the management of human resource development

Rural Water Policy in Africa and Asia

Universal delivery of improved drinking water services in rural Africa and Asia has been an enduring policy challenge for decades. Whilst drinking water coverage has generally improved, only one in five countries below 95% coverage in 2015 is currently on track to achieve basic drinking water services for all by 2030. We identify and evaluate three periods of rural water policy in Africa and Asia between 1980 and 2030 to (i) identify four pillars of rural water policy design, (ii) consider how they have adapted over time, and (iii) propose priorities for progress. We argue for an increase in investments in designing and testing emerging institutional models for rural water services to evaluate the trade‐offs in performance across institutional, financial and operational dimensions. Stronger empirical evidence will allow policy and planning to balance and negotiate short‐term political goals with long‐term sector sustainability for the benefit of the poor