Addressing Anticorruption Measures in Water and Sanitation Scheme

Ramesh Kumar Sharma

Regional Manager, Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Fund Development Board
Lazimpat, P.O.Box 12414 Kathmandu, Nepal
rameshksharma@gmail.com

In our world one child dies every twenty second for not having clean water. This shortage
in service delivery to the people living in hardship has distant link with result of
corruption in the water sector. Global Corruption Report (GCR)1 of 2008, along with
Water Integrity Network (WIN)2 has thematic focus on need to fight for corruption in
water. Corruptions in water also negatively affect the environment, increase the price of
food, and makes it difficult for the development community to achieve Million
Development Goal (MDG). In this context RWSSFDB water and sanitation program
ensures anticorruption measures for good governance in an institutional framework which
fully shares information and ensures transparency. The service delivery model also
financially empowers the grass root community. The latest breakthrough is application of
Community Score Card under Social Accountability or Jagaran Karyakram to initiate
entirely new range of value added practices to fight any form of weakness, quality
constraints or corruption in water.

Corruption in the water sector both puts at risk the lives of billions of people and slows
development. Engineers need to play comprehensive role not only to their specific job
assignments but to take leadership in out boundary broader roles like Increasing Political
Accountability, Strengthening Civil Society Participation, Creating a Competitive Private
Sector, Developing Institutional restrain on abuse of power and in Improving Public
Sector Management for enforcing anticorruption. Engineers may achieve these by
developing appropriate strategies.

Key Words: Water, Anticorruption, Social Accountability, Integrity, Community

Introduction

Global Corruption Report 2008 sites “Corruption in water supply and sanitation has many
facets and varies substantially in size and incidence. Informal measures indicates that a
large percentage of water sector finance is drainned by corruption.
Study of Plumer J and Cross P (2006) shows in Sub Saharan Africa, US$ 6.7 Billion is
required annually to reach the MDGs. In one decade 30% of the US $ 20 Billion will thus
drain from the sector.
Davis J. (2004) study indicates in India’s water sector side payments occurred in 50% of
all transactions.
World Bank SAR document of 1996, sites several quality and sustainability related
weakness on the background of negligence and poor implementation as lesson learn of
that time in water sector of Nepal.

What Corruption Like in Reality: Water Integrity Network Document 2008 sites nature
of corruption in water in the following form

„ Poor are faced to pay bribe to connect to water pipes or tanker

„ Inflate cost of small or large water structures and bore holes
„ Divert irrigation water away from poor villages
„ Biased decision on allocation and location of water and
waste water service points, pipe system and treatment facility.
„ Falsify meter reading
„ Foster ill advised procurement of expensive but poorly constructed
facilities
„ Buys Jobs and Promotions

Strategies and Achievements

RWSSFDB exercises various strategies to develop its schemes in people’s demand
responsive and sustainable manner.

CAP Planning for People's Right to Plan and Implement: Community has chance to
actually plan their own project within informed choices under 14 community action
plans. CAP is improved and finalized within nine month of Development Phase. Entire
mass endorses these action plans to avoid any practice of personal influence or gain over
water project design and benefit sharing. This builds capacity not only for planning but
also to implement and operate the scheme. It has ensured true bottom up practice and
community ownership.

Public Expenditure and Fund Flow thru People's Account: The community
implements the scheme under a tripartite agreement among the board, SO and
community. Joint account is handled by the community with support from SO to
implement the scheme. In this account Board transfers all construction budgets in which
2.5% cash is matched by the community. The community manages Sanitation Revolving
loan Fund and Women Technical Support Service Grant fund which is transferred from
SO account to them. Financial audit is carried out by board prequalified agencies, prior to
which Social Audit is carried out in the scheme as soon as the construction is complete.
In RWSSFDB secretariat financial management is carried out by computerized FMIS
system and FMR financial management report of each trimester expenditure is reviewed
by the World Bank.

Project Procurement under Full Ownership of Community: RWSSFDB is one of the

rare institutes which initiated community procurement practice in true sense. Community
prepare marketing plan, investigate market for quality products at cost effective prices to
purchase all the non local material of the scheme they have to construct. The ten years of
practice has shown that RWSSFDB community had been able to buy NLM at lower rate
then other agencies. Any discount received is documented and deposited in Operation and
Maintenance Fund. Material Quality Spot Check monitoring helps to streamline this
process and ensure transparency in expenditure. If there is case with evidence of any
supplier providing duplicate materials to community, RWSSFDB is capable to blacklist
such supplier.

Gender Mainstreaming for Equity and Just: RWSSFDB program focus on women as
they are the real water manager. Women as Treasurer, village health promoter, mother
and child tap stand leader and 33% meaningful representation in water and sanitation user
committee are some strategies to gain equity in role with male. Further there are group
saving and income generating program WTSS to empower women.

Social Inclusion for Equal Access to Resource: Equal access to resource and benefit
sharing for the Indigenous people and backwards is serious concern of RWSSFDB for
which Social Mapping is carried out in all schemes. Also Livelihood and Social Inclusion
(LSI) 3 is a mechanism which is used to ensure social inclusion. There is Well Being
Ranking practice to identify and subsidies poor. In remote area transportation is
subsidized. Priority is given to Dalit, IP sensitive SOs, beneficiaries and selection of staff.
In nine IP languages dissemination materials are prepared and distributed. There is land
registration with use of legal MOU paper for the land where there are water structures, to
be built. This has ensured access of water to all, even to Dalit and backwards.

Cost Effective Services Delivery to the People: People contribute in cash and kind to
implement their scheme. Cost and design fully optimized scheme is therefore right of
people. RWSSFDB fully assists them in developing such scheme by use of technical
option thru SARAR tool which correctly informs them about their choice. The nation
wide non local rate collection by the community and board helps to set most cost
effective rate. As there is no private contractor the cost of construction to its output is
amazingly low. This was observed by the World Bank Regional Directors while they
visited scheme in 2007. Peer Review Report from DFID (Dec 2005)4 states the scheme
percapita cost NRS. 3248 is lowest in the sector following up with NRs 4500 of NEWAH
and NRs 6304 of Gorkha Welfare.

Monitoring and Evaluation Framework: Sector Lessons from past has shown gap in
planning and implementation quality and service delivery aspect. There is high focus on
monitoring to mitigate these weaknesses. All the payment monitoring is strictly in the
hand of third party. This shows the funding, implementing and monitoring agencies are
not one but different that leaves them no option but to act very professionally. The
different M&E practiced in RWSSFDB are:
• Community Monitoring
• Compliance and Process Monitoring
• Strategic Monitoring
• Development Monitoring
Also there is huge milestone, report and contract management computer database.

Social Accountability for People's Right to Question on Quality of Service Delivery:

The Board introduced Social Accountability or Jagaran Karyakram5. This approach could
further build community capacity and equip them with right tools so that they become
able to judge performance of service deliverer such as NGO, Service agency or even
their own WSUC committee, and staff. 25 Para Professionals received four trainings for
Jagaran Program. NGOs are being trained as well. In the community a small Jagaran
Committee is comprised which will practice "Community Score Card" in this program at
different project cycles. Social Auditing is other part in which they are trained. After
piloting in 125 scheme of Bach VII, this program will be launched in entire schemes of
forthcoming batches. Initial results are very encouraging like people identifying weakness
in their contractual working within program components and redoing it to properly
exercise implementation or managing operational issues.

Multi Sector Thrust to Draw Holistic Input: The board operates in private public
partnership model with NGO, Community and Service agency involvement. DDC, VDC,
Line agencies, I/NGOs CBOs, WSUGs are brought together in course of working and
there is meeting in yearly regional workshops. DDC council approved schemes are taken
for implementation to avoid any duplication. District Water Resource Committee in DDC
registers the WSUG. The Board is considering to explore further DDC/DTO
collaborative model in future. Check list and surveys have been conducted to find
existing condition and enhance coordination, collaboration with local government. NGOs
are encouraged to participate in multi sector review meetings in the district. DDC/VDC
provide match fund to support implementation in 36 schemes of Batch V and VI with
NRs 2400502 in nine districts. Multi sector involvement, monitoring and interface
meeting thus helps RWSSFDB institution to develop as transparent and non corrupt
organization.

International insights and reflection are also drawn in routinely basis. In the year 2007,
from Srilanka CWSSP 14 officers and Directors visited RWSSFDB schemes. In 2008
CWSSP sent 10 officers and ladies from line ministry to visit. In the same year from
Water Services Trust Fund, trustee's team of five came to visit water and sanitation
schemes. World Bank earlier sent 14 Regional directors team and then nine Executive
Directors team to observe the RWSSFDB fields.
Financial Audit for Contract Output Check: RWSSFDB conducts independent audit
from hired firms for the community projects as soon as it is complete. The deviations are
recorded and forwarded to the NGO and community for correction. Yearly finance and
audit workshop strengthens them to build their capacity in finance and audit and do less
and less mistakes in financial operation and documentation. The government separately
audits these projects.
Post Implementation Phase: After construction of scheme, there is two years PI Phase
in which repair needs are observed and scheme is also maintained for water quality
improvement by the community. NGO facilitates the monitoring and reporting to board.

Project Insurance: RWSSFDB is working on provision of insuring community water

project in whole or part. Analysis is being carried out for various old and new batch
schemes. An MOU is underway to negotiate with insurance party. After success of this
program community will be paid in case of any damage to their scheme during 15 to 20
years design period.

Complaint Handling Process: RWSSFDB has complaint box and a standard complaint
handling process. M&E division takes lead on such complaints. In workshops and by
media also grievances and misunderstanding is sought to sort. Each six month meeting is
called and progress briefed to media in the Office meeting hall.

Research Study and Regular Evaluation Work: After completion of community water
project In a time line of three, five and ten years several studies are conducted by pre
qualified firms to draw lesson of entire design period. Some of these studies are:
Baseline Study, Technical Audit, Knowledge Attitude Practice (KAP), Community
Action Planning (CAP), Community Development Activities (CDA), Mid term Impact
Study, Long-term Impact Study, Institutional Study, Demand Study, Social Impact
Study. Analysis and evaluation of these studies helps to review remodel and restructure
the water and sanitation program as non corrupt, technically appropriate, socially desired
and country suitable program.

Result and Outcome

Sustainability: The most important aspect of any model project is its sustainability.
RWSSFDB schemes with the operation and maintenance account and paid village
maintenance worker is found sustaining and well functioning. The long term
sustainability study of seven year old Batch one schemes is 92 percent6 .

Sat ishf act ory Sat ishf act ory Sat ishf act ory
60 70 80
50 60 70

60 70
50
60
50
40
50
40
30 40
Moderat e 35 30
30
20
20 Moderat e 22 20
Moderat e 14
10
10 10
Excellent 15 Excellent 18
Excellent 16
0 0 0
Excellent Sat ishf act ory Moderat e Excellent Sat ishf act ory Moderat e Excellent Sat ishf act ory Moderat e

Long Term Sustainability B-I Project Long Term Sustainability B-II Project Long Term Sustainability B-III Project

Last January study in 820 schemes of Batch I to Batch VI the amount raised in account of
O&M fund is found NRs 45347537.52.

Human Resource Development and Sector Capacity Building: Aware human resource
development is the best anticorruption tool. RWSFDB has built capacity of 209 NGOs in
implementing clean water and sanitation schemes since March 1996. The staffs of NGOs
and Service agencies receive range of training in management, construction, Report
writing, Monitoring and finance. NGOs train the project communities in the village. They
receive leadership, construction, operation maintenance, management, finance and
documentation related trainings. Scheme women are involved in health sanitation, non
formal education, gender and income generation related trainings. Training, M&E,
Research Study capacity of private agencies have been developed to continually
strengthen watsan sector apart from directly delivering trainings from board staff in
Jeevika (Livelihood) and Social Accountability program which are new venture in the
Nation.

Legal Status Holding Water Sanitation Communities: RWSSFDB water sanitation

user groups are registered in their district under water resource act by the district water
resource committee after proper investigation on their application. This process
empowers the community with legal status of CBO. Batch I to Batch VII 2024
communities have legal registration.

Promotion of Transparency for Good Governance: RWSSFDB uses range of tools to

promote transparency and good governance. The operational manuals, guideline books,
VDEO, CDs, SARAR PRA tool all add to transparency via information flow. Project
information including finance can be observed at any time in the website www.rwss.org.
Project News Later Khashkosh is there to disseminate information at regular basis.
Fortnightly National Radio program is there to communicate with people in remote areas.
Scheme communities are encouraged to start KHASKOSH radio listeners club, of which
some are very active and contribute useful materials. Regional management keeps an eye
on local national newspapers to contribute water related news to the news papers as well
as the news TV channels. FM radio stations and news paper reporter are contacted to
place information on any implementation contract. There are incidences of 'Avenews TV'
use to solve implementation problem in Tanahu District and Radio Sailung Community
FM use to settle source conflict issue in Dolkha District. CNN TV7 on Feb 8, 2009
broadcasted RWSSFDB project as meaningful effort. In Washington DC Water Week
program8, February 15-24, 2009, RWSFDB case sheets, model show and community
presentations were highly appreciated by the international participants.
In any scheme Public Display Boards stands with all vital information about the water
and sanitation scheme with financial figures. RWSSFDB started this effort in 1999 which
has been largely replicated in the Nation by other organizations.

Conclusion and Recommendations: To converge development vision in reality

anticorruption measures needs to be fabricated at the institutional and governance
framework. This value can be added in the leadership of engineers as they are there in
policy level to the ground projects to materialize peoples demand for sustainable water
and sanitation service delivery system. Therefore it can be recommended that:
ƒ Water program institutional framework at every level needs to be checked and
addressed against any vulranability for corruption.
ƒ Popular anticorruption bottom up measures like Social Accountability Program is
presently requirement of development programs. Within this Citizen Report Card,
Social Audit, Interface Meeting and Action Planning should in real sense be
practiced.
ƒ Peoples ownership in Project Planning, Implementation, Procurement and Fund
Management adds value towards sustainability.
ƒ A Display Board with estimated budget, actual expense declaration, and key features
of service delivery is desirable for minimum transparency of any projects in
community.
Ref: 1.Transparency international (2008) Global Corruption Report, Corruption in Water Sector.
2. Water Integrity Network Strategic Framework 2008-11www.waterintegritynetwork.net
3. World Bank, Project Agreement Document, LSI section, IDA Credit 3199 NEP
4. Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Program, Peer review report DFID, December 2005
5. RWSSFDB, Social Accountability Jagaran Karyakram Implementation Plan (2008)
6. Systech Consultancy, Sustainability Study Report (2007)
7. CNN TV program date 8 Feb, 2009 http://cnn.com/video
8. Water Week Program Washington DC Feb 15-24, 2009
9. RWSFDB MIS data 2009
10. Gemidiriya Community Development and Livelihood Improvement Project Sri Lanka
www.gemidiriya.org