UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA

3RD INTERNATIONAL WATER CONFERENCE

SEPTEMBER 23RD-25TH 2013

MARKET- BASED WATER, SANITATION

& HYGIENE (WASH) APPROACH

Stimulating the Private Sector to Provide

Appropriate & Sustainable WASH Services in

Uganda

by

Bismark Norgbe, John Stiefel & Francis Atine

OUTLINE • .Introduction

• Project Area

• Problem Statement

• Objectives

• Implementation Process

• Results

• Lessons Learned

• Way Forward

• Conclusion

Introduction

• In 2012, WV decided to apply part of its funding to pilot

innovation projects in some of its operation areas.

• These innovation was meant to be game changing,

replicable and scalable to other locations and contexts.

• Intended to significantly cut costs and accelerate services

(which are better, cheaper and faster).

• Provide evidence–based measurable results.

Introduction

• As a result, World Vision Uganda (WVU) was selected to implement a Community-based low-cost water supply project.

• WVU is using a market-based self supply initiative to leverage the promotion of low cost manually drilled wells.

• This approach aligns with National Strategy for Self-supply of water in Uganda.

• The initiative has gained a lot of significance and interest among stakeholders.

• .

Project Area

• The project is piloted in the Gulu district of Uganda.

• Gulu is located in the central part of the Northern region of Uganda

• Has 3 counties and 15 sub-counties and 1 municipal council.

Problem Statement

• The current supply-driven approach to WASH in rural

Uganda has not adequately addressed the large gap in

access to key WASH services: Safe water-68%,

sanitation- 34% ( Ref: UNICEF/WHO, 2012)

• Few countries have achieved universal safe water

coverage without a market based, self-supply approach to

water provision (Ref: Kiwanuka, 2011)

Girl accessing

unsafe water in

rural Uganda

Objectives

• To advocate for sustainable, market-based WASH

services.

• To strengthen the capacity of the private sector in WASH

services delivery.

• To identify appropriate cost-effective and sustainable

community-based shallow well drilling technologies.

Implementation Process

• WVU has aligned its pilot project to the National self

supply Strategy for water provision.

• WVU gained the support of local government to promote

this technology under the framework of self-supply

initiatives in Uganda.

• WVU was involved in training of local government staff on

low-cost WASH approaches and delivery.

Implementation Process

• WVU has aligned its water supply priorities to the National

Self supply Strategy for water provision in Uganda

• WVU was involved in training of local government staff on

low-cost WASH approaches.

• WVU gained the support of local government to promote

this technology under the framework of self-supply

initiatives in Uganda.

Implementation Process

• WVU established linkages with other NGOs that have

documented best practices in the area of market-based

low-cost WASH

• Examples of NGO are MSABI and Connect International

• Trained other NGOs on low cost WASH approaches. (

(e.g. Mercy Corps and WASH for PWDs).

Market Research, Environmental Assessment etc

Media Campaign/competition, visit to identify existing and interested

private sector partners.

Selection through interview, business plan review, & site visit

Capacity building on manual drilling, rope pump fabrication, slab production

Formal agreement, business skills training, and providing support for marketing and strengthening of

supply chains

Ongoing technical support and mentoring private sector to deliver

quality services

Market based WASH promotion process

Results

• World Vision Uganda(WVU) has trained 3 private

enterprises in manual drilling (3), rope pump fabrication

(2), sanitation slab production (10) and managing tree

nurseries (7)

• Increased demand for manually-drilled water sources due

low cost to cost reduction and availability of services:

$720 compared to the conventional machine drilled well of

7,500

• Low cost rope pumps are available in Uganda as an

alternative to Indian Mark II hand pumps.

Results – Cont’d.

• So far 21 manual wells have been drilled.

• Wells belong to cooperatives, households, institutions and groups of families.

• Water is used for domestic purposes, income generating activities such as through drip irrigation of vegetable gardens, livestock watering, piggery, poultry farming and household biogas production. .

• .

Training on Manual Drilling

Rope pump

installed on a

household well

Lessons Learned

• Enabling Environment: World Vision is benefitting from the

support of the central government.

• The project is aligned to one of the strategic priorities of

the Uganda government- piloting of market-based WASH

approaches

• The private sector for WASH services have believed in a

false economy created by NGOs and funding agencies,

which has resulted in inflated prices for low-cost

interventions

Lessons Learned Cont’d

• World Vision is currently working with some of the local

entrepreneurs in Northern Uganda to understand the

potential business opportunities of targeting the “base of

pyramid market.

• Supply Chain- For new private –sector WASH services to

last, there is a need to strengthen the supply chain to

overcome the general problems of inadequate access to

quality materials in rural

• Access to Micro-finance- Many private-sector players and

potential consumers require start-up capital to invest in

low-cost WASH interventions.

Tools fabricated by local entrepreneurs for manual drilling

Way Forward

• Information and data generated from WVU’s market-based WASH interventions, will be used to modify and scale-up promising approaches to other areas

• Promotion of low-cost, market-based WASH approaches have shown to be an attractive option for stakeholders.

• WVU will continue to explore avenues for supply chains to support low cost WASH services in project area.

• WVU needs to strengthen its existing financing models to expand WASH services to more markets (vulnerable )

Conclusion

• The self-supply strategy framework in Uganda provides an enabling environment for market –based WASH interventions.

• Self-supply initiatives are complementary to increasing access to safe and reliable water supplies

• There is a great interest in promoting market- based WASH interventions among key stakeholders.

• Private–sector enterprises in communities are operational to provide low cost WASH services

Conclusion- Cont’d

• Demand for low-cost WASH services is on the rise in

project area.

• Low-cost appropriate technology in WASH delivery is

expanding some sections of the private sector in Uganda.

• Alternative and affordable technology options are

available to consumers.

Newly

constructed well

equipped with

Rope Pump for a

family .

THANK YOU