Models for post-construction support to community-based management in Colombia

Johnny Rojas, Adriana Zamora, Shirley Paola Tamayo, Mariela García and Stef Smits Cinara/Univalle, Colombia & IRC, the Netherlands

Water services provision in Colombia

• Clearly defined framework for water services provision (Law 142, 1992)

• Municipalities responsible for guaranteeing service provision

• Actual provision through private utilities, public utilities, public-private utilities and community-based organisations

• Self-supply invisible

Community-based operators• 11.500 community-based operators, mainly in

rural areas (gravity-fed piped systems)• Community management considered most

appropriate management model in rural areas, but:– Survey by Ministry in 1998 show only 10% are

formally registered and established– Many struggle to provide services, as they have no

adequately trained staff or comply with technical and administrative standards

• Various models for post-construction support to community-management emerge, both demand- and supply-driven

• Sample of models found at national level and in 2 departments (Valle del Cauca and Caldas)

Support from MAVDT• Programme of “entrepreneurial culture”, focusing on

adoption of business principles and good management practices, whilst recognizing non-profit nature

• Components of programme:– Supporting formalization process of informal operators– Booklets and training material– Technical assistance– Focusing on compliance with regulatory indicators

• Carried out directly by Ministry staff (2 persons)• In addition, resistance of CBOs to formalize themselves,

because of fear of regulator• Despite praise for focus and scope of support programme,

limited impact, reaching only 10% of rural operators in 10 years

• As a result, local models for support emerge

1. Support by municipalities to rural operators

• Direct through dedicated units (Municipality of Cali)

• Indirect through urban utilities (Aguas de Manizales, EPM Medellin)

• Targeted and appropriate support, combining investments and technical assistance

• Yet, most municipalities do not provide this type of support

• Remains at voluntary disposition of individual municipalities

2. Intervention and post-construction support from Departmental level

• Dedicated programmes for rural water supply (e.g. PAAR in Valle del Cauca, and Caldas) – Pooling resources and capacity of different Municipalities and other

government agencies , to get economies of scale and leverage of investments (access to loans)

– Supported by dedicated rural water supply unit (e.g. in Caldas department)

– Combining new investments, monitoring , technical assistance and promoting “entrepreneurial culture”

• Superseded by a national effort to recentralize most investments in water supply to departmental level (PDAs), which are heavily biased to small towns and urban areas

3. Mutual support between CBOs• Aquacol, association of CBOs in two

departments, undertaking:– Mutual support visits– Training activities– Technical assistance– Advocacy at national level

• Effective platform for horizontal learning, based on similar experiences and language

• But:– No structured support and learning activities– Funding through membership fee, limiting access to

those who need most support– Limited geographical reach

4. Other models• Exceptional model is Coffee Growers’ Association • Started 40 years ago with constructing water systems for

multiple-use in coffee growing communities • Coffee Growers’ Association provides ongoing professional

management support in areas like billing and engineering• But leaving decision-making at community level• High performance of water supply services in these areas• Limited, but growing, coordination with government:

– Own training materials– Coordination of new investments with PDA– Limited geographical reach

Conclusions• High implicit and explicit demand for post-construction support

to community-based management• Mainly around strengthening, professionalising and formalizing

management• Range of support models from government at different levels,

but uncoordinated• In absence of adequate government support, communities seek

support through civil society or private sector, which respond to needs but have limited scope for scaling up

• And many communities remain isolated, without support

Lessons learnt for way forward

• Need for a harmonized and programmatic approach to post-construction support efforts of the government– Defining appropriate entry point and levels at which they operate– Taking into account considerations of capacity, distance to

communities and economies of scale– Recognizing diversity of local support mechanisms by civil society

(Aquacol, Coffee Growers’ Association)

• Support to CBOs needs to follow gradual approach:– Recognizing different starting points of management skills of CBOs– Constructive engagement with regulator – carrot and stick

Gracias