Lessons for rural water supply - Assessing progress towards sustainable service delivery - India - IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre, The Hague

The study looked beyond a simple description of the situation towards broader processes of decentralisation and political leadership, in an attempt to unpack what has gone right or, as in many cases, what has gone wrong, within the rural water sub-sector. The methodology used for data collection included a combination of secondary data collection methods, such as document and literature reviews, with primary data gathered through interviews. The report was written with substantial inputs from interviews and questionnaires from key sector players. 

The report is divided into the following sections:

1. Introduction

• Overview of the sector
• The Triple-S initiative and country studies
• Case study countries
• Key concepts

2. Methodologies and analytical framework

• Common analytical framework
• Study outputs

3. Context

• Country background
• Political system and politics
• Social background 
• Economic background 
• Administrative units and administration

• Development indicators
• Gross domestic product 
• Inequality 
• Human Development Index
• Corruption Perception Index
• Other macroeconomic indicators

• State of water services delivery
• Overview of rural water supply provision in India
• National-level institutional structure
• Position of the rural water sector in national development plans and strategies
• Main focus in rural water services delivery
• Actual services provided

4. Service delivery models

• Enabling environment at national level
• Service delivery in national policies and the legal framework
• Decentralisation policy for the water sector
• Oversight (regulation) and accountability
• Mechanisms for coordination, learning, support and technical assistance to intermediate level (sector learning)
• Sector financing

• Governance over service delivery at intermediate level
• Definition of service delivery models and modalities in policy and laws
• Institutional responsibilities for the different stages in the life cycle of service provision
• Coordination mechanisms and platforms at intermediate level
• Monitoring and information systems for full service delivery
• Strategic planning for full life-cycle service delivery at intermediate level
• Project implementation approaches
• Capacity to fulfill functions for service provision and governance
• Embedding water services delivery in a framework for IWRM
• Appropriate technology options

• Service delivery models at system level
• Institutional arrangements for service provision
• Mechanisms and approaches for customer participation in the full life cycle of the service
• Financial arrangements for water service provision

5. Organisational change towards harmonisation and coordination

• History of the service delivery models (SDMs)
• Accompanying processes of organisational behaviour change
• Current state of harmonisation and coordination
• Underlying triggers, incentives, drivers and challenges

6. Analysis of service delivery models

• Impacts on the sustainability of service
• Potential for scaling up
• Costs and benefits
• Underlying success factors and challenges
• Success factors
• Challenges

7. Conclusions

• Service delivery models

A copy of the report can be accessed at this link