Performance improvement planning helps service providers in bringing about incremental improvements in services by applying the principles of commercial orientation and financial viability. This overview paper by the Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) South Asia of the World Bank, explores how such improvements can be undertaken so that they remain sustainable in the long run as well.

The water supply and sanitation sector in India continues to be plagued with severe deficiencies in the availability, quality, and equity of services. Though access to infrastructure may be increasing in some cases, access to reliable, sustainable, and affordable water supply and sanitation services remains poor in general. Services remain deficient, with water available for only few hours a day; many remain unconnected to the network, and wastewater is disposed of without adequate treatment.

Consumers often spend large sums of money on expensive and unsafe alternatives to cope with poor services. While there are short-term procedural and technical solutions that providers can undertake for demonstrating immediate improvements in performance, these must be supported by institutional reform and adequate incentives for better management, operational autonomy, and improved accountability.

Service providers can, through performance improvement plans, target the delivery of improved services by (a) applying the principles of customer orientation and financial viability; and (b) by stressing on operational efficiency and sustainable revenue strategies for improved and accountable services. Such plans focus on both the demand side in terms of maximizing water revenues, and on the supply side in terms of cost efficiency and cost recovery. 

WSP's mission is to help the poor gain sustained access to water and sanitation services. For more details click here

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