102603 Water and Sanitation Program Working to Improve Policies, Practices and Capacities The Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) is a global partnership, executed by the World Bank and supported by the world’s leading donor agencies.1 In the context of the Millennium Development Goals and the international community’s unprecedented agreement for reducing poverty, WSP is dedicated to supporting governments’ address the challenge of poverty by focusing on the water and sanitation sector. The Program’s mission is to improve polices, practices, and capacities in the water and sanitation sector. WSP provides advisory services in support of efforts by governments to strengthen institutions in the water and sanitation sector. These services involve accessing experts and best practices—local and global; holding strategy workshops; assisting in the design of legislations, fiscal instruments, and the overall institutional framework for service delivery; and supporting systems of monitoring and evaluation to actively learn from on-going reforms. 1 The Program’s funding partners are the Governments of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States of America; the United Nations Development Programme, The World Bank, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. A combination of field-based advisory services, pooling of donor resources and access to global expertise and experience has enabled WSP-SA to play a strong role in supporting institutional reform in the water and sanitation sector. The Program works in partnership with governments Asia, WSP’s regional office is in Delhi and it has at all levels, financial institutions, external donors, country offices in Dhaka and Islamabad. NGOs and the private sector. WSP’s services are provided on a grant basis. WSP-SA’S CAPACITY WSP-SA’s capacity is based on the principle of an WSP IN SOUTH ASIA (WSP-SA) inverted pyramid that encompasses: In South Asia, WSP-SA has a highly focused G A broad group of implementing partners in the interdisciplinary team that manages a collaborative, technical assistance program throughout the region. public, private and NGO sectors. G Global and local expertise, including staff of the The team has a skill base that draws on expertise from public finance, decentralization, local govern- WSP global and regional teams, World Bank and IFC. ment and the water and sanitation sector. This diversity WSP has full access to the skill and knowledge base of skills reflects the Program’s belief that important of the World Bank Group. inter-sectoral linkages including local government G A small highly qualified WSP team to leverage the reforms, private sector participation, urbanization, and contracted-in capacity of global and local experts and the impact of collective action by communities influence implementing partners. the performance of the water and sanitation sector. Managing access to capacity through networks WSP operates under the fiduciary and administrative enables WSP to maintain a broad skill base and guidelines of the World Bank, ensuring an important sustain the Program’s flexibility and ability to respond quality control on the Program’s operations. In South to requests for support in real time. MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS FOR WATER AND SANITATION ● By 2015 to reduce by half the proportion of people who are unable to reach, or to afford, safe drinking water. This target was adopted at the United Nations Millennium Summit. ● By 2015 to reduce by half the proportion of people who do not have access to safe sanitation facilities. This target was adopted at the World Summit on Sustainable Development. Water and Sanitation Program-South Asia wspsa@worldbank.org w w w. w s p . o r g Bangladesh India Pakistan Water and Sanitation Program-South Asia Water and Sanitation Program-South Asia Water and Sanitation Program-South Asia The World Bank Office 55 Lodi Estate The World Bank Office E-32 Agargaon, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, New Delhi 110003, India 20A Shahrah-e-Jamhuriat Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh Phone: (+91-11) 24690488/24690489 G-5/1 Islamabad, Pakistan Phone: (+880-2) 8159001-14/8159015-28 Fax: (+91-11) 24628250 Phone: (+92-51) 2279641-6 Fax: (+880-2) 8159029 Fax: (+92-51) 2826362 HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE REGION Translating Policy Into Reality in the Context of Decentralized Service Delivery G Addressing capacity constraints of local governments. G Aligning financial flows with functional assignments. Incorporating WSS Into Urban Planning G Focus on services to urban poor. G Moving from projects to integrated urban planning. G Supporting cities to incorporate WSS to the poor into their city development plans, and move from project to integrated urban planning. Culture of Consultation and Communication G Creating broad based awareness on water and sanitation sector issues and options for reform. G Enhancing client capacity to manage strategic communication programs by developing advocacy research material and training. Alternate Service Delivery Arrangements G Developing models through which local governments can access sector capacities, including small and medium enterprises and community based organizations. Constructive Engagements with Civil Society G Supporting utilities and civil society organizations to constructively engage in planning and monitoring service delivery improvements. Improving Sustainability of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation G Institutionalize bottom-up planning for local water resource management, water safety, and contracting for operation and maintenance of rural water supply and sanitation. G Advocating and building capacity for collective behavior change. June 2008 G Photographs by Sajid Darokhan G Created by Write Media G Printed at PS Press Services Pvt. Ltd.