Ensure citizens participation in provision of portable water to communities and creating clean environment (GHSMD0005)

Commitment ID

GHSMD0005

Commitment Title

Ensure citizens participation in provision of portable water to communities and creating clean environment

Problem

Access to water and sanitation services in Ghana has been an issue over the years. Ghana is still ranked the lowest in access to water and basic sanitation facilities or services. Less than 20% of Ghanaians (including Shama) cannot access sanitation facilities and potable water (30%). We require results-based action to scale up access and improve stakeholder participation in the water and sanitation services supply. Problems identified during the cocreation process and analysis of existing data are:

• Lack of effective involvement of the relevant stakeholders in WASH services delivery
• Low awareness about the roles of community level stakeholders and local authorities
• Poor political and administrative leadership and commitment
• Low prioritisation  and inadequate budgetary allocation
• Poor communication between service providers and communities
• Inadequate accurate database
• Weak and uncoordinated law enforcement
• Lack of adherence to social norms
• Improper targeting of the vulnerable
• Diversity of stakeholders, especially the nature and diversity of civil society groups and public institutions in the WASH sector differs very much from those working on transparency and open government. Water user associations and consumer protection organizations at local level are not vocal and visible in the WASH sector.
• Lack of knowledge of the OGP concept in the WASH sector. Stakeholders lack sufficient knowledge and are not conversant with OGP and its processes.

Status quo

As a result of weak policy enforcement and lack of political commitment on provision of water services and sanitation facilities in the district has impacted negatively on the GWCL to effectively address community needs and demands for basic water supply and improve the livelihood of the people.

• Poor quality and delayed service delivery
• About 60% of the water supply among some communities in the district are highly influenced by political manoeuvre.
• Only 40% of urban population have reliable water.
• 78% of urban poor rely on small scale independent providers.
• Release of funds in implementing of water projects and waste containers is a huge challenge in the district. Majority of communities are not involved in water service delivery.
• No openness in water and sanitation services delivery as information is shrouded in the sleeves of government officials and service providers.

Consequently, there is no improvement in the sector as

• Less than 20% of Ghanaians (including Shama) do not have access to sanitation facilities and potable water (30%).

In the Shama District, only meagre proportion of households have access to public tap/standpipe (44.3%) and pipe-borne water outside dwelling (34.2%), while 10.3% use pipe-borne inside dwelling as their main source of water for drinking.

Action

The commitment is to enhance citizens participation in water and sanitation services delivery through the following actions:

• Revamping of the DWST at the Assembly and WSMTs in the communities
• Reactivate and strengthen the Community –Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach
• Develop explicit work plans to conduct identification and targeting of poor and vulnerable persons in water and sanitation service delivery
• Develop a local policy and minimum standards operation and maintenance policy and guidelines for WASH activities in the district.
• Create a platform for dialogue between water service providers, political leaders and communities (beneficiaries)
• Develop result-community based strategies to address ODF issues in our communities
• Set up and resourced the District Inter-Agency Coordinating Committee to facilitate and assist communities to play leading roles in the water and sanitation services delivery process.

If all these are effectively implemented, the provision of portable water for communities opened and participatory and water would be made accessible to all communities, while the environment is kept clean and hygienic.

How will the commitment contribute to solving the public problem described above?

The successful implementation of these commitment will yield significant results in the area of openness, popular participation, increased access and improved quality of services provided in the sector.

Eventually, water would be made accessible to all communities, and clean and hygienic environment maintained leading to improved health conditions and longevity of the people.

What long-term goal as identified in your Open Government Strategy does this commitment relate to?

The long-term goal the commitment will achieve include the following:

• Ensure quality, equitable and accessible water and sanitation services for all communities in the district
• Contribute to policy reforms in the provision of WASH services
• Creating a lasting civic space in the WASH sector
• Building communities to take ownership become resilient and ensure that resilient and sustainable WASH facilities are provided.

Community will participate actively in the provision of WASH services

Primary Policy Area

Civic Space, Social Accountability

Primary Sector

Public Services (general), Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene

What OGP value is this commitment relevant to?