Local Governance and WatSan Niassa

Despite important progress made by the government and development partners in recent years, the Northern Province of Niassa (surface 122’870 km; 1.8 Million inhabitants) remains the province with the lowest water and sanitation coverage in Mozambique. Currently, only 48% of the rural population in Niassa Province have access to safe drinking water and only 29% to improved water & sanitation facilities (closed, with access to water and soap). This is far below the government target to achieve universal access to basic safe sanitation and hygiene by 2030. Only 12% of the population uses improved latrines and 6% of the households have a specific space for washing hands with water and soap or ashes.

Additionally, only half of the 193 health posts in the Province have adequate water, sanitation and hygiene services. These inadequate water supply and hygiene conditions result in high incidences of diarrhoea, skin infections and annual cholera outbreaks in communities. Building on the good experiences of the Swiss co-financed and government-led Transparent Governance for Water, Sanitation and Health (GoTAS) program implemented since 2012, Phase III of the programme aims to continue strengthening community and civil society participation and increase the provision of quality public water sanitation and health promotion services through government systems, in order to effectively respond to community priorities.

• Authorities in the province of Niassa and in 7 districts
• Population of 7 districts, approximately 876’000 inhabitants
• Provincial Assembly, Community Based organizations, civil society organizations private sector cooperatives and artisans working in the water, sanitation, and health sector

Outcome 1: In the four target districts (from phase 2), women and men living in rural areas can express their needs and rights and demand responsibility from local governments and private sector to provide basic water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services

Outcome 2: In the seven target districts (from phases 2 and 3), decentralised systems (district government, private sector, water and sanitation committees) have provided more equitable, efficient and integrated health, including high-quality basic WASH services that meet the needs of the vulnerable and disadvantaged populations.

Outcome 3: Improve sector approaches through evidence from local realities’, engage in national level dialogue and influence the institutionalization of program approaches through policy change, adoption, and practice.

Principaux résultats attendus:  

Demand Creation (Outcome 1):
i) Strengthened Community Based Organizations (CBOs), Water and Sanitation Committees, with improved gender balance and internal governance, elaborate and implement well-articulated Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) plans to promote hygiene and health
ii) Performance of public services, especially for WASH, is monitored by civil society (users, members of local councils, CSOs)

Demand Response (Outcome 2):
i) Efficiency: Increased PFM capacities of local government at district level; increased technical knowledge on the rehabilitation and maintenance of water infrastructure
ii) Accountability: The quality of reporting regarding the implementation of district planning on water, sanitation and hygiene is improved and systematically related to WASH plans and budgets

Learning, dialogue and policy influence (Outcome 3):
Success stories in water, sanitation and hygiene, and lessons learned are documented and disseminated. The project engages actively in policy dialogue at national and international level.

Principaux résultats antérieurs:  

The mid-term evaluation conducted in October 2020 confirmed that the program is on track to achieve the programme envisaged results.

Beneficiary level:

• Around 265’000 people (60% women) benefited from improved access (less than 500 meters from their homes) to drinking water and 326’500 people (49% women) benefited from improved latrines
• 146 communities (target: 144) reached Open Defecation Free status and health services have reported a 54% drop in diarrheal disease cases. This also demonstrates the success of the community-led total sanitation approach in order to achieve behavioral change regarding sanitation and hygiene

Demand:

• In five districts, 291 Community Water and Sanitation Committees (CAS - 3’492 members, 50% women) have a functioning internal governance system (2021 target: 189).
• 189 are performing routine maintenance of water points.
• 4 new local artisans (30 people trained) and 7 new private sector cooperatives are providing water supply maintenance services for Water & Sanitation infrastructure

Supply:

• 12% of the district budget was allocated to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (2% increase compared to phase 1)
• 3 Districts successfully launched and managed tender processes for the construction of 113 water points and 8 health facilities

Policy and Advocacy:

• Best practice for management models for water supply systems and sanitary units in health centres were shared at provincial and national levels and are now used as national reference
• Analysis, exchanges and trainings were initiated to standardise models for more sustainable quality water supply systems