BPDWS - Dakar

Dakar Project A private firm, Senegalaise des Eaux (SdE), has signed a ten-year affermage contract for operations and maintenance with a State body (SONES, the owner of the infrastructure). SONES and SdE work in partnership with an international NGO with local roots, ENDA. Other actors include the municipalities, neighbourhood associations (Associations de Quartier), National Government and donors (who fund ENDA’s work).

Project Description

The three main partners work together to provide poor communities with standpipes. In effect there are two types of standpipe scheme - in one SONES fully finances the cost of the infrastructure, in the other ENDA finances the infrastructure. This latter scheme, known as the ‘Eau Populaire’ program is six years old. The SONES scheme has installed roughly 250 standposts, the ENDA scheme roughly 130.

Context

In 1995/96 a large-scale reform of the Senegalese water sector led to SdE signing a version of an affermage contract with SONES. SdE is responsible for the running of the existing network whilst capital investment for the expansion of the system remains the responsibility of SONES. Much of the partnership work builds upon ENDA’s earlier experience of working with SONEES (the public utility prior to reform).

Economic progress in Senegal has been generally steady though stalling somewhat of late. Recent elections saw a new President installed. Ongoing reform gradually sees State responsibilities being transferred to municipalities, though this has had little impact to date on the project. Dakar itself has undergone rapid expansion in recent decades (its population quadrupling within 40 years), and despite network expansion, zones with little or no service can be found within the metropolitan area.

Project Beneficiaries

The ‘Eau Populaire’ program has been implemented in urban / peri-urban areas. The program installs metered standposts to serve poor households who previously used polluted well water. The program is demand-responsive rather than relying on supply-side targeting of the poor.

Objectives and Structures of Partnership

The partnership between the three groups is a loose and informal one, at least at the macro-level (though SONES and SdE are contractually bound). At the project level, a ‘cahier des charges’ has to be drawn up and presented to SONES for approval - this provides a more specific guide to both objectives and roles and responsibilities.

Roles and Responsibilities

SONES is responsible for the development of new infrastructure. It also regulates the technical and engineering performance of SdE. It approves interventions by ENDA and other actors, especially where this involves the construction of new infrastructure. SdE, is responsible for the operation of the water system. It co-supervises the execution of works with SONES, is responsible for linking up new networks and for the pipes supplying the standposts. Once water is flowing SdE is responsible for billing and tariff collection. ENDA helps identify and relay demands, proposes and develops standpipe schemes, mobilises the financial contribution of the users and helps them form committees. Standpost operator training, and education and awareness activities are strong components of their work.

Community Liaison

Community involvement at the project level is quite strong - they are heavily involved in planning, construction and maintenance, leading to strong ownership and near 100per cent cost recovery. In Dakar, although the public utility (SONES) owns the infrastructure, communities often come to ENDA to seek assistance in getting water services. Within communities ENDA uses participative workshops for planning and also seek a contribution from the community (community labour typically makes up a quarter to a third of the total cost). SONES do not expect a community contribution when they finance schemes, and pay external contractors to do the work. All standposts are metered - the households pay the standpost operator whilst the operator pays the utility for bulk water. The community itself chooses the operator (or a group of rotating operators) who may work for the community for a salary or occasionally for themselves for a share.

Communications and Feedback

Communication between the partners is informal and relies on individual contacts more than on structured institutional links.

Evolution and Institutionalisation

Until recently education and awareness work by the project partners has been mostly undertaken by ENDA. However, the communications division within SONES has been recently revamped and been given a bigger budget. The new strategy aims to work with local groups to assist SONES with their E&A work. The long-term aim of the SONES programme is to bring some Institutional and Social Development skills in-house, and to build up capacity within communities to act as a partner to SONES. Otherwise there have been few alterations in roles and responsibilities over the life of the partnership. The informal nature of the partnership means that it has not been deeply institutionalised.

Results

An estimated 200,000 people now have access to potable water thanks to the ‘Eau Populaire’ project - this provides the usual benefits of better health, less time spent collecting water etc. The project has led to a significant drop in waterborne illnesses in children. It has also led to the creation of several hundred jobs (standpost operators who receive between 30,000 and 80,000 CFA per month), as well as funding other local projects via standpost receipts. A study of the actual development impacts or cost / benefit analysis is awaited.

Strengths

Complementarity of the partners, generating synergy; good personal relationships; clear roles, responsibilities and working practices on the ground; good local knowledge; ENDA well-known and respected by the community (with proven technical competence and independent financing).

Next steps and Replicability

The model seems to work well at its current scale, but ENDA schemes rely on external funding. It may also be difficult to replicate the current success elsewhere in Dakar / Senegal without a more formalised structure and clearer macro-roles and responsibilities. Considering how ENDA can contribute to SONES remodelled E&A strategy may also be worthwhile.

Wider Lessons

the importance of community buy-in (via community input into decision-making and/or operations)
the NGO can clearly bring new skills and resources to the table
the benefit of clear roles and responsibilities (given the contrast between the project & macro levels of partnership)
the challenges of defining the NGO role, especially regarding financing & ‘contracting’ specifically
the importance of well-structured ‘contract’ incentives (avoid imbalances in risk and responsibility and conflict of mandates)
the tension/contrast of relationships between individuals and relationships between institutions

Dakar, Senegal: Upgrade and expansion of local water networks

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