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MDGF-1910: Strengthening the ability to define and apply water and sanitation policies [rd 2]

PLEASE NOTE THIS CONCEPT NOTE IS THE ORIGINAL SUBMISSION TO THE FUND. IN MANY CASES INDICATIVE BUDGET AMOUNTS APPROVED BY THE STEERING COMMITTEE ARE CONSIDERABLY LOWER THAN THAT REQUESTED AND INDICATED HERE-IN. FINAL BUDGET AMOUNTS WILL ONLY BE AVAILABLE AFTER APPROVAL OF THE FINALIZED DETAILED JOINT PROGRAMME DOCUMENT.
Wed, 2008/01/02 - 10:47am — ricardo.yorg@un...
Wed, 2008/01/30 - 4:13pm
Mon, 2008/02/25 - 12:59pm
ricardo.yorg@undp.org
English  (current), Spanish 

ID: MDGF-1910

Democratic Economic Governance
Round 2
(10/12/2007 - 31/12/2009)
Paraguay
$3,641,749
36 Months
Strengthening the ability to define and apply water and sanitation policies [rd 2]

Attached Documents:

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A. Applicant Information

Latin America and the Caribbean
  • Lower Middle Income Country
  • Medium HDI, according to UNDP's 2006 Human Development Report
  • Lorenzo Jimenez de Luis
  • lorenzo.jimenez.de.luis@undp.org
  • Aldo Natalizia
  • aldo.natalizia@undp.org
  • Ricardo Yorg
  • UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
  • Oficial de Programa
  • ricardo.yorg@undp.org
  • Fleming Duarte
  • UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
  • Oficial
  • fleming.duarte@undp.org
  • UNDP - United Nations Development Programme ($1,418,606)
  • UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund ($1,017,356)
  • WHO - World Health Organization ($669,285)
  • ILO - International Labour Organization ($536,502)
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B. Concept Note

The Joint Programme will contribute to a sustainable increase in access to sanitation and potable water in Paraguay, in order to lessen the existing shortfall, through the provision of quality services emphasizing dispersed rural communities and indigenous populations that: i) strengthen capabilities for efficiently managing water and sanitation services, ii) bolster the ability of citizens to exercise their rights and actively participate in planning and overseeing the actions of the public sector, iii) develop models for financing water and sanitation infrastructure through local financial instruments that aim for sustainability of the systems and iv) improve access to, and the quality of, water and sanitation services in rural areas and indigenous communities in the interior of the country.

Paraguay ranks among the countries with the greatest quantity of available fresh water in the world, with the yearly amount being approximately 60,000 cubic meters per capita. Nevertheless, systems for providing potable water cover on average only 66% of the population, with a disproportionate part of this coverage being in urban areas to the detriment of rural areas (80% in urban areas and barely 45% in rural areas). The departments of Alto Paraná and Caaguazú, where potable water availability is only 35% in the rural districts, illustrate the great geographic disparity. In the case of indigenous communities the disparity is even greater, with 2.5% coverage in the provision of potable water and 1.1% in basic sanitation. The Western Region almost always suffers from a deficit of water resources, and in the Eastern Region water availability is characterized by uneven local distribution since there are regions with an excellent water supply and others with almost no water; especially in terms of the underground water supply used by more than 80% of potable water systems. The goal for provision of potable water by 2015 is 80.5%, which shows the shortfall in coverage that currently exists at the national level and which is even greater in rural and indigenous areas. As far as the quality of water is concerned, studies by ERSSAN indicate that only 24% of water systems receive any type of treatment, with this deficiency being greater in rural regions. Activities to protect water quality and to promote and assist Community Sanitation Boards and its Associations (Juntas de Saneamiento y Asociación de Juntas de Saneamiento) occur only on a limited basis. The gap is even greater in the field of basic rural sanitation, as according to the MDG advance report; coverage in Paraguay in 2005 is 14% in urban sanitation and 39% in rural sanitation, with the goal for 2015 being 70% for urban sanitation and 86% for rural sanitation. These figures demonstrate a real challenge at present and for the coming future. Only 10% of sewage collected in the country is treated in facultative lagoons. These figures reveal an obvious problem in terms of the availability, quality and equity of services. International assistance that has been received from such organizations as the World Bank and the IDB, among others, has been an important, though insufficient investment to increase the provision of services. It has left significant gaps, however, in such areas as support for the development of a sector policy to foster comprehensive and sustained management in this sector that would make it possible to adequately confront the national challenges (among which should be mentioned the lack of investment in the cultural process, sustained mentoring for communities and especially for the water and community sanitation boards (Juntas de Saneamiento)at local management level, and excessively centralized administration of services). A key factor to keep in mind is the recent approval by Congress of the Water Law (Sep/2007), which is currently in force and which impacts national policy. This law forms a part of the general regulatory framework for formulating and implementing water resources policy. However regulations have yet to be promulgated to support this policy and a water authority needs to be created to take the lead in drawing up sector policies, strategies and plans that will allow an increase in the provision and quality of services. Another factor that has contributed to the low level of development in Paraguay in the field of water and sanitation is the lack of empowerment of its citizens. This is mainly due to the lack of citizen access to information, and poor organizational skills when it comes to demanding respect for their rights, participating in the decision-making process and controlling the actions of the public sector. Lastly, other significant limitations include the lack of financing mechanisms for the management, development and implementation of water and sanitation infrastructure, and the need for suitable low-cost technologies that would permit greater access to services by the poorest segments of the population. Also, low investment in this sector necessitates greater mobilization and attraction of resources - such as those produced by royalties from bi-nationals and loan funds from international organizations -, in order to increase investment and with it the provision of services.

At the conclusion of the Joint Programme, the results will be reflected in: I) Enhanced abilities to efficiently manage water and sanitation services. It is anticipated that this result will lead to the development of an improved regulatory framework through which the following elements will be established: i) a national policy in this field, ii) a more effective regulatory strategy that will assure interaction between the government, the service providers (public and private) and the user in order to achieve stability, iii) commitments and incentives to improve the quality of services and broaden access to water and sanitation, introducing the concepts of economy, equity and efficiency in the distribution of services, and iv) improved capabilities on the part of the responsible entities, which will make sustainable services possible. II) Citizens are strengthened in their ability to promote and protect their rights, participate in the decision-making process and control public sector actions. Informed citizens will understand that water is a human right and as members of an active and democratically organized society will be able to command respect for that right by demanding quality services, participating in decision-making and taking charge of the services. In particular, the programme will place special emphasis on empowering marginalized sections of the population and strengthening entities with relevant responsibilities so that they can work together in the reform processes by which national development strategies for reducing poverty are drawn up and applied. It will pay special attention to encouraging female inclusion and participation in these activities and to strengthening intercultural relations with the indigenous populations, proposing participative work schemes that help ensure the systems’ sustainability and a better understanding of their importance to health. III) A mid- and long-term financing scheme for sanitation and potable water services is drawn up and implemented in selected districts. The programme intends to generate innovative financing strategies to allow both the government and the private sector (service-providing businesses) to have resources for financing investments and for operating public services. The programme’s operations are based on incorporating an appropriate design and implementation methodology that will include training and technical assistance for the relevant entities in mobilizing and attracting resources, and designing a plan to finance water and sanitation infrastructure for the marginalized population by adapting the regulatory framework. It will also encourage greater mobilization and attraction of resources at the governmental level and from international development organizations, such as the international cooperating agencies, for the purpose of increasing investment and the provision of services to the population. This will result in a plan and financial structure within the national and sub-national model, with public-private participation (trusts, mandates, etc.) that will make it possible to foster investment for developing the water and sanitation sector. IV) Access to and the quality of water and sanitation services in rural regions and indigenous communities in the interior of the country will be improved. As the programme’s final outcome, operations will be carried out with selected marginalized populations, with full participation by local governments and communities, in order to generate replicable models with respect to water and sanitation policies and management, foreseeing investment funds that will have a direct impact on the MDGs. This operation will result in generating the synergy with governmental entities, the private sector and the Spanish Government Cooperation Agency international that is necessary for access by excluded populations to quality water and sanitation services. The proposed systems for providing water and sanitation relate to single-family and/or community rainwater collection (by means of small impoundments and/or cisterns with proper water treatment) and the construction of sanitary latrines for the indigenous population of the Central Chaco, and infrastructure improvements (improvements to wells and the construction of sanitary latrines) in the case of the scattered rural communities of the Eastern Region.

The shortfalls in providing water and sanitation are not due to a scarcity of water but rather to an institutional and public policy problem; namely water management. The Joint Programme has a comprehensive approach that clearly includes the water governance aspect: i) enhancing the ability to efficiently manage water and sanitation services; ii) empowering citizens to enable them to exercise their rights and actively participate in planning and controlling the actions of the public sector; iii) developing models for financing water and sanitation infrastructures by means of local financing mechanisms that strive for the systems’ sustainability, and iv) improving access to and the quality of water and sanitation systems in rural areas and indigenous communities in the interior of the country. The activities to be carried out by the programme will impose order in this sector and strengthen the responsible institutions, and at the local level models for systems and efficient management will be implemented that ensure quality basic water and sanitation services that can be sustained and replicated and can generate activity on a larger scale. The Joint Programme’s main activities include: From OUTCOME 1: • An updated information system (compiling, monitoring and updating of water resources and an analysis of the water and sanitation sector). • Nation-wide dissemination of results. • A process for discussion of regulatory frameworks and current jurisdictions in the field of water and sanitation. • Assistance in drawing up legal and administrative proposals for regulating and managing this sector. • Promotion and advocacy. • Training and technical assistance to sub-national governments (departmental and municipal) in designing and implementing water and sanitation programmes and projects. • Assisting in drawing up a national water and sanitation plan. • Strengthening of community organizations, especially community sanitation boards and its associations (Juntas de Saneamiento y Asociación de Juntas de Saneamiento ( . • Assistance in designing schemes for public-private participation and private investment. From OUTCOME 2: • Surveys and public meetings between providers, users and non-governmental organizations in selected communities. • Development and distribution of a social survey in selected communities. • Training and strengthening of institutions on the subject of accountability. • Community mapping in selected communities. • Assistance in designing suitable technologies in selected communities. • Encouraging active participation by citizens and especially by women. From OUTCOME 3: • Assistance in designing sub-national financial models in selected sub-national governments. • Identification at the national and sub-national levels of existing legal mechanisms and investment instruments for the water and sanitation sector. • Institutional training and reinforcement on the subject of mobilizing resources for financing in selected sub-national governments. • Assistance in designing methods of financing at the community level and with the private sector in selected sub-national governments. • Assistance in mobilizing and attracting resources from royalties and international development organizations. From OUTCOME 4: • Implementation of a mechanism for water monitoring and quality control at the national level and in selected communities. • Implementation of culturally adapted systems for providing water and sanitation in selected communities. • Training and enhancement of the capabilities of institutions and communities, in the management of water and sanitation in selected communities. By means of mechanisms for transferring knowledge and the development of vertical and horizontal financing mechanisms the Joint Programme will enhance the ability of national and sub-national actors to manage the water and sanitation sector. It will get the private sector and civil society involved, utilizing validated technologies and incorporating lessons learned from experience and working together on policies and overall management so as to achieve system sustainability and increased quality and equal coverage. This Joint Programme is entirely consistent with the national priorities set forth in the Strategy for the Fight against Poverty and in the San Bernardino Declaration. It is also related to UNDAF 2007-2011 in that governance, the environment and sustainable development are part of its priorities. This programme’s added value is that it will improve and strengthen the culture in Paraguay with respect to water and sanitation. The sustainability of the Joint Programme’s results will depend upon the extent that they benefit from a permanent monitoring scheme and stimulate a debate between the various actors (government, private sector and the civil society) about water and sanitation problems and possible measures to be adopted. The plan for using local resources for mid- and long-term financing is a tool for sustainability, as combined with a firm political decision to assign priority to investment in water and sanitation it can yield a substantial increase in coverage. Lastly, the provision of training and technical assistance for the entities responsible for water and sanitation will also strongly contribute to the sustainability of the Joint Programme’s proposed direct outcomes. Possible obstacles to the programme’s successful implementation have been identified as: • Inability of local governments to properly implement the investments contemplated in the programme. In order to lessen this problem, in the first year there will be an analysis of local capacities and the methods of strengthening institutions. The municipalities included in the programme will receive training and technical assistance in implementing the investment activities. • The political effects of the 2008 presidential election will lead to changes in the ministerial authorities. In order to lessen the risks that this poses agreements will be signed with the authorities responsible for the water and sanitation sector, and training and technical assistance will be provided to the relevant entities, together with promotional and advocacy efforts. • No water authority exists, even after the recent promulgation of the Water Law. This programme will work towards the creation of a water and sanitation authority. • The lack of inter-institutional liaison and coordination continues to be one of the greatest challenges to be faced. The Joint Programme therefore bases its strategy on strengthened channels of coordination at the national government level and in its various sub-national departments.

Since the primary concern is changing the living conditions of the target population, the programme has a series of indicators for measuring impact, as well as others for effects and outcomes and the creation of institutional capabilities. The data sources will be quantitative and qualitative (documentation supporting the outcomes, in-depth interviews and focus groups). A significant part of the initial information (baseline) is available from DGEEC (General Directorate of Surveys and Censuses). Additional information will be generated as needed at the programme’s outset. The programme coordinator shall devise a balanced scorecard and present the main results at the monthly meeting of the technical council and a quarterly report to the steering committee. In case of delays, the technical committee shall make the necessary decisions to bring the programme’s performance up to date and inform the steering committee if the situation is not corrected in the respective six-month period. The functions of each council are detailed in section VI. Two participative evaluations (intermediate and final) will be performed by an evaluation team. OUTCOME 1: An analysis of this sector is conducted and information about it is updated, improved and made available. Legislative and administrative modifications are incorporated into the sector. The number and kind of programs formulated by the national and sub-national governments and implemented. The number of water quality services according to WHO guidelines. The number of alliances on water and sanitation between the private sector and community organizations. A national water and sanitation plan and policy are drawn up. OUTCOME 2: An accountability system is implemented in the responsible entities. An action strategy is implemented. A participative work methodology is incorporated into national guidelines. A participative work methodology is incorporated into national guidelines. OUTCOME 3: Percentage of selected municipalities with financing plans drawn up. Percentage of selected municipalities with financing plans implemented. OUTCOME 4: Rate of increase in coverage among marginalized communities. Number and type of institutions trained and prepared. Number and type of institutions strengthened. Number of water quality plans formulated and implemented.

The United Nations country team in Paraguay is made up of UNICEF, UNFPA, UNDP, FAO, PAHO/WHO, ILO, UNIFEM and WMO. There have been several instances of successful cooperation between these agencies, for example the joint efforts of UNDP, UNICEF and UNFPA on the Social Expenditures in the Budget—Investing in the People project, which advocates increasing social investment in order to achieve the MDG’s. This proposal incorporates the participation of the following UN System agencies: UNDP, UNICEF, ILO and PAHO/WHO. These agencies’ average annual implementation expenditures over the last two years are: UNDP (US$ 30,000,000); ILO (US$ 850,000); UNICEF (US$ 2,000,000); PAHO/WHO (US$ 1,800,000). The proposed programme will be carried out under the general coordination of the UNDP resident representative, including monitoring the progress of implementation and the consistency of content. The relevant experience of the agencies is detailed in the appendix. The main national public sector associates are: MSPyBS [Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare] (SENASA, DIGESA and SENEPA), INTN, SEAM, ERSSAN, ESSAP, the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Justice and Labor, Ministry of Public Works, SAS, STP, MAG (SENAVE), the Municipal Development Institute and departmental and municipal governments. The main partners from the private sector and civil society are: CAPA, private providers, community sanitation boards and its associations (Juntas de Saneamiento y Asociación de Juntas de Saneamiento), private investors and indigenous organizations. The programme will have a steering committee (made up of the heads of the participating agencies, the AECI representative in Paraguay and the national authorities that are involved) and a technical committee (made up of the programme coordinator, technicians from each of the participating agencies, two representatives from the involved public sector and an AECI technician). The former will issue the principal programme directives, ensure resource liquidity, approve the annual operational plans and follow up on the results of monitoring and the evaluation. The latter will be in charge of implementing the programme—especially as relates to coordination between agencies and with the public sector—and consolidating the annual operational plans of each agency in the programme, as well as the monitoring and evaluation. The technical committee will also hold periodic consultations with representatives of the Inter-Agency Gender Group to follow up on the mainstreaming of the gender perspective in the proposal’s implementation.
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C. MDG-Related Indicators

  • Goal 0: Millennium Declaration: an enabling environment (human rights, democracy and good governance)
  • Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
  • Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
  • Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
  • Goal 5: Improve maternal health
  • Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
  • 4. Prevalence of underweight children under-five years of age
  • 5. Proportion of population below minimum level of dietary energy consumption
  • 13. Under-five mortality rate
  • 14. Infant mortality rate
  • 16. Maternal mortality ratio
  • 30. Proportion of population with sustainable access to an improved water source, urban and rural
  • 31. Proportion of population with access to improved sanitation, urban and rural
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D. Formulation Advance

Yes
$20,000
UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
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E. Resident Coordinator's Undertakings

  • The Concept Note has been reviewed by the national government and the UN Country Team.
  • If approved by the MDG-F Steering Committee, the UN Participating Organizations undertake to submit a draft Joint Programme Document within eight weeks of notification.
  • All UN Participating Organizations have or will sign the global Memorandum of Understanding with the Multi-Donor Trust Fund Office.