Community Development Component, Uganda-Sweden Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Programme (DWD)

The Sida support to ‘Uganda-Sweden Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Programme’ aimed at generally improving service delivery of the Directorate of Water Development, Ministry of Water and Environment by strengthening institutional capacity, administrative structures and harmonising efforts at central, district and community levels.

There were two objectives stated for the Technical Assistance support to the programme:

• Assisting the Ministry of Water, Lands and Environment in providing institutional support and coordination of all stakeholders, (Local Government, line ministries, Development Partners. The private sector and other non-Government actors) and in spearheading the process towards the SWAp in the rural water and sanitation sub-sector; and
• Assisting the Ministry of Water, Lands and Environment and players at the local level in establishing efficient structures and working methods for expanded water and sanitation services in the rural areas, based on community ownership and initiative.

The technical assistance (TA) team consisting of international long- and recurring short term experts based at Directorate of Water Development (DWD) at the Ministry of Water and Environment dealt with financial management, management information systems (MIS), as well as inputs and guidance to the Government staff. Three international experts focused on: Water and Sanitation Engineering, Financial Management and Community Development. For sustainability and efficiency, the technical assistance inputs were over the last years increasingly, provided on a demand base through working groups assigned to specific tasks.

As efficient service delivery under a decentralized approach requires significant support and back-up from the central sector organisations, the Programme has also provided assistance for institutional development at central level through development of strategies and identification and promotion of appropriate and affordable technologies. Effective financial management and administrative systems were seen as pre-requisites for successful operations, good sector performance and paving the way for a harmonised donor support.