Accountability in WASH: Explaining the Concept

Sustainability of WASH interventions is far below what is needed to achieve universal access to water and sanitation services. Improved governance, with clear roles and responsibilities of all actors involved, is critical for improving the sustainability of service delivery in the long run. Accountable actors of the service delivery framework provide and demand better water governance —for better services. Supporting accountability within the service delivery framework is about improving the quality of relationships between stakeholders. Accountable States, service providers and users assume responsibility and answer for their actions—all key elements for breaking institutional inertia and making the institutional arrangements and systems for service delivery work for all.

The Concept Note “Accountability in WASH, explaining the concept” provides water practitioners with a toolbox of concepts to help identify which accountability factors affect the sustainability of water and sanitation service delivery and match this diagnosis to different solutions and options for action.

Citation

UNDP-SIWI Water Governance Facility & UNICEF, 2015. WASH and Accountability: Explaining the Concept. Accountability for Sustainability Partnership: UNDP-SIWI Water Governance Facility and UNICEF. Stockholm and New York: SIWI and UNICEF.