The Role of Civil Society in the Sector in Improving Sustainable Service Delivery

1. The Role of Civil Society in the Sector in Improving Sustainable Service Delivery PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE, WATER AND SANITATION, PARLIAMENT, CAPETOWN, 24 MAY 2006 Presented by Victor Thoka Director of Rural Development Services Network, and Member of Masibambane National CSOs Steering Committee

2. OUTLINE Analysis of the role of CSOs in provision of social services, in terms of: • Key principles guiding CSOs involvement • Key areas of involvement • Key challenges faced by CSOs involvement • Initiatives to deal with these challenges

3. Principles guiding CSOs involvement • Combine Service delivery with developing people – thereby building social capital • Community driven, community – owned, participatory and empowering approaches • Deepen democracy and people ownership of development • Mainstreaming cross – cutting issues

4. Principles guiding CSOs involvement (cont.) • Treat citizens as key role –players (stakeholders and beneficiaries) and not only as consumers • Put emphasis on the process as on the product • Sustainability is the cornerstone of CSOs participation • Understanding the terrain much better

5. Principles guiding CSOs involvement (cont.) • Being the conscience and voice of the poor and the marginalized • Social development is a social construct as opposed to a technical process – thus, dealing with subjects not objects

6. Key areas of involvement • PLANNING: • Research; capacity building; information desemination; policy advocacy; lobbying; campaigning; monitoring and evaluation Examples: Development of IDPs, WSDPs and project development BPs; Training of ward committees and community development workers

7. Key areas of involvement (cont.) • How does this improve Sustainability in planning? • Build trust of the process by communities as CSOs are seen as impartial facilitators. • Knowledge and experience in community based approaches • Better product through better process • Hold government accountable to electorate

8. Key areas of involvement (cont.) • PROJECT MANAGEMENT: • Appropriate technologies for remote rural communities – less onerous O & M requirements • Buying – in by communities • Linkage to local economic benefit • Happy communities, less vandalism

9. Key areas of involvement (cont.) • Sustainability in project management: • Experience in providing cost effective services in remote areas • Maximum “cents in the rand” stay in the community • Maximum participation, “ownership & responsibility • Better product through better processes

10. Key areas of involvement (cont.) • INSTITUTIONAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT (ISD) • Understanding the political economy of communities involved (empathy & trust) • Effective participatory techniques • Experience in community based approaches • Going the extra – mile (volunteerism) • Understanding behaviour change (H &HE)

11. Key areas of involvement (cont.) • Benefit to Sustainability in ISD • Institutional development grounded within the local context • Integrated and holistic approaches in training and education lead to all rounded development practitioners • Informed communities and beneficiaries

12. Key areas of involvement (cont.) • OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE • Strong and effective communications with communities through education and campaigns • Effective stakeholder and beneficiary management • Appropriate technologies to manage free basic water allocation • Effective and affordable solutions to sewage system failures • Effective cost recovery and cheaper WSP arrangements

13. Key areas of involvement (cont.) • Benefit of O & M to Sustainability: • Ensuring Community involvement in O &M • Sound stakeholder and beneficiaries relations through local knowledge and good communication • Appropriate technical solutions • Facilitation of affordable service levels • Satisfied communities through better process

14. Key challenges affecting CSOs involvement • Lack of political will, especially at the local level • Absence of policies and strategies to guide municipalities at local level • CSOs engagement often driven by cosmetic window – dressing rather genuine intentions • Lack of clarity on the role of CSOs • Adversarial relations among traditional authorites,government and CSOs • Need for paradigm shift by both CSOs and Government • Treating CSOs as an added – on, rather than a partner in development

15. Challenges affecting CSOs involvement in service delivery continues… • Little budgets allocated to building the capacity of CSOs despite the call for more budgets; • Procurement policies not accommodative of CSOs • BEE & BBEE policies have not benefited CSOs sofar • The Challenge of CSOs speaking with one voice.

16. Innitiatives to address these challenges • The development of a strategic framework by SALGA in colloboration with CSOs and other partners • Development of a five year activity plans by the nine provinces to be mainstreamed into DWAF ‘s Water and Sanitation Five Year Plan • Business Plans for the nine provinces completed • National data-base for CSOs completed and the provincial ones in progress • Development of National Communication Strategy in progress • Skills training and accreditation for CSOs started in certain provinces • CSOs Summit next month to address some of the challenges.

17. CONCLUSION We need a political leadership to champion CSO involvement. Together we can contribute to a growing economy through sustainable services. I THANK YOU!