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PROJECT: GOVERNANCE, ADVOCACY AND LEADERSHIP IN WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE (GOAL WASH)Togo
The Ministry of Public Rural Amenities, in charge of water issues, is the implementing Agency. The GoAL WaSH project supports the implementation of a sector-wide approach to improve the governance of the sector and solve the structural problems of planning and management.
Goals
- Enhance the visibility of the water sector to facilitate advocacy and mobilization of technical and financial resources.
- Strengthen the operational capacity of the Directorate of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, from the Ministry of Water.
- Strengthen the capacity of local actors to manage drinking water supply systems in semi-urban areas.
- Finalize the investment plan of the “Societé du Patrimoine de l’eau”, the public asset holder for water infrastructures, supporting the preparation of a round-table panel of technical and financial partner.
Challenge
As of 2015, about 63 percent of the population in Togo had access to improved drinking water, while the rate reached only 44 percent in rural areas. Only 11 percent of the population has access to improved sanitation facilities. A key service-delivery bottleneck is the lack of effective governance, rooted in insufficient capacity, a shortage of new investments and limited visibility of the sector.
Opportunity
To address the challenges in the implementation of the National Plan of Action for the Water and Sanitation Sector developed in 2009, Togo has identified four priority lines of action: implementation of a sector-wide approach in the water and sanitation sector, the strengthening of capacities, diversification of financial resources and increasing the visibility of the sector.
Furthermore, to support the reform process of the water supply and sanitation sector, which led to the establishment of a public water utility for urban and semi-urban areas, it is necessary to complete the investment plan and to secure the financial and capacity resources necessary to start its implementation.
Strategy
The Ministry of Public Rural Amenities, in charge of water issues, is the implementing Agency. The GoAL WaSH project supports the implementation of a sector-wide approach to improve the governance of the sector and solve the structural problems of planning and management. Three priority areas are targeted:
- Capacity development of the Directorate of Planning at the Ministry of Water and of the public water utility to manage programmes and projects,
- Develop their capacities to raise financial resources and
- Support local actors, such as water committees, to manage drinking water supply infrastructures.
Achievements
GoAL WaSH helped to improve the strategic planning process in Togo by updating sectoral policy and strategy documents, training actors, and developing a priority investment programme. It also supported the Ministry of Water in distributing strategy documents and creating a communications plan to mobilize financial resources to facilitate the implementation of new strategies for the water and sanitation sector.
The study of drinking water supply systems in semi-urban areas, funded by GoAL WaSH, provided a diagnosis on the status of these systems and proposed a strategy to improve them. The study facilitated investment by the government in this area for 2018–2019 at USD 3 million. The overall plan of rehabilitation is included in the Community Development Emergency Programme, led by the government. About 50 small-scale water supply schemes have been included, and these are being rehabilitated and strengthened, with an estimated budget of CFA Franc 1.75 billion, funded by the Government of Togo and partners.
The sector needs additional resources to preserve and consolidate the achievements of the programme in terms of visibility, management of works, and monitoring and evaluation, and to finalize the activities provided for in the programme, in particular implementation of the strategy for mobilizing financial resources for the sector and organization of a partners’ roundtable meeting.
The study and exchange of experience mission to Burkina Faso, as part of the preparation and implementation of a sectoral water and sanitation approach in Togo, enabled managers to make a plea to the World Bank, which has agreed to support the sector, particularly in urban areas. The World Bank is now ready to mobilize other technical partners to implement the action plan for priority actions for 2019–2023, developed jointly with the Ministry of Water.
The lessons and experiences shared with managers from the water and sanitation sector in Burkina Faso during the exchange mission were an important asset in developing the tools necessary for conducting inter-sectoral coordination. In particular, the experience helped identify tools for setting up a framework for dialogue at central and regional levels, drafting a national water and sanitation policy document, and devising a new national action plan for the water and sanitation sector.