Issuance Date 19 August 2011 Contract Number AID-617-C-10 ...

Issuance Date 19 August 2011 

Contract Number AID-617-C-10-00001 

Contractor Name Winrock, International 

2101 Riverfront Drive 

Little Rock, Arkansas 72202-1748 

Tel 1-501-280-3072 

Fax 1-501-280-3094 

www.winrock.org 

Document Title Water User Committee Evaluation – 

Preliminary Results 

June 26 - August 12, 2010 |Gulu Uganda 

Author Cori Oversby 

Project Activity NUDEIL, Northern Uganda Development of 

Enhanced Local Governance, Infrastructure and 

Livelihoods (NUDEIL) Program

Table of Contents 

WUC Evaluation – Preliminary Results 2011 

LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................................................... II 

LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................................................... II 

ACRONYMS .............................................................................................................................................. III 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................... 1 

INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 3 

BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................................ 3 

SCOPE OF WORK ......................................................................................................................................... 4 

EVALUATION METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................................... 4 

LIMITATIONS .............................................................................................................................................. 5 

PRELIMINARY EVALUATION RESULTS ............................................................................................ 5 

CURRENT STATUS OF WUCS ...................................................................................................................... 5 

District Records .................................................................................................................................... 5 

Level of Operation ................................................................................................................................ 6 

DISTRICT TRAINING AND SUPPORT OF WUCS ............................................................................................ 8 

Field Findings ....................................................................................................................................... 8 

Interviews .............................................................................................................................................. 9 

NUDEIL FORMATION, MOBILIZATION AND SENSITIZATION OF WUCS ................................................... 14 

Field Findings ..................................................................................................................................... 14 

Interviews ............................................................................................................................................ 15 

OUTSIDE SUPPORT OF WUCS ................................................................................................................... 15 

CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................. 18 

Appendices 

Appendix A: WUC/Community Group Discussion Questions 

Appendix B: Sample Interview Questions 

Appendix C: District Records versus Site Findings 

Appendix D: WUC Level of Operation 

Appendix E: List of Interviewees 

Appendix F: ClearWater Initiate Interview Transcript 

Appendix G: List of Pump Parts and Maintenance Tool Prices 

i


List of Tables 

Table 1: Executive Summary of Evaluation Results and Recommendations .................... 1 

Table 2: Sampled Water Points.......................................................................................... 4 

Table 3: Current Status of WUCs Based on District Records vs. Site Findings ............... 5 

Table 4: District Level of Training Provided ..................................................................... 8 

Table 5: Kitgum District Challenge and Recommendation Highlights ............................ 10 

Table 6: Oyam District Challenge and Recommendation Highlights .............................. 10 

Table 7: Amuru District Challenge and Recommendation Highlights ............................. 11 

Table 8: Gulu District Challenge and Recommendation Highlights ................................ 13 

Table 9: NUDEIL Challenge and Recommendation Highlights ...................................... 15 

Table 10: Summary of Evaluation Recommendations .................................................... 18 

List of Figures 

Figure 1: Program Location Map ....................................................................................... 3 

Figure 2: Site Visit/Group Discussion ............................................................................... 6 

Figure 3: WUC Level of Operation ................................................................................... 7 

ii

Acronyms 


ADWO Assistant District Water Officer 

CDO Community Development Officer 

CM Community Mobilizer 

CWI ClearWater Initiative 

DE District Engineer 

DWO District Water Officer 

FP Focal Person 

GOU Government of Uganda 

IDP Internally Displaced Person 

LC3 Lower Council Member 3 

NGO Non‐Governmental Organization 

NUDEIL Northern Uganda Development of Enhanced Local Governance, Infrastructure 

and Livelihoods 

O&M Operation and Maintenance 

UGX Uganda Shillings 

USAID United States Agency for International Development 

WUC Water User Committee 

iii


Executive Summary 

Winrock International contracted Cori Oversby to perform an evaluation of Water User 

Committees (WUCs) formed under the Northern Uganda Development of Enhanced Local 

Governance, Infrastructure and Livelihoods (NUDEIL) program. The evaluation was performed 

between the period of June 26 th to August 12 th 2011 and encompassed all four districts which 

NUDEIL currently operates within – Kitgum, Oyam, Amuru, and Gulu. 

Based on the scope of work, the evaluation was designed to gain information on the current 

status/level of training of NUDEIL WUCs. In addition, an assessment of the processes currently 

followed by the Districts and NUDEIL/Winrock International in conjunction with WUCs was 

also performed. This report summarizes the preliminary findings of the evaluation. A final 

report will be submitted to Winrock International by October 2011. 

Data for this evaluation was gained through visual observations, group discussions, and 

interviews. 

The preliminary results of the evaluation along with the corresponding recommendations are 

summarized in the table below (please see Table 10 for the complete breakdown) 

Findings 

Table 1: Executive Summary of Evaluation Results and Recommendations 

Suggestions/Recommendations 

WUC have been formed but the level of training is Conduct a workshop with district officials 

lacking in two specific areas: 

on how to provide practical maintenance 

Practical maintenance 

training and financial training 

Finances 

District staff as well as NUDEIL staff do not have Develop teaching aids and community 

access to teaching aids and materials that can be 

left with the community 

materials 

Additional NUDEIL sensitization is required 

Incorporate more focused sensitization 

efforts within the communities but also 

among district staff 

Some Districts felt that the NUDEIL allocated funds Conduct a workshop/focus group on how 

for software components were inadequate 

to create a budget for software 

components 

Additional capacity building/training for NUDEIL Facilitate trainings for key stakeholders 

staff, District staff, and pump mechanics is 

Develop resources such as a more concise 

required 

manual for community mobilizers 

Transportation is a major challenge Support NUDEIL staff obtaining driving 

permits 

There are issues concerning dry well sites Establish a contingency plan for dry wells 

Several suggestions for sub‐county run bank 

Conduct a more in‐depth evaluation on 

accounts were brought forth. 

the financial management of community 

funds 

1


Findings 

Table 1: Executive Summary of Evaluation Results and Recommendations 


There is a need for established bench marks or Communities should contribute x amount 

standards 

of funds to their own account before 

drilling begins 

A formal written agreement concerning 

the land surrounding the BH should be 

required before the start of drilling 

Trainings should be conducted over a 

period of three days at a minimum 

NUDEIL community mobilizers should 

move with district officials to the field at 

all stages of the project (specifically 

trainings within Oyam and Gulu Districts) 

2

Introduction 


Background 

Stability has recently returned to the Northern Uganda region after a violent 20 year insurgency 

by the Lord’s Resistance Army. In an effort to support this return to stability, the Government of 

Uganda (GOU) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has 

partnered to from the Northern Uganda Development of Enhanced Local Governance, 

Infrastructure and Livelihoods (NUDEIL) program. 

NUDEIL has two program objectives 1 : 

1. “To integrate conflict-affected populations of the Northern Uganda region back into their 

communities and support the overall return process by focusing on activities that will 

resettle agricultural lands, increase incomes, and improve family well-being.” 

2. “To strengthen infrastructure maintenance capabilities at the District Government.” 

As a part of these objectives, NUDEIL funds will be used to support the following: 

Rehabilitation of up to 5,000 kilometers of rural community/district roads 

Construction of 500 water points 

Rehabilitation/construction of 25 primary schools 

Rehabilitation of 80 rural health clinics (if funding is available) 

The NUDEIL program is unique in that it is working 

through the district governments to implement these 

infrastructure projects in an effort to both build the 

capacity of the local government while also 

strengthening government relations with communities 

in the north. NUDEIL Program activities are currently 

operating within four districts – Kitgum, Oyam, Amuru, 

and Gulu (see Figure 1). 

One of the intermediate results (1.1.1.2) established for 

the program is: “Increased access to and utilization of 

clean drinking water (water points) for population in the 

districts.” During the first tranche of NUDEIL released 

funds, 65 water points (boreholes) were constructed Figure 1: Program Location Map 

throughout the four districts. A key component to the 

success of these water points is properly trained and functional Water User Committees (WUCs). 

Therefore, an evaluation of the current WUCs was performed to not only assess the success of 

the program so far but to ascertain potential measures that could improve the implementation of 

future NUDEIL water points. The results of this evaluation can also be applied to other key 

aspects of the NUDEIL program such as the Road User Committees and School User 

Committees. 

1 NUDEIL RFP and SOW 

3


Scope of Work 

This evaluation was performed based on the following scope of work: 

1. Determine the current status/level of training of WUCs formed under NUDEIL 

2. Assess the current processes and practices with respect to WUCs performed by 

a. District officials 

b. NUDEIL staff 

c. Other local NGOs and stakeholders 

3. Formulate implementable and actionable recommendations for the improvement of 

NUDEIL program activities in relation to WUCs 

Evaluation Methodology 

NUDEIL’s Community Mobilization Handbook along with the Government of Uganda’s 

Community Resource Book for the Water and Sanitation Sector were reviewed to gain insight 

into the guidelines established for the formation and training of WUCs in Northern Uganda. 

Group discussion questions, interviews, and indicators for this evaluation were designed based 

on these guidelines. 

Approximately one quarter of the NUDEIL borehole projects were sampled as indicated in the 

table below. The number of points visited within each district is proportionate to the overall 

number of sites sampled. 

District 

Table 2: Sampled Water Points 

Total 

Water Points 

Sampled 

Water Points 

Kitgum 6 2 

Oyam 10 2 

Amuru 14 4 

Gulu 35 9 

Total 65 17 

Visual inspections along with group discussions were conducted at each site. A sample of 

typical questions asked is provided in Appendix A. 

Open ended interviews with district officials and NUDEIL project staff were conducted in each 

of the four districts. In addition, in order to gain insight into potential future issues that WUCs 

formed under NUDEIL may face, interviews with a local NGO, Clear Water Initiative, were 

conducted. While all interviews were open ended examples of guiding questions can be found in 

Appendix B. 

4

Limitations 


The limitations of this evaluation primarily concern the following: 

Time constraints limited the amount of data collected. 

Water points visited were not chosen at random due to geography and time constraints. 

Questions and responses during site visits and group discussions were filtered through an 

interpreter and may reflect some bias. 

The two water points sampled within Kitgum District were used as pilot sites to test 

questions asked. Therefore, the information concerning Kitgum District is not 

necessarily uniform with data collected from the other three districts. However, the 

general results are comparable. 

Preliminary Evaluation Results 

Current Status of WUCs 

District Records 

Records regarding the formation and training of WUCs were obtained from each of the four 

Districts. This information was compared with site visit findings and is summarized in the table 

below. 

Table 3: Current Status of WUCs Based on District Records vs. Site Findings 

District Records Site Findings 

16 WUCs are formed and trained 12 communities matched these 

records by having a formed WUC and 

some form of training by a district 

official 

4 communities were formed but had 

received no training 

1 WUC has not been formed or trained 

(Te‐Aceng within Gulu District) 

Te‐Aceng was actually found to have a 

formed WUC but with no training as 

the district claimed 

A complete table indicating these results by site name and district are provided in Appendix C. 

The records given by Kitgum and Amuru Districts are consistent with field results. 

Gulu District records were found to be inconsistent with only 5 out of 9 of the sampled 

communities matching the claimed records. 

Oyam’s official records (all formed and trained) contradicted verbal declarations (none 

trained). Both were inconsistent with field findings: 

o One of the two sites that were visited (Opangul) claimed to have received a 30 

minute training by two Health Assistants on how to operate and maintain their 

water point. 

5


Out of the 17 sites sampled: 12 were found to have received some form of training from a district 

official, 5 were found to have received no form of training from a district official. Whether or 

not a WUC community had received training from the district did not however necessarily 

correlated with their level of operation. 

Level of Operation 

In order to compare the level of training for each of the WUCs sampled, three levels of operation 

were defined. The components of each level were separated by logical categories: formed, 

knowledgeable, and operational. While the breakdown of levels was established by the author, 

all of the reflected components are based off of the Government of Uganda’s (GOU) general 

guideline for training WUCs 2 . 

Level 1: 

WUC has been formed 

Members have clearly defined roles 

Figure 2: Site Visit/Group Discussion 

Level 2: 

In addition to Level 1… 

User contributions are being collected 

Financial records are kept 

The community has a basic understanding of why they are contributing 

The community has a basic understanding of sanitation and hygiene 

The community has formulated by-laws for the water point 

Level 3: 

In addition to Level 1 and 2… 

The community has knowledge of and is performing routine maintenance such as 

greasing the chain 

The WUC knows how to request a pump mechanic 

The community knows how to request assistance from the District 

A 3 year operation and maintenance (O&M) plan has been developed 

A budget has been formulated 

A bank account has been opened where possible (not required but suggested) 

2 Community Resource Book for the Water and Sanitation Sector 

6


All sites visited had a formed WUC with clearly defined roles (Level 1). Of those sites, 13 were 

found to be operating within Level 2 (see Figure 3). No sites were operating at Level 3. A 

complete breakdown of the indicators for each site along with a figure is found in Appendix D. 

Figure 3: WUC Level of Operation 

Overall, this evaluation revealed that the majority of WUC have not been trained on practical 

routine maintenance with the exception of two points within Kitgum District, and one point 

within Amuru District. During an interview with the Assistant District Water Officer from 

Kitgum, Charles Oryema, he stated that each of the six NUDEIL water points within Kitgum had 

their own pump mechanics who were trained using outside funds. This was not found to be the 

case for any other district. Instead, pump mechanics are trained at the sub-county level only. 

The one point in Amuru (Reckiceke) was fortunate to have one of these pump mechanics living 

in their community. 

Knowledge of how to request assistance from the District was also a major deficiency. Only 4 

out of the 17 sampled sites could describe this process. All four were within Gulu District (2 

were trained by the district, 2 were trained elsewhere). 

No communities had created any form of a 3 year O&M plan which is clearly defined within the 

GOU guidelines. No communities had formulated any kind of a budget. No communities had 

opened a bank account for the collected funds. 

7

District Training and Support of WUCs 


Field Findings 

The level of operation for WUCs that had received some form of district training was used to 

determine the level of training provided by each district. 

District 

Table 4: District Level of Training Provided 

Level of 

Training 

Provided 

Avg. Number 

of Days 

Trained 

Training 

Coverage of 

Sampled 

WUCs 

Kitgum 2 2 100% 

Oyam 1 0.02 (30 min) 50% 

Amuru 2 2 100% 

Gulu 2 1.30 56% 

Time spent on trainings was generally below the timeframe specified by the GOU (three days to 

allow for sufficient coverage of material) which may contribute to the fact that no districts are 

providing Level 3 training. 

Kitgum 

Both sites visited had been trained by the district and were found to be operating within Level 2. 

According to district records and interviews with district officials, however, four of the six 

NUDEIL sites have not been trained. Assistant District Water Officer Charles Oyema and Focal 

Person Peter Abale both stated that there were no available funds to complete these trainings due 

to complications with a dry well site. 

Kitgum is the only district to provide a means for practical maintenance (training a pump 

mechanic in each community). The level 2 training assignment was given primarily because the 

communities visited did not have a clear understanding of how to request assistance from the 

District. It should be noted that questions regarding whether an O&M plan has been created or a 

budget formulated were not asked during these pilot discussions (they were incorporated later in 

the evaluation). 

Oyam 

Interestingly, the one site (Opangul) operating within Level 2 has received no formal training 

from the District or elsewhere. An explanation of the level of operation could be attributed to a 

general familiarity with water points gained from living within IDP camps. In general, Oyam 

exhibits the poorest level of training primarily because no formal trainings have taken place not 

considering the 30 minute training by the Health Assistants. 

8


Amuru 

All of the sites visited within Amuru have received enough training from the district to operate at 

Level 2 with the exception of Kweyo. Members of this community have a basic understanding 

of sanitation and hygiene but have not yet started collecting contributions or formed any by-laws. 

They also expressed concern that they were not trained adequately stating that an assistant to the 

Health Assistant trained them for one day only. 

Gulu 

Of the 5 sites that received training from the district: 4 are operating at Level 2, 1 (Te-Ojar) is 

operating at Level 1. No community contributions are being collected in Te-Ojar and very little 

ownership of the water point is exhibited (the community referred to the borehole as both 

belonging to NUDEIL and the responsibility of NUDEIL). Members of Te-Ojar complain that 

the water takes too long to pump and that they prefer to go to a borehole 5 km away. The lack of 

ownership and perceived need for the borehole may be contributing to the low level of operation. 

Of the 4 sites that did not receive training from the district: 3 are operating at Level 2, 1 (Te- 

Aceng) is operating at Level 1. Community contributions in Te-Aceng have not yet started. 

Members of the originally formed WUC were recently married and had moved away. Therefore, 

the community was waiting for the following month to begin collections with the newly elected 

members. It should be noted that all 4 WUCs with no district training claimed to have received 

training while living within the IDP camps or from an NGO. 

In general, it seems that the level of training provided by the District of Gulu is sufficient for 

Level 2 operation. However, it is unclear whether it is a coincidence that each of the sites that 

had not been trained by the district had received training from elsewhere or if the district knew of 

this training and consequently did not perform any of its own. 

Interviews 

Sixteen district officials were interviewed (see Appendix E). Typical questions that were asked 

can be found in Appendix A. Transportation and staffing were general challenges faced by each 

district. Motivation was another common challenge brought forth. Many officials linked the 

lack of community motivation to the culture developed in the IDP camps. Highlights of other 

main challenges and some of the suggestions provided by officials are summarized by district in 

the tables below. 

9

Kitgum 


Table 5: Kitgum District Challenge and Recommendation Highlights 

Interviewee Challenges Suggestions/Recommendations 

Chief Agricultural Budget 

‐‐ 

Officer and Focal 

Budgeted funds for software 

Person (FP), Peter 

components were used to deal 

Abale 

with a dry well (to cover the cost of 

moving the BH to a new 

Assistant District 

community). The funds left over 

Water Officer (ADWO), were enough to only cover two 

Charles Oryema 

trainings (four WUCs remain to be 

trained) – FP 

The two trainings that did take 

place were supposed to be 

conducted over a period of 3 days 

but were condensed into 2 days 

due to budget constraints – ADWO 

Chief Agricultural Dry Well 

‐‐ 

Officer and Focal 

There is no contingency plan to 

Person, Peter Abale 

deal with: 

o Moving the location of 

the BH (funds) 

o Compensating the 

community that was 

promised a BH but did not 

receive one. 

Oyam 

Table 6: Oyam District Challenge and Recommendation Highlights 


District Engineer Budget 

The budget should be created 

(DE), Julius Olupot Budgeted funds were for trainings at 

for individual trainings or the 

the sub‐county level. However, 

trainings should be conducted at 

trainings were carried out at the 

community for NUDEIL BHs. As such, 

the allocated funds were enough for 

“pre‐trainings” [mobilization] only and 

no “post‐trainings” were conducted 

the sub‐county level as planned. 

Allocation of Funds 

The sub‐county should 

The district requests the money and 

formulate the budget and 

then hands the money over to the sub‐ request the money directly. The 

county. The process takes time and is 

district should only perform 

complicated. This causes reports to be 

delayed and follow‐ups are difficult. 

assessments and follow‐ups. 

10


Table 6: Oyam District Challenge and Recommendation Highlights 


Senior 

Monitoring of projects 

Funding for long term 

Environmental Currently a case by case basis with no 

monitoring/follow‐ups should 

Officer, Moses 

systematic framework for long term 

be incorporated into the budget 

Opio 

monitoring 

(including vehicles, allowances, 

o Monitoring/follow‐ups require 

resources (safari day 

allowances, etc.). These are 

there at the start of a project 

but not in the future when 

monitoring is needed. 

and refresher trainings) 

District Water Maintenance 

NUDEIL could support the 

Officer, Jimmy 

Access to spare parts is needed in each creation of spare part stores in 

Ayella 

sub‐county 

each sub‐county 

Funds 

A single bank account should be 

When the collected funds in a 

opened per sub‐county (helps 

community are needed they are not 

increase the amount of funds 

there (people are “eating” it). 

available for when major repairs 

are needed) 

Amuru 

Table 7: Amuru District Challenge and Recommendation Highlights 


District Natural Land ownership agreement 

A formal written agreement 

Resource Officer, In Amuru a formal agreement is 

concerning land ownership should be 

Onen Pop 

not required for water points 

unless it’s an issue 

required for every water point 

Training for District Officials 

NUDEIL could provide additional 

District staff receive training from 

the university or have a certificate. 

Refresher courses are only given 

when funding is available. 

training for district personal 

Senior 

Resources 

NUDEIL could provide resources such 

Environmental There are a limited amount of 

as learning aids and materials to be 

Health Officer, 

participatory appraisal tools to use left with the communities (posters, 

John Okwonga 

during community trainings 

O&M flow charts, pamphlets of safe 

There are no materials that can be water chain, etc) 

Health Inspectors 

Martin Mujjami 

Mukasa and 

Adyero Josephine 

left with the communities 

11


Table 7: Amuru District Challenge and Recommendation Highlights 


District 

Integration of NUDEIL activities with district A work plan and job description for 

Community activities 

the NUDEIL CDOs needs to be created 

Development If NUDEIL CDOs our going to 

in order to align their activities with 

Officer, John 

NUDEIL projects for trainings or 

the needs of the various offices 

Boskco Okello 

follow‐ups, they should be able to 

also check on other district 

projects that are on the way or 

within the same vicinity since 

transportation is such a major 

challenge. 

o Note: this has been 

discussed during joint 

monitoring meetings with 

NUDEIL and district staff 

District Water Trainings have not been completed 

‐‐ 

Officer, Raymond “Trainings were conducted before 

Luwita 

the BHs were drilled. Therefore, 

we were unable to do the practical 

stage of training (i.e. if the 

borehole shakes like this, do 

this…etc.)” 

Some sites [3] had dry BHs. The 

communities of the relocated sites 

have not yet been trained. 

Tendering delays also disorganized 

the trainings 

Lack of community ownership 

The 180,000 UGX of upfront costs 

People have lost their sense of 

asked for by the GOU should be used 

ownership and willingness to 

contribute to the O&M of the 

water point 

to open a bank account 

Caretakers use the money they 

collect for themselves 

Scale of water management 

Bring the management of the user 

The GOU did not research the 

contribution funds to the parish level. 

scale needed to support a water 

For instance, 10 BHs have one 

point. Only 20 household might 

account. Money would accumulate 

use a BH (they are too scattered). 

from more people and not all BHs will 

This is not enough to fund itself. 

break down at once so it would be 

more sustainable in the long run. 

12

Gulu 


Table 8: Gulu District Challenge and Recommendation Highlights 


District Engineer, Bank Accounts 

Bank accounts should be opened 

Andrew Olal Obong To open a bank account as a 

community is very difficult. It 

for the sub‐county 

Senior Community 

requires the documentation for an 

Development 

“association” 

Officer, Goretti Advocacy 

Allow NUDEIL funds to be used for 

Okech 

Many communities do not know 

advocacy (creating awareness of 

who NUDEIL is because NUDEIL has leaders roles in connection with 

not informed the leaders 

the water points) 

NUDEIL did not want any funds to 

be used for induction. But this 

means NUDEIL is missing out on a 

vital software component as well as 

visibility. 

Leaders want to take control of 

water points. This is one reason 

why BHs are installed in a certain 

location and then forgotten. 

Advocacy could help this. 

Trust 

NUDEIL needs to be more flexible 

Trust between the district and 

and understand our logistics, the 

NUDEIL has been increasing but it is GOU guidelines, and how the 

still a challenge 

districts operate. For instance, 

o Sometimes NUDEIL is not 

because of the way the district 

aware of the GOU 

operates (charge for fuel, don’t 

guidelines (they think the 

have one specific vehicle), a vehicle 

districts spend too much 

on software components). 

This creates distrust. 

log book is logistically not possible 

Heath Assistant, Bank Account 

‐‐ 

Sophie Agnes 

The DWO wants each sub‐county to 

Mandera 

have a bank account managed by 

the sub‐county chief 

o Villages feel like the sub‐ 

county will benefit from 

the money and they will 

not get it back 

o The communities prefer to 

keep it at their level so 

they do not accept this 

process 

Politics 

The next time NUDEIL is going to 

The drilling came at a bad time 

drill in a community, make sure 

(during the political season) 

that they [the community] have 

The LC5s seem to have the upper 

the upper hand in selecting the 

hand in taking the water near their 

homes 

site. They need to have a voice. 

13


NUDEIL Formation, Mobilization and Sensitization of WUCs 

Field Findings 

Based on field findings, all of the sampled NUDEIL water point projects have a formed WUC 

that are sensitized to their roles and responsibilities. However, the level of sensitization 

concerning NUDEIL varied. 

Two communities (Te-Opok and Lubugge – both within Gulu District) had members who raised 

questions asking how NUDEIL was connected with the borehole. 

Common requests which were beyond the current role and function of NUDEIL were: 

Requests for NUDEIL to provide tools, materials, spare parts, or additional funds for 

maintenance (9 communities) 

o It should be noted that some of these requests have practical (as well as budget) 

implications that have yet to be evaluated. 

Requests for NUDEIL to provide for more boreholes, health centers, schools, nurseries, 

roads/no understanding of process to request assistance from the district or petition for 

their projects to added to the development plan (13 communities) 

Request for NUDEIL to bring community needs/requests before the district to intercede 

on their behalf (2 communities) 

Several technical questions were raised during site visits indicating the need for more technical 

sensitization: 

Questions concerning construction 

o Pipes (Gulu) 

o Soak pit (Oyam) 

o Handle (Gulu) 

o Siting of the water (Gulu) 

Questions concerning water quality or BH operation 

o The water smells “sweet” (Gulu) 

o The water is dirty in the mornings (Gulu) 

o There is an oily substance in the water (Gulu) 

o What happens if worms enter the BH (Amuru) 

o There are brown specks in the water [rust?] (Gulu [2], Oyam [2]) 

o Yield has reduced (Gulu [2], Amuru [1]) 

Requests or suggestions from the community that are not currently a part of the NUDEIL 

program included: 

Requests for NUDEIL to conduct additional trainings for the WUCs (especially training 

for a community pump mechanic) 

Requests for NUDEIL to conduct a more in-depth pre-drilling sensitization concerning 

construction techniques so that the community can better supervise the contractors work 

14


Suggestions that trainings not take place at the sub-county level but rather in each 

community (Gulu) 

Interviews 

Interviews with NUDEIL staff from each of the four districts were also conducted (see Appendix 

E for a complete list of interviewees and Appendix A for sample questions). Many of the same 

challenges and suggestions that District Officials had described were echoed by NUDEIL staff. 

Some additional highlights are summarized below. 

Table 9: NUDEIL Challenge and Recommendation Highlights 


Oyam District 

Community sensitization 

Flyers should be produced 

Coordinator, Dennis Communities can be told 

explaining the NUDEIL program 

Delaco 

something but they continuously 

in the local language so that 

forget 

communities can be 

continuously reminded of who 

NUDEIL is (sensitized). 

Amuru District 

Coordinator, 

Christopher Laker 

Amuru District 

Coordinator, 

Christopher Laker 

Amuru Community 

Mobilizer, Jonathan 

Okema 

Gulu Community 

Mobilizers, Betty 

Akello and Kathy 

Larubi 

District sensitization 

“Many [district staff] do not 

understand NUDEILs role. Most 

see us as a normal NGO and don’t 

understand that we are just 

budget support.” 

Community Mobilization 

It can be very difficult to mobilize 

communities especially in the 

morning hours 

Mobilization messages not uniform 

Due to interference of politicians 

Due to lack of uniformity among 

mobilizers 

Hold a sensitization workshop 

for district officials 

Communities have requested 

that we inform them of a 

meeting 2 to 3 days in advance 

to ensure that they have enough 

time. 

There should be a team building 

exercise between mobilizers. 

There should be an in‐depth 

training for mobilizers 

Illustrations to show the 

community would be helpful 

Outside Support of WUCs 

In order to gain a complete picture of the support and/or challenges faced by WUCs in Northern 

Uganda, interviews with a local NGO – Clear Water Initiative – and a local sub-county pump 

mechanic were conducted. 

ClearWater Initiative 

ClearWater Initiative (CWI) is a local NGO that has recently begun focusing efforts on 

rehabilitating water points. Currently CWI is working with 8 water projects. Most of the WUCs 

for these sites were formed four years ago. An interview with the Country Director, CEO, and 

15


the Information Technology and Management Advisor for CWI provided valuable insight into 

potential challenges that NUDEIL WUCs may face in the future. The complete interview 

transcript can be found in Appendix G. 

According to the Country Director, Emmanuel Ojara Sunday, general upkeep of the area 

surrounding the BHs have been kept. However, contributions and routine maintenance varied. 

In some cases communities only contributed when something broke. Some communities were 

not performing routine maintenance due to a lack of access to the necessary tools. According to 

Mr. Sunday this tool would be a spanner which would cost around 25,000 UGX. A complete 

tool set would be 800,000 UGX. 

The main reasons for an unsuccessful WUC were primarily a lack of motivation of the 

community in general or a lack of trust between the WUC and the community. Mr. Sunday 

described that in some instances communities begin to feel frustrated with the by-laws that are 

created and enforced by the WUCs. 

CWI focuses on three main topics during their rehabilitation trainings: maintenance, 

responsibility, and finance/budget (please see Appendix G for a complete description). They 

also have a detailed follow-up plan for each community that could last for up to a year and a half. 

Some of the advice that CWI had for NUDEIL WUCs were: 

Emphasize actual practice (familiarity with water point in the IDP camps means that 

people will be able to tell you what you want to hear). 

Ensure there is an upfront commitment form the community before drilling begins. One 

suggestion was to have the communities collect x amount of funds before the start of 

drilling that can be used to open a bank account. This would not only create a sense of 

ownership but also helps dispel some of the culture learned in the camps (not everything 

is given for free). 

If lunch is provided during trainings, hire someone from the community to cook 

something local (rice and beans). This not only generates income for the community but 

also helps to dispel the “given for free” culture. 

o Another suggestion was to not provide sodas since people might have a lot of 

energy at first (hard to focus) and then crash (too tired to focus). 

Ensure an open line of communication. Let the community know exactly what is going 

on. If water is not found, explain why. If a training has to be canceled or rescheduled, 

explain why. 

When asked if CWI would like to see any changes with the districts, the following suggestions 

were made: 

The district should have a certifying organization that can visit each water point to ensure 

certain bench marks are met (x amount of funds have been collected, etc) before a BH 

is drilled. 

The district should update their records (number of and contacts for pump mechanics, 

number of formed and functioning WUCs, number of non-functioning WUCs, etc) 

More funds should be allocated to rehabilitations instead of new BHs. 

16


Pump Mechanic 

A pump mechanic, Alfred Okello, from Awach Sub-county in Gulu District was interviewed on 

August 1 st , 2011. When asked if he had received training from the District he stated that he was 

trained by an NGO. He said that he felt that he was trained well for his job but that he would 

like additional training on how to deal with plastic pipe (he was trained on metal) and motorized 

pumps (he was trained on hand pumps). He said that Awach sub-county had six pump 

mechanics that were on call and that he visits communities on average twice a month. The most 

common issues that he sees are leaky pipes or problems with the pedestal from pooling water 

(inadequate soak pits). 

According to him a major repair is needed on average every 3 years. He suggests that the 

communities should have at least one million UGX in their fund in order to handle these major 

repairs. A list of replacement parts and tools (provided by Clear Water Initiative) can be found in 

Appendix H. 

Some of the suggestions that Mr. Okello had were as follows: 

Communities need to be trained on how to work with the pump mechanics. For instance, 

community members should be present each time that a pump mechanic comes for two 

reasons: 1) because some of the work requires additional hands, and 2) so that the 

community sees and understands exactly what is going on. In some instances, 

communities have claimed that pump mechanics have removed pipes. If they are present 

they can ensure that this doesn’t happen and it prevents false information from being 

expressed to the sub-counties. 

Additional training for how communities manage their funds should be conducted. In 

Awach sub-county, many of the most expensive replacement parts are provided by NGOs 

such as the cylinder, rod, bearings, and handles. Once the NGOs are no longer around, 

the community will need to be able to afford these replacement parts on their own. 

17

Conclusions/Recommendations 


Based on the findings of this evaluation and the suggestions provided by each of the stakeholder 

participants, a summary or recommendations is provided below. 

Findings 

Table 10: Summary of Evaluation Recommendations 


WUC have been formed but the level of training is Conduct a workshop with district officials on how 

lacking in two specific areas: 

to provide practical maintenance training (consult 

Practical maintenance 

CWI) 

Finances 

Conduct a workshop with district officials on how 

to train communities on finances and budget 

formation 

o How much should communities 

contribute based on the number of 

households 

o Plan for one major repair in x amount of 

years 

o Plan for x amount of funds to be used for 

yearly routine maintenance 

o How to set up a bank account 

Facilitate refresher training and capacity building 

Additional capacity building/training for NUDEIL 

workshops for key stakeholders in the NUDEIL 

staff, District staff, and pump mechanics is required 

program 

o District Water Officers, CDOs, and Health 

Assistants 

o NUDEIL Community Mobilizers 

o Sub county pump mechanics 

District staff as well as NUDEIL staff do not have Develop teaching aids for mobilization, 

access to 

sensitization, and trainings 

Teaching aids 

Develop materials that can be left with 

Materials that can be left with the 

communities such as pamphlets and brochures 

community 

explaining BH maintenance, safe water chain, etc 

Additional NUDEIL sensitization is required 

Develop brochures or pamphlets describing the 

Communities need additional sensitization 

role of NUDEIL in the local language (Luo) that can 

concerning: 

be left with communities 

o NUDEIL roles 

Incorporate additional sensitization during 

o Technical aspects of the BH 

mobilization concerning technical and contractual 

construction and operation 

aspects 

o The community’s supervisory role Conduct a workshop or create a memo for district 

in connection with contractors 

officials on NUDEIL roles and responsibilities 

District Officials need additional 

sensitization concerning NUDEIL roles 

(reinforce the support role of NUDEIL) 

Some Districts felt that the NUDEIL allocated funds Conduct a workshop/focus group on how to 

for software components were inadequate. 

create a budget for software. This would ease 

distrust and ensure that proper funding is in place 

for all aspects of the program including measures 

for long term monitoring. 

18


Findings 

Table 10: Summary of Evaluation Recommendations 


Transportation is a major challenge Support NUDEIL staff obtaining driving permits 

There is a need for established bench marks or 

standards 

Communities should contribute x amount of funds 

to their own account before drilling begins 

A formal written agreement concerning the land 

surrounding the BH should be required before the 

start of drilling 

Trainings should be conducted over a period of 

three days at a minimum 

NUDEIL community mobilizers should move with 

district officials to the field at all stages of the 

project (specifically trainings within Oyam and 

Gulu Districts) 

There are issues concerning dry well sites Establish a contingency plan for dry wells 

Several suggestions for sub‐county run bank 

accounts were brought forth 

Would be easier to open an account, more 

capital would be available at any given time 

(not all BHs will break down at once) 

However, communities may not trust the 

sub‐counties and they might be unwilling to 

contribute to such an account 

Conduct a more in‐depth evaluation on the 

financial management of community funds 

19

Appendix A: 

WUC/Community Group Discussion Questions

WUC/Community Group Discussion Questions 

Note: The questions below were not necessarily asked in the order that they appear. Instead questions were 

asked based on the responses of each of the communities. 

Visual Inspection Check List 

• Is the area around the borehole cleared? 

• Has an adequate fence been constructed? 

• Is the soak pit complete? 

• Is the water point kept clean? 

Attendance 

• Females present at start of meeting (total, including community and WUC): __ 

• Males present at start of meeting (total, including community and WUC): __ 

• WUC members present: __ 

General Notes 

• -- 

Mobilization Questions 

Question 1: Do each of the WUC members have a clean functioning latrine? 

Question 2: What is your understanding of your role? Why are you interested in performing these 

duties? (Addressed to the community at large as well as each WUC member present) 

Question 3: Who does this borehole belong to? 

Question 4: Who is responsible for this borehole if it breaks down? 

Question 5: What do you do if you find that the borehole is broken? Who do you report to? 

Question 6: How was this location chosen? 

Question 7: Who owns this land? 

Question 8: Was a formal agreement signed? If not, are there plans to sign such an agreement? 

Question 9: Can you please explain why it is important to have a soak pit? 

Question 10: Can you describe any other best practices that protect the environment and your health?

Training Questions 

Question 1: Have you received training from the District for operating and maintaining this water point? 

If yes, how many days was the training and what topics were covered? 

Question 2: Have you (any member of the WUC) ever been trained on the operation or maintenance of a 

water point before? If yes, by who? How long ago was that training? 

Question 3: Has an O&M plan been created? What does it entail? 

Question 4: How often does the WUC meet? 

Question 5: Do you keep a record of meeting minutes? 

Question 6: Do you have a list of water users? How many households/people use this water point? 

Question 7: Has a user contribution been agreed upon? What is that amount? 

Question 8: What are the collected funds used for? 

Question 9: Have any funds been collected? If yes, what amount? 

Question 10: How is the money collected? 

Question 11: Where is the money stored? If a bank, how many signatories are there and who are they? 

Question 12: Do you give and keep receipts of all money received or paid or do you have another form of 

record keeping? Please describe. 

Question 13: Will balance sheets be made available or presented to the community? If yes, how often? 

If no, why not? 

Question 14: Has a budget been formulated? If yes, please describe. 

Question 15: Do you have a list of replacement parts? 

Question 16: Where will you purchase these replacement parts? 

Question 17: Have maintenance by-laws been created? If so, what are they (give examples) and who 

enforces them? 

Question 18: Was the exemption of certain household discussed such as the elderly, poor income 

women headed, child headed, or persons with disabilities? 

Question 19: Do you have any questions, remarks, or suggestions for improvement?

Appendix B: 

Sample Interview Questions

NUDEIL Staff 

District Coordinator 

Sample Interview Questions 

• Could you please describe your role in relation to the WUCs? 

• What kind of info do you gather from field reports? (Have records of the community 

mobilizations been kept? Such as field notes, spreadsheets saying how many times a 

community has been visited etc. Is it possible to obtain copies of these?) 

• How many of the NUDEIL communities have been sensitized and mobilized? 

• What kind of support have you (NUDEIL staff) been able to give the Districts? Could be in the 

form of trucks, personnel, etc. 

• What is the relationship between the District and NUDEIL? It is a partnership, adversarial… 

• Do you follow-up with the communities to ensure that they have been properly trained? If so, 

how? 

• What challenges have you faced with the WUCs? 

• Do you have any suggestions for improvement? 

Community Mobilizers 

• Could you please describe your role and responsibilities in relation to the WUCs? 

• How many community members do you gather for your meetings? 

• Could you please walk me through a typical sensitization meeting/training? What topics do you 

cover? 

• How are the WUC members selected? 

• What kind records do you keep each time you go out into the field? 

• What kind of training do you receive? 

• How often do you meet with a community? 

• Do you check to see if the WUC was trained by the District? 

• Do you ever work with the sub-county district officers? If yes, in what capacity? 

• Are there any areas in relation to WUCs that you feel needs improvement? What have been 

your biggest challenges? 

• How could NUDEIL support this if at all?

District Officials 

District Water Officer 

• Could you please describe your role/responsibilities in relation to the WUCs? 

• Where do the NUDEIL WUC trainings stand? 

• What is the software budget for a single water point in your district? 

• What does that budget encompass? 

• Do you have any suggestions on questions to ask the WUC during the evaluation or things to 

visually inspect? 

• What is the software budget for a single water point in your district? 

o What does that budget encompass? 

• Do you have records of the signed MOUs? If not, why? 

• Is there a list of maintenance material prices and locations? 

• Does the district assist in the creation of water and sanitation by-laws? 

• Is there any area, in relation to the WUCs, that you feel you lack capacity? 

• What challenges have you faced in relation to the WUCs? 


Community Development Officers 

• Could you please summarize your roles and responsibilities in connection to the WUCs? 

• Where does the training of the NUDEIL borehole projects stand? 

• What does that training encompass? 

• What kind of resources are you given/do you have for the trainings? 

• How long does the training last? 

• How often do you meet with a community (mobilization, training, follow-ups)? 

• Do you have a budget for your activities? 

• What kind of training do you yourself along with the sub-county CDOs receive? 

• Do you feel this training is adequate? 

• Do you keep a record of each of your field visits? Can I get a copy of those records? 

• Do you ever work with the District community mobilizers or support staff? If yes, in what 

capacity? 

• In your understanding, whose responsibility is it to train the NUDEIL projects? 

• Do you assist in the creation or enforcement of water and sanitation by-laws? 

• What challenges have you faced in connection with the NUDEIL projects? 

• How could these be improved? Do you have any suggestions? 

Environmental/Health Officers 

• Could you please describe your role in terms of the WUCs?

Other 

• Do you ever work with NUDEIL staff? If yes, in what capacity? 

• How often do you visit a community? 

• What kind of training do you receive to perform your work? 

• What kinds of resources do you have/ are you given? 

• Do you have a budget for your activities? 

• What challenges have you faced in relation to the WUCs? 


Pump Mechanic 

• What kind of training did you receive? 

• What were the topics covered? 

• How long was the training? 

• Do you have a list of borehole replacement parts? Do you know typical prices? 

• Do you know where to obtain the needed parts? 

• Do you have the necessary tools? 

• Do you have a means of transportation to the communities? 

• How many communities do you visit on average in a week? 

• What kind of issues/problems do you typically see? 

• What challenges do you face? 

• Do you have any suggestions on ways to improve your work? 

Clear Water Initiative 

• How many WUCs does Clear Water Uganda work with? 

• How do you determine which WUCs to work with? 

• How many years (generally speaking) have those WUCs been in operation? Or how many years 

typically has it been since they were formed? 

• What function of the WUCs are still operations 

• What are the main reasons for why a WUC might be ineffective? 

• What makes a successful WUC? 

• What topics do you cover in your rehabilitation training? 

• How long do you commit to a community (i.e. how long is the training and how often do you 

return to monitor or for refresher trainings)? 

• Do you have any advice for training WUCs that are just starting out? 

• What kind of capacity/functions would the District/sub-county need to have in order to better 

support WUCs?

Appendix C: 

District Records versus Site Findings

Water User Committee Evaluation - District Records vs. Site Findings 

Kitgum 

District 

Oyam 

District 

Amuru 

District 

Gulu 

District 

Water Point 


WUC 

Formed 

(Y/N) 

WUC 

Trained 

(Y/N) 

Some form 

of "training" 

by a DO 

(1=Y, 0=N) 

No training by 

a DO 

(1=Y) 

Number of 

days trained 

(#) 

Training from 

an NGO or IDP 

Camp 

(1=Y, 0=N) 

Comparison 

Records 

Match Field 

Findings 

(1=Y, 0=N) 

Oget Y* N* 

Bol Kol Central Y* N* 

Bolo Tee Gam Y* Y* 1 0 2 Q not A 1 

Ngweny Y* N* 

Pagwa Shamba Y* Y* 1 0 2 Q not A 1 

Ora bonyo Y* N* 

100% 0% 2 100% 

Bombay Y Y* 1 0 0.02 Q not A 1 

Kokcankikweri Y Y* 

Zambia Y Y* 

Ocan Pol Y Y* 

Aboloneno B Y Y* 

Apedi Angwen Y Y* 

Burara(Teopobo) Y Y* 

Dogatuk N Y* 

Wi-agaba Y Y* 

Opangul Y Y* 0 1 0 0 0 

50% 50% 0.01 50% 

Amoyokoma Y Y** 1 0 3 Q not A 1 

Reckiceke Y Y** 1 0 3 Q not A 1 

Abyee Y Y** 1 0 1 Q not A 1 

Odur Y Y** 

Okuture Y 

Ceri Y Y** 

Agoro Y N 

Pacilo West Y Y** 

Kweyo Y Y** 1 0 1 Q not A 1 

Pawatomero West Y Y** 

Belkec Y Y** 

Lakalac Y Y** 

Kal B Y N 

Bwobonam B Y Y** 

Lalar Y Y** 

100% 0% 2 100% 

Abwoc Bel Y Y 

Angal Y N 

Walokokwo (Purudi) Y Y 

Pajaa (Pawac) N N 

Teladwong P/S Y N 

Angany H/C Y N 

Olworngur Y N 

Awich Y N 

Tugu Y Y 0 1 0 1 0 

Laban Y N 

Aswa Cty HQs Y Y 

Gule Y Y 0 1 0 1 0 

Laminodwany Y Y 

Lukwir H/C Y Y 

Te-Ojar Y Y 1 0 1 Q not A 1 

Te-Aceng N N 0 1 0 1 0 

Barobiya (Aromo) Y Y 

Oyarotonge Y Y 

Corner Ojar Y Y 

Te-Opok Y Y 1 0 2 Q not A 1

Water User Committee Evaluation - District Records vs. Site Findings 

Gulu 

District 

Water Point 


WUC 

Formed 

(Y/N) 

WUC 

Trained 

(Y/N) 

Some form 

of "training" 

by a DO 

(1=Y, 0=N) 

No training by 

a DO 

(1=Y) 

Number of 

days trained 

(#) 

Training from 

an NGO or IDP 

Camp 

(1=Y, 0=N) 

Comparison 

Records 

Match Field 

Findings 

(1=Y, 0=N) 

Wi-Atoo Y Y 

Oryang Y Y 

Cabu cabu Y Y 0 1 0 1 0 

Labuje Y Y 1 0 1 0 1 

Lagwiny Y Y 

Monroc (Kulukeno) Y Y 

Idobo Y Y 1 0 0.5 0 1 

Wiokol B Y Y 

Bwobo Tochi Y N 

Onang Y Y 

Rom Y Y 

Onyayorwot Y Y 

Adak B Y Y 1 0 2 0 1 

Abole Y Y 

Laminadera B N N 

56% 44% 0.72 56% 

71% 29% 1.09 

Site Visited 

* No official record. Verbal declaration from the District Water Officer. 

** 1st Training complete. However, no follow-up training (practical O&M)

Appendix D: 

WUC Level of Operation

245361 

418135 

393135 

368135 

343135 

318135 

293135 

268135 

243135 

245361 

270361 

PROGRAM AREA LOCATION 

CONGO 

(Dem.Rep) 

AMURU 

NWOYA 

SUDAN 

LAMWO 

GULU 

OYAM 

Koboko 

TANZANIA 

270361 

KITGUM 

NUDEIL Water Points 

295361 

KENYA 

Maracha 

Arua 

Nebbi 

295361 

Yumbe 

320361 

Buliisa 

320361 

Evaluated Water Points - District Training Received 

345361 

Moyo 

Reckiceke 

Amoyokoma 

345361 

Evaluated Water Points - No District Training Received 

District Subcounties 

Water User Committee Operating at Level 1 

Water User Committee Operating at Level 2 

NUDEIL 

WATER POINTS - EVALUATED WATER USER COMMITTEES 

370361 

Adjumani 

Kweyo 

NWOYA 

370361 

AMURU 

Masindi 

395361 

Abyee 

Bombay 

395361 

Map Produced on July 19 2011 

Coordinate System : UTM_Zone_36N, Datum: ARC_1960 

420361 

Labuje 

Te opok 

Idobo 

Adak A 

420361 

Tugu 

Gule 

GULU 

445361 

LAMWO 

Cabu Cabu 

Teojar 

Pagwarshamba 

Teaceng 

Opangul 

Bolo tee gam 

Pader 

KITGUM 

OYAM Lira 

445361 

470361 

Apac 

470361 

- 

10 5 0 10 20 30 40 

Kilometers 

1 cm = 3.5 km 

495361 

495361 

520361 

Dokolo 

Kaberamaido Sorot 

520361 

MAP DISCLAIMER: 

The boundaries and names shown and 

the designation on this map do not imply 

official endorsement by NUDEIL but were 

supplied by the Uganda Bureau Of Statistics. 

The author's views expressed in this map do 

not necessarily reflect the view of USAID or 

the United States Government. 

Date: 01/02/2011 

Produced under the program. 

545361 

545361 

570361 

Abim 

Amuria 

570361 

595361 

Kaabong 

595361 

Kotdo 

Moroto 

620361 

Katakwi 

418135 

393135 

368135 

343135 

318135 

293135 

268135 

243135 

620361 218135 

From the American People jointly sponsored by USAID 

and the Government of Uganda

Water User Committee Evaluation - Level of Operation 

Kitgum 

District** 

Oyam 

District 

Amuru 

District 

Gulu 

District 

Water Point 

WUC Formed 

(1=Y, 0=N) 

LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 

Understands Reason for Contributing Basic Sanitation and Hygiene 

WUC have 

clearly defined 

roles* 

(1=Y, 0=N) 

User 

contributions 

collected 

(1=Y, 0=N) 

Financial 

records kept 

(1=Y, 0=N) 

States that the 

BH belongs to 

the 

community 

(1=Y, 0=N) 

States that the 

community is 

responsible for 

repairs 

(1=Y, 0=N) 

Does not 

request 

assistance 

from NUDEIL 

(1=Y, 0=N) 

Can state at 

least 2 uses for 

the 

contributed 

funds 

(1=Y, 0=N) 

Community 

routinely 

informed of 

balance 

(1=Y, 0=N) 

Can identify 2 

reasons for the 

soak pit 

(1=Y, 0=N) 

Can identify 2 

BCC practices 

(1=Y, 0=N) 

By-Laws have 

been created 

(1=Y, 0=N) 

Bolo Tee Gam 1 1 1 1 -- -- -- 0 -- 1 -- -- -- 1 1 1 

Pagwa Shamba 1 1 1 1 1 -- -- 0 -- 1 -- -- -- 1 -- 1 

Bombay 1 1 1 1 1 -- 0 1 1 1 -- 0 0 0 1 0 

Opangul 1 1 1 1 1 -- -- 0 1 1 -- 1 1 1 1 1 

Amoyokoma 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 -- 1 

Reckiceke 1 1 1 1 1 1 -- 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 

Abyee 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 

Kweyo 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 

Tugu 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 

Gule 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 

Te-Ojar 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 

Te-Aceng 1 1 1 0 0 -- 0 0 1 -- 0 1 1 1 1 0 

Te-Opok 1 1 1 1 1 1 0.5 0 1 1 -- 1 1 1 1 1 

Cabu cabu 1 1 1 1 1 0.5 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 

Labuje 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 -- 1 1 1 1 1 

Idobo 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 

Adak B 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 

Level 1 Operation 



* Each WUC member sampled can state at least one key role. 

** Pilot sites used to develop questions. Note that the information gained may not be uniform with the other districts. 

ⱡ Not required, just suggested.

Water User Committee Evaluation - Level of Operation 

Kitgum 

District** 

Oyam 

District 

Amuru 

District 

Gulu 

District 

Water Point 

Practical 

Maint. 

(Grease Chain) 

(1=Y, 0=N) 

Knows how to 

request a 

pump 

mechanic 

(1=Y, 0=N) 

Knows how to 

request 

assistance 

from the 

District 

(1=Y, 0=N) 

LEVEL 3 

A 3 yr. 

O&M Plan 

developed 

(1=Y, 0=N) 

Budget 

formulated 

(1=Y, 0=N) 

Bank account 

opened ⱡ 

(1=Y, 0=N) 

Bolo Tee Gam 1 1 0 -- -- 0 0 

Pagwa Shamba 1 1 0 -- -- 0 0 

Bombay 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Opangul 0 -- 0 1 -- -- 0 

Amoyokoma 0 -- 0 0 0 0 0 

Reckiceke 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 

Abyee 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Kweyo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Tugu 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 

Gule 0 1 1 -- 0 -- 0 

Te-Ojar 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Te-Aceng 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Te-Opok 0 0 0 -- 0 0 0 

Cabu cabu 0 1 -- 0 0 0 0 

Labuje 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 

Idobo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Adak B 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 




* Each WUC member sampled can state at least one key role. 

Pilot sites used to develop questions. Note that the information gained may not be uniform with the other 

** 

districts. 

ⱡ Not required, just suggested.

Appendix E: 

List of Interviewees

Water User Committee Evaluation - Interview Participants 

NUDEIL Staff Members 

District Title Name Date 

District Coordinator Paska Aber 6/29/2011 

New District Engineer Annete Jakylene 6/29/2011 

Kitgum Leaving District Engineer Philip Yekoko 6/29/2011 

Engineering Intern Bonny Olwa 6/29/2011 

Community Mobilizer Caroline Amoly 7/1/2011 

Oyam 

Amuru 

Gulu 

District Coordinator Dennis Delaco 7/11/2011 

Community Mobilizer James Okech 7/11/2011 

Community Mobilizer Philip Odongwen 7/11/2011 

Community Mobilizer Samuel Okello 7/11/2011 

District Coordinator Christopher Laker 7/13/2011 

Community Development Officer Anywar James Bond 7/13/2011 

Community Development Officer Susan Oloya 7/13/2011 

Community Mobilizer Jonathan Okema 7/13/2011 

District Coordinator Sophie Agwoko 7/19/2011 

Community Mobilizer Betty Akello 7/19/2011 

Community Mobilizer Kathy Larubi 7/19/2011 

District Officials 


Kitgum 

Assistant District Water Officer 

District Focal Person/Chief Agricultural Officer 

Cherles Oryema 

Peter Abale 

6/30/2011 

6/30/2011 

Oyam 

Amuru 

Gulu 

District Engineer/Previous Focal Person Olupot Julius 7/11/2011 

District Community Development Officer Chris Gira Otim 7/11/2011 

Senior Environmental Officer Moses Opio 7/11/2011 

District Water Officer Jimmy Ayella 7/11/2011 

Sub-County Chief Joel Atine 7/11/2011 

District Water Officer/Focal Person Raymond Luwita 7/13/2011 

District Community Development Officer John Boskco Okello 7/13/2011 

District Natural Resource Official Onen Pop 7/13/2011 

Senior Environmental Health Officer John Okwonga 7/13/2011 

Health Inspector Marin Mujjami Mukasa 7/13/2011 

Health Inspector Adyero Josephine 7/13/2011 

District Engineer Andrew Olal Obong 7/19/2011 

Senior Community Development Officer Goretti Okech 7/19/2011 

Health Assistant Sophie Agnes Mandera 8/1/2011 

Other 


Gulu Awach Sub-County Pump Mechanic Alfred Okello 8/1/2011 

-- Clear Water Initiative Country Director Emmanuel Ojara Sunday 8/2/2011

Appendix F: 

ClearWater Initiate Interview Transcript

ClearWater Initiative Interview – August 2 nd , 2011 

Country Director Emmanuel Ojara Sunday, CEO David Abraham, IT and Mgt. Advisor Drew Contreras 

Question 1: How many WUCs does Clear Water Uganda work with? 

• 8 

Question 2: How do you determine which WUCs to work with? 

• We’ve rehabilitated some Clear Water projects along with other water points that were not 

ours. 

• For the site selection of the “non-Clear Water” BHs we go to government officials (District Water 

Officer) and ask for site data. 

o We want to support rural areas (more than 20km away) but need to be within a realistic 

distance (less than 100km) for logistics. 

o We choose sites that need rehabilitation rather than a new water point 

o We go the underserved communities 

Question 3: How many years (generally speaking) have those WUCs been in operation? Or how many 

years typically has it been since they were formed? 

• Most were formed 4 years ago 

Question 4: What functions of the WUCs are still operational? 

• Committees are present in each location, however, not all are functional 

• Contribution varies: 

o Three communities are still contributing funds and keeping records of payments (notes 

are given to members who pay and are recorded in a book) 

o Most only contribute if something breaks and WUC mobilizes the community to raise a 

specific amount 

• Existing funds differ for each community. For example: 

o One had only 6,000 in the fund 

o One had had 40,000 but the treasurer ran off 

o One community had an account with the Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) 

• General maintenance of the surrounding area has been kept by all 8 communities. However, 

this may not be necessarily due to the caretaker. In some instances the communities organize 

themselves with a roster of when community members/families will clean the site. 

• Routine maintenance varies: 

o Five communities are not routinely greasing the chain. They claim they have no access 

to the necessary tool (spanner – 25,000, complete tool set – 800,000). 

o Three communities are routinely greasing the chain.

• One community had a problem with a leaking joint in the pipe (it was rotting). They were able 

to use their collected funds to replace the pipe along with the pump but it drained their fund. 

Question 5: What are the main reasons that a WUC might be ineffective? 

• Motivation 

• Respect that the community accords to them 

o Initially the community respects and trusts the elected WUC members, but then they 

may start to feel frustrated with by-laws or other ways in which the WUC tries to 

enforce maintenance and they will turn on committee members. 

Question 6: What makes a successful WUC? 

• There have been three generally successful WUCs. They still call meetings and discuss the issues 

at hand. However, they struggle with finances. 

Question 7: What topics do you cover in your rehabilitation training? 

• Maintenance (both the surrounding and mechanical): 

o They need to understand that the BH is like a little child…it needs medical checkups 

before something gets out of hand 

o We have drawings of the BH showing the various parts (left with each community) 

o We bring a chain, bearings, rod, etc… for practical training (want to bring an entire BH 

for practical training in the future) 

• Responsibility: “Up to them to use the clean water or the dirty water and die” 

o Community exercise: 

Have a container with clean water, dung water (dirt and cow dung), and soapy 

grass water 

Three community members come up 

Place one container behind each of them 

Have them turn around a drink from the water 

The ones with the dung water and soapy grass water will not drink 

Ask why? Why did you CHOOSE not drink that water? 

In the same way you can choose not to drink bad water by choosing to take care 

of the clean water (BH). 

• Finance/budget: 

o Determine the number of households and the cost of parts. 

o Help community decide how much to contribute based on a period of three years: 

Assume one major repair will be needed 

Plan for three years of routine maintenance

o It’s up to the community to choose how to keep the funds and maintain transparency 

and accountability. We emphasize the qualities of a person in charge of the fund (the 

treasurer) and also encourage that the balance be made known to the community on a 

regular basis. 

Question 8: How long do you commit to a community (i.e. how long is the training and how often do 

you return to monitor or for refresher trainings…)? 

• 4 day training course (4 hours/day in the afternoon) 

• One month later – follow up 

• Three months after that – follow up 

• 7 months to a year after that – refresher training 

• 4-5 months after that – follow-up 

Question 9: Do you have any advice for training WUCs that are just starting out? 

• People have been trained in the IDP camps…so they will tell you what you want to hear. 

Emphasize actual practice. 

• Don’t promise anything for free…make sure that the communities contribute upfront 

o Could also start collecting a couple of months before drilling…behavior change 

• Always keep a clear line of communication…i.e. if water is not found, or training is canceled 

make sure that the community is aware and knows why. 

• Bench marks should be uniform – i.e. if community has not collect the 200,000, no BH 

• Do not facilitate. If you bring lunch…make it local (hire someone to cook the rice and beans?). 

Don’t take soda (they’ll have lot’s of energy but then crash), bring water instead. 

• Let the community know exactly what is going on…how much the project costs, how many pipes 

are being installed, etc…Transparency. 

Question 10: What kind of capacity/functions would the District/sub-county need to have in order to 

better support WUCs? 

• Data needs to be updated: Number of pump mechanics that have been trained, number of 

WUC that are formed and functioning 

• We work with the districts a lot…we need to make sure they are aware of our presence. 

• Should set up a system for collecting the funds themselves, or should set up a utility…otherwise 

NGO’s will continue to be necessary 

Question 11: Anything else you would like to see changed in the districts? 

• Commitment 

• Services should be constant…brining in something new is sexy, rehabilitating old ones aren’t. 

Perhaps fund rehabilitation of old BHs instead of building new ones. 

• Could have a certifying organization that goes around and ensures that certain bench marks are 

done (i.e. they’ve collected the funds, etc), before a BH is drilled.

Appendix G: 

List of Pump Parts and Maintenance Tool Prices

List of Pump Parts and Maintenance Tools 

(Provided by Clear Water Initiative) 

Item Description Unit Rate (UGX) 

1 Riser pies U2 (1 1/4'') in 3m long Pc 55,000 

2 SS Rods in 3m long Pc 25,000 

3 Cylinder U2 Pc 145,000 

4 Head complete Pc 250,000 

5 Hex. Bolt M12x40mm long Pc 1,000 

6 Hex. Nuts M12mm Pc 700 

7 H.T bolt M10x1.5mm Pc 1,000 

8 Nylco nut M10x1.5mm Pc 1,000 

9 Handle axle Pc 15,000 

10 Washer 4mm thick for handle axle Pair 500 

11 Bearing No.6204z Pair 25,000 

12 Chain with coupling Pc 25,000 

13 Bolt for front cover M12x20mm long Pc 1,500 

14 Nitrile rubber washers Pair 2,000 

15 Nitrile sealing rings Pair 2,000 

16 Nitrile rubber valve Pair 2,000 

17 Rubber seating lower valve Pair 2,000 

18 Hex coupling M12x1.75x50 Pc 5,000 

19 Seamless sockets 32mm Pc 7,000 

20 Spacer Pc 5,000 

21 Pump bucket Pair 10,000 

22 19/17mm open ended spanner Pc 7,000 

23 Crank spanner Pc 15,000 

24 Greese Tin 5,000

Issuance Date 19 August 2011 Contract Number AID-617-C-10 ...

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