Hydraulic ram pumps and Sling Pumps

Key Factors for Sustainable Cost Recovery1.1.3 Implementing a demand-driven approachA demand-driven approach plans and designs a project taking the point of view and desire ofcommunities as a starting point. It is effective when implemented in a participatory way.In a conventional working methodology, a ‘top-down’ approach, the planner presents a preparedproject to the communities. In a participatory ‘sharing’ approach, the planner becomes a facilitator,promoting a process whereby communities design, learn and make decisions. The planner uses his/herown experience, and those of community members, to raise their awareness and to make them fullyresponsible for the choices they make.Many professionals will be unfamiliar with facilitation as a working style. Facilitation works bestwhen certain values are accepted and practised not only by the facilitator, but also by the entire group.These include:• Democracy, in which each actor (men, women, planner and communities) has an opportunity toparticipate without discrimination;• Responsibility, by which each actor is responsible for his/her experiences and behaviour; and• Cooperation, so that the facilitator and the communities work together to achieve one collectivegoal.Box 1: An example of facilitation by an institution in designing a cost recoverysystemThe majority of the population of the community of El Hormiguero, in Colombia are black people, with a loweducational level. Their main economical activity is the extraction of sand from the Cauca River. The water isprovided through a deep well pump, using high levels of electricity. The community receives water for eighthours a day, and has to pump water for four hours every day. A support institution, Cinara, has facilitated theprocess since the water system was developed. The system was managed by a community organisation andby 1997 it was not receiving enough money to cover recurrent costs. Users paid a monthly flat rate of US$0.95. The water board was considering an increase in the tariff, but they knew that many users were reluctantto pay more, and they did not have information about the real costs of the water service.The first step was to develop a cost and tariff study for the water supply system. The conclusion was that tariffsshould be raised but users had to make the decision. The water board decided to call a general meeting.Cinara was the facilitator to that meeting. The first step during the meeting was a role-play known as ‘the busdynamic’, using a scenario with similar costs problems. After the role-play, participants were asked about thesimilarities between the water service and the transportation service. The dynamics allowed the participants toidentify the main costs for the water service and to calculate the tariffs for their water pumping system. Cinarathen showed the cost and tariffs study for the system considering different stages of cost recovery, from therecovery of recurrent costs up to full cost recovery. The community saw the necessity of covering the totalcosts of the system through higher tariffs in order to keep a good quality service. They decided to pay amonthly flat rate of US$ 2.2, which represented an increase of more than 100% of the initial tariff.Source: CinaraThe effectiveness of a participatory approach depends on having a good working attitude, and on theuse of participatory techniques 12 . The participation of communities, both men and women, in thedesign and implementation of improved services can contribute to a greater commitment to takingresponsibility for the service, since they will have to manage, operate and maintain it, as well as payfor its functioning. Designing a cost recovery system is a community concern and the communityshould be involved in all stages of its design, if the system is to be accepted, and sustainable. Genderconsiderations are especially relevant for cost recovery because men and women have unequal accessto and control over water and other resources including land, time and credits. It is also importantbecause women do more domestic work than men, including handling and paying for water. Finally, itis important because men and women have different productive uses of water.12See for references on participatory techniques: Dayal, R. ; Wijk-Sijbesma, C.A. van; Mukherjee, N. (2000). Methodology forparticipatory assessments with communities, institutions and policy makers : linking sustainability with demand, gender and poverty.Washington, DC, USA, UNDP-World Bank Water and Sanitation Program7