Sustainability Planning and Monitoring

ORGANIZING AND INTERPRETING THE DATArequired for sustainability. Since every scalefollows this principle, when several scalesmaking up a particular variable areaggregated, the mid-point of the aggregationstill represents the minimum aggregate scorefor sustainability (as done in case of 4components of sustainability, shown as stackedbar charts in Figure 8. Each stacked barrepresent a community water system and iscomposed of the aggregate scores the systemreceived on the four sustainability components:system quality, effective functioning, effectivefinancing, effective management.b) Score descriptions as points on a continuum:each score description in a scale differs fromthe previous or subsequent one on the samescale, on a single dimension. This provides anapproximation of equal distance between scorecategories, as illustrated in Boxes 19 and 23.In the MPA, all components of sustainability aredeemed to have equal weight as all componentsare interlinked and influence one another (seeFigure 1 in Chapter 1). It is rarely meaningfuland practically implausible to isolate the effect ofany single component on ultimate overallsustainability.The MPA indicators table in Chapter 2 showedhow sustained services, effective use and thevariables affecting them are measured through aspecific set of indicators. With this list, thefacilitators help community groups add up scoresfor indicators to arrive at an aggregate score foreach variable. The score for ‘effective financing’Box 23 Two examples of MPA scales benchmarked for sustainabilityScore Score description for FIN 2 Scoregiven by (Adequacy of user financing of converted tocommunity operation and maintenance) 0-100 scale0 No user payments 01 Payments made but do not cover annual O&M* costs 252 (mid-point) Payments just enough to cover annual O&M costs 503 Payments cover all annual O&M costs and repairs 754 Payments generate annual surpluses, over and above 100annual O&M and repair costs (for possible future expansion/replacement of system)Score Score description for CM2 Scoregiven by (Level of repairs carried out by converted tocommunity community water management organization) 0-100 scale0 No repairs done by the community or done only by external agency. 01 Some minor repairs organized by the community, not any 25major repairs.2 (mid-point) All minor repairs done/organized by the community, 50but not major repairs.3 All minor repairs done/organized by the community, 75also some major repairs.4 All minor and major repairs done/organized by the community. 100* O&M - Operation and maintenance52