Water for people.pdf - WHO Thailand Digital Repository

S I G N I N G P R O G R E S S : I N D I C A T O R S M A R K T H E W A Y / 4 1populations, but also to provide an approach to analysing the costeffectivenessof different health interventions and, in a revisedversion, the quality of the health services in member states. Initiallyit was developed as a tool for use in the health sector, but with thedevelopment of comparative risk assessment methods, it is rapidlybecoming an indicator for cross-sectoral health issues.The most significant and inclusive initiative could prove to bethe CSD-led initiative on sustainability indicators, which aims toreport progress on the implementation of the recommendations ofAgenda 21. However, these indicators have yet to be applied. Box3.3 lists a few major indicator development exercises which usedone of the above approaches.WWDR Indicator DevelopmentObviously, there are strengths and weaknesses to each approach. Oneof the WWDR’s tasks is to evaluate these and to learn from them. Themost common way forward is to clearly identify from the outset withineach approach the aim and intended uses of the indicators. Allapproaches recommend that the development of indicators be basedon a thorough understanding of the system or process underconsideration and preferably on a conceptual model. More importantly,they urge that a participatory approach be taken in order to gatherdifferent, often contradicting, viewpoints, both to legitimize the resultand to enhance learning.Clearly, development of indicators requires a commonunderstanding of the issues at hand between the UN agenciesresponsible for the assessments and those information users whohave asked for the indicator-based report. Such a processnecessitates a large number of choices that unavoidably reflect theknowledge and values of their developers (Bossel, 1999).Involvement of the right institutions and people is thereforeessential (see the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe[UNECE] guidelines on monitoring and assessment of transboundaryrivers, 2000).In developing indicators for the first WWDR, the Secretariat hastried not only to combine the four approaches reviewed, but also totake into consideration the lessons learnt by other indicatordevelopment efforts. The process was as inclusive as possible,representing both information providers and users, such asrepresentatives of the pilot case studies, experts from the UNagencies, scientists, representatives from major water-related nongovernmentalorganizations (NGOs) and a few members of theinterested public. As outlined in chapter 15 on governing waterwisely, the WWDR must provide:■ decision-makers with a means to understand the importance ofwater issues so as to involve them in promoting effective watergovernance;■ water specialists with a way to step ‘outside the water box’, sothey learn to take into account broader, social, political andeconomic issues into the water equation, which would thenrequire■ transparent and mutually communicable strategies for decisionmakersand water specialists, in such a way that both have aclear understanding of the state of progress in terms of a globaldesire to achieve water-related goals and targets througheffective implementation of policies and related actions.Thus, an essential part of WWDR indicator development is ensuringparticipation of different stakeholders, particularly the member statesinvolved in the WWAP process. This important element is illustrated inbox 3.4, which depicts the efforts made by the Greater Tokyo casestudy in developing indicators of flood risks and water quality. Theapproach taken for the development of indicators in this issue of theWWDR can be summarized in six steps as outlined in figure 3.6.Figure 3.6: Schematic representation of a guideline for indicatordevelopment1 definition of information need and vision2 development of conceptual model and log frame3 formulation of potential indicatorsevaluation of potential indicators on the basis of:– scientific basis– policy relevance– measurability5 comparison of potential indicatorswith data availabilityinsufficient datasufficient data6 indicator developed indicator developedbut data collection needed and calculatedsocio-economicstatisticsenvironmentaldataThis scheme shows the different steps to achieving developed and calculated indicatorsfrom the definitions of needs.Source: Based on Lorenz, 1999.