According to the “Guidelines for drinking water quality” (2011) the teams implementing and managing a WSP “include engineers, catchment and water managers, water quality specialists, environmental or public health or hygiene professionals, operational staff and representatives of consumers or from the community.” (World Health Organization, 2011b:
49) This statement is also appropriate for WaSH Safety Plans and based on it possible actors are presented below. Based on the results of the interviews and the analysis for the WaSH Safety Plan and the context of the visited RGCs in the south west of Uganda it is advisable to divide the components into hardware and software. Figure 8.2 illustrates in what actors and responsibilities this division results.
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Figure 8.2 Actors involved in Implementation
The reason why the division in hardware and software is advisable is the fact that these two areas require different skills and knowledge. Some actors, however, play a role in both due to certain responsibilities. The structure includes actors from the regional and local level – district, sub-county and rural growth centre. Due to the fact that experts are needed to develop such a plan it does not make sense to work only on the level of rural growth centres because it is not possible to have all the experts and experienced staff there. The districts and sub-counties already face the problem that very often positions are not filled e.g. the Ministry of Health states that only 10 percent of Assistant District Health Officers (ADHO) in charge of Environmental Health are in place. The figure shows that many actors are involved in an implementation of such a plan. The lead agency or actor should be the water supply and sanitation board in cooperation with the scheme operator. The water board consists of members from the local government. In addition to water users, the sub-county councillor in charge of health and the sub-county chief are members of the board (e.g. I 5 Scheme Operator). That means the local government is integrated but it is still very closely connected to the RGC.
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In the following sub-chapters roles and responsibilities of the actors involved are presented.
This includes responsibilities which they already hold and possible responsibilities which they could assume.
8.2.1 Hardware
Hardware pertains to the construction of water supply schemes and sanitation infrastructure.
The water supplier, which is the Water Supply and Sanitation Board, play a very important part in developing and implementing a WaSH Safety Plan. In particular, the scheme operator is of importance because he has a lot of knowledge about the scheme. Furthermore the water board is managing and the scheme operator is operating the scheme, so they are responsible for the day to day activities. They are responsible for monitoring according to the performance and management contracts.
The Umbrella Organisation (for this part of the country it is the South Western Umbrella of Water and Sanitation) has the responsibility of supporting the water and sanitation schemes with know-how but also with spare parts. Furthermore they carry out water quality tests and are responsible for “mentoring, training [and] water quality monitoring.” (Ministry of Water and Environment, 2009a: 7) They should provide support and supervise EcoSan construction works. Training for scheme operators about EcoSan toilets and how to construct them should be provided.
The local government, e.g. sub-county or district, are of great importance because here ordinances and by-laws can be put in place in order to enact environmental sanitation (Ministry of Health, 2011: 82). The staff, especially the health inspector and the health assistants, are responsible for monitoring whether these laws are met. The District Water Officer (DWO) as well as the health assistants are responsible for sanitation on regional level.
The health inspector at the district is a very important person, he has the right to admonish people for not building a proper latrine or can even arrest them (I 6 Scheme Operator).
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The Water and Sanitation Development Facility (WSDF) plans and finances the water supply scheme. The WSDF has an engineering specialist who has to “[maintain water resources data and developments in the region” (Ministry of Water and Environment, 2009a:
25) as well as developing and/or reviewing technical plans and reports, procurement of contractors and supervision of construction works. Due to this, the WSDF has specific knowledge about the construction projects. Furthermore the WSDF is working with an environmental sanitation specialist who has to “[e]valuate the Environmental sanitation situation in the target RGCs at the time of application” (Ministry of Water and Environment, 2009a: 25) and has to identify necessary interventions to improve sanitation. The environmental sanitation specialist is responsible for preparing sanitation activities as well as developing sanitation related monitoring and evaluation tools with key stakeholders (Ministry of Water and Environment, 2009a: 25). That means the WSDF has good knowledge about the situation in the RGCs before schemes are opened and are therefore important in the system assessment process.
8.2.2 Software
Software in this context is related to tasks such as hygiene promotion and sanitation promotion where social skills are very relevant. Software forms an integral part in ensuring the safety of all components.
The health inspector as well as health assistants and health workers play a very important role for sanitation and hygiene. They are inter alia responsible for sanitation and hygiene promotion and are involved in sensitising and mobilising people (I 6 Health Workers). The health inspector is located at the district level. Health assistants are at the sub-county level and health workers are also in rural growth centres. Their responsibility is to encourage people to practice safe sanitation and hygiene behaviour.
The Scheme operator and tap attendants also play a part in software. They have direct contact with the community and can sensitise the inhabitants. They promote EcoSan toilets and advise the people how to use them. Furthermore it is their task to check that water users have clean jerry cans (I 3 Scheme Operators). In addition, one scheme operator told me that
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he also sensitizes people with private connections about sanitation and hygiene issues (I5 Scheme Operator). This should be done by all scheme operators.