Consumers Count : How Water and Sanitation Utilities Can Become More Accountable to Their Users

Muller, Mike ; Simpson, Robin ; Ginnekan, Meike van

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: ACCESS TO INFORMATION;    ACCOUNTABILITY;    ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSES;    CIVIL SOCIETY;    COMPLAINT;   

RP-ID  :  44737

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

This note presents tools that can helpmake service providers more accountable to the people theyserve. The voice of users is often muted in water utilities.One consequence is that utilities do not take account ofusers' priorities and preferences. The utility, inturn, loses the trust and cooperation of the community thatit is supposed to serve. The result is often servicedeterioration, further alienating users. Traditionally,users relied on politicians to maintain oversight of budgetsand compliance with rules and to intervene on their behalfwhen services failed. This institutionalized a long route ofaccountability from user to political representative toservice provider. Modern approaches to public managementseek to hold service providers more directly accountable totheir users for the outcomes of their work. Providers areexpected to ensure that water flows safely and reliably fromtaps, that blocked drains are cleared, and that services areaccessible and affordable to all. Accountability in thiscontext is about establishing a direct short route betweenusers and service providers. Tools for accountability cannotby themselves provide sustainable water services. But theiruse can contribute to this goal, by improving utilitypractices and the utility's policy and institutional environment.