Understanding the Context

1
Masibambane Lets work together Experiences of
Collaboration in the Water Services Sector
PMIG Discussion Session 07 December 2005
Louise Colvin
2
CONTENTS

• What is Masibambane?
• Share findings of Sector Collaboration Review
• Raise questions for discussion

3
Imperative to collaborate is all around us
project consolidate
4
Masibambane - Lets Work Together

• Led by DWAF, Masibambane initiated in 2000
• A SWAP Sector Wide Approach Programme with
  pooled donor funding
• Grappled from start with notion of Masibambane
  being a concept owned by the sector not a
  separate programme or donor funding conduit
• Challenge was not to create a separate empire
  but strengthen the sector and its partners
• Fundamentally a vehicle for transformation
  driving a new paradigm and shift in power
  relations
• Prepared sector to face the changes ahead

5
DWAF WS in Transition
PRESENT FOCUS Restructuring Decentralisation Polic
y framework Addressing WS backlog Transfers Build
ing sector LG Support
FUTURE Sector Leadership Policy Support thru
cooperative governance Regulation Institutional
Reform Information
PAST FOCUS Nationally driven CWSS Inheritance
running of ex-Bantustan schemes Transformation Bui
lding WS capacity development paradigm in DWAF
. in support of transformation DWAF fulfilling
its leadership role
1994 elections
2005
2000
6
WS Local Government Context
New democracy
1994
1997
2000
2003
2005
DWAF takes on ex-Bantustan schemes WS
role Drives national community based
infrastructure projects for basic services
Transition to programmatic approach. Top slicing
for Institutional Dev sustainability BoTT WS
Act
Masibambane funds drive for sector
collaboration LG institutional develop-ment and
support WSA focus Transfers preparing for
decentralisation Free basic water
DWAF restructured for regulatory role Strategic
Framework for WS Sector Approach
Extended Institutional Reform
WS
DWAF
LG legislation for new structures systems 1999
Demarcation process 2000 Elections
Wall to wall transitional LG 804 municipalities
Huge variance in capacity SALGA organised LG
body -established
284 municipalities established 3 categories-?
Metro ? District? Local still capacity
variance New Powers Functions 155 WSAs
Consolidated MIG launched DWAF capital
program migrates to MIG Project Consolidate
integrated focus on strengthening LG service
delivery as political priority Determining WSP
arrangements
LG
dplg
WS Authority Municipal Infrastructure Grant
WS Provider
7
A Sector Wide Approach Key Components
Government- led process of donor coordination
Agreed process for harmonization of systems
Masibambane / SWAP
Systematic mechanism for collaboration
Clear agreed Sector policy and strategy
Common performance monitoring/ reporting
Sector expenditure framework (all local
external resources)
8
(No Transcript)
9
Elements of collaboration

• It is about-
• Common identity ownership
• Leadership
• Joint (or collective) decision making
• Sharing
• Organisation - coordination management
• Collaborative programmes

10
Building identity ownership

• Approach-
• Strengthen members to participate eg SALGA, WSAs
  (even the playing field)
• Ensuring mutual benefit
• Voice/say on national agenda
• Sharing experiences / learning lessons
• Empowered by being better informed seeing
  bigger picture
• Working better (maximising resources, minimise
  duplication etc)
• Meeting need

11
Building identity ownership

• Masibambane to act in interest of all
• Moving from Us and them ? WE
• Wearing two hats -
• sector hat (eg provincial forums on WSSLG)
• own organisation/dept hat
• . both require role clarity, common purpose
  understood positions

12
Leadership

• Complex not just who but HOW
• Critical for collaboration essential to guide
  this period of transformation
• The very essence of leadership is (that) you have
  to have a vision, Its got to be a vision that
  you articulate clearly and forcefully on every
  occasion. You cant blow an uncertain trumpet.
  Father Theodore Hesburg
• Not ONE leader
• Leaders come to the fore at different levels in
  different arenas

13
Leadership

• Leadership is a process of influencing group
  members toward the attainment of defined goals .
  and is about coping with change. Greenberg
  Baron
• The role of the leader can change eg from
  directing doing to facilitating and supporting
• Have to grapple with what leadership means, what
  role how to effect especially DWAF
• Leadership is example. Albert Schweizer.
• It does not happen because it is legislated nor
  because there is one good leader

14
Leadership

• Lessons
• Shared and clearly articulated VISION
• Must have champion (often individual based)
• Allow members to choose (each forum differed)
• Cater for different level type of leadership
• Can have collective leadership (WSSLG)
• Clarity and consistency
• Leadership style is important as befitting the
  occasion

15
Collaborative Structures

• Sector structures (govt and others)-
• WS Sector Leadership Group (WSSLG) to
  strategically guide the sector
• Masibambane/WS Coordinating Committee to oversee
  sector plans reporting at national level
• Provincial Sector Fora (comprising mainly
  municipalities) to jointly plan, budget
  implement provincial sector strategies
• 1 2 have sector sub committees, working on
  specific areas (sanitation, gender, HIV/Aids,
  Civil Society etc)

16
Sector Collaborative Structures

• Functioning of Provincial Fora differ (stronger
  in the original Masibambane supported provinces
  KZN, EC, LP)
• The sector collaborative structures are not
  formalised or legislated (except in KZN).
• Additional fora established District WSA WS
  Managers Forum (à la Cities Network WS Managers)
  Water Information Network (WIN) as determined
  by participants

17
Sector Collaborative Structures

• The measure of their success and continuance lies
  in them being relevant and useful.
• Exchange of information knowledge sharing has
  become increasingly important
• Should not duplicate existing structures

18
Collaborative decision making

• Joint decision making means joint responsibility
  key for effective decentralisation.
• Vital for coherence good decision making in
  sector otherwise potential for fragmentation
  even conflict.
• Sector collaboration is NOT about undermining
  authorised decision makers but about them
  taking decisions in their own right within
  with the formal decision making structures,
  across
• 3 spheres of government
• Political Executive/Official
• Inter-sectoral

19
Collaborative decision making process
decision
SECTOR MEMBER
recommendation
joint
FORUM
FORUM
action
proposal
agreement
recommendation
SECTOR MEMBER
decision
20
Organisation

• Vital to be organised thru coordination
  management, requiring-
• A common strategic framework into which all
  strategies feed
• Integrated planning
• Common (mutually intelligible) reporting systems
• the WS Sector Coordinating Committee which meets
  nationally to report quarterly per PFMA
• checklist
• benchmarking
• Link in with LG reporting processes
• Annual analysis of the State of the Sector

21
Planning AlignmentCross Sectoral Plans Water
Sector Plans
Cross Sectoral
Water Sector
Strategic Framework for Water Services
Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF)
National
Provincial Water Services Sector Strategic Plan
Provincial Growth Development Strategy (PGDS)
Provincial
Water Services Development Plan (WSDP)
Integrated Development Plan (IDP)
Local
22
WATER SERVICES SECTOR STRATEGY RELATIONSHIP
DIAGRAM
NATIONAL SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK
DWAF WS Strategy
NATIONAL WATER RESOURCE STRATEGY
SFWS Implementation Strategies
NATIONAL SECTOR PARTNERS
DPLG
CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
SOCIAL ? ECONOMIC ? ENVIRONMENTAL ?
INSTITUTIONAL DRIVERS
PROVINCIAL SECTOR PARTNERS
PROVINCIAL GROWTH DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
PROVINCIAL WS SECTOR STRATEGIC PLAN
WATER BOARD / / UTILITIES BUSINESS PLAN
MUNICIPAL IDP
WATER SERVICES AUTHORITY
MUNICIPAL WS DEVELOPMENT PLAN
WATER SERVICES PROVIDER
CIVIL SOCIETY
PEOPLES NEED
23
Current Lines of WS Reporting
Treasury
Provincial structures
WSA
DPLG
national govt decision making structures
Other
Provincial Sector Forum
Other
WS Sector Coordinating Committee(MCC)
WSSLG
SALGA etc
DWAF
Clusters RPM etc
DWAF
region
national
legislated, formal government reporting
not formal reporting but input exchange at
strategic level
not legislated reporting but collaborative
reporting of ALL (govt non-govt) sector members
24
Sector Collaboration Review

• Held between February to September 2005,
  coordinated by WIN
• The objectives-
• to document the Masibambane / sector approach,
• to understand how collaboration is contributing
  to sector progress and why and how sector
  stakeholders are coming together.
• to recommend how to consolidate and
  institutionalise the approach

25
Generic Lessons Learnt

• Build capacity within partner organisations
  allowing them to collaborate eg SALGA was able
  to be the voice of disparate munix, enabling real
  dialogue
• Concentrate on tangible issues and projects (such
  as strategic plans, programmes Transfers, S78
  etc)
• Concentrate on support to municipalities
• Flexible funding essential (donors)
• Involve political players esp councillors

26
Generic Lessons Learnt (SCR)

• Different types of collaboration are needed at
  different levels. Regular review of structures
  and process to remain relevant
• Honest brokers can assist in recognising change
• Informality can help. Mandating an
  organisations collaboration often does not
  always achieve results
• Collaboration and communication builds trust
  transparency builds credibility

27
Generic Lessons Learnt (SCR)

• Collaboration over planning, budgeting and
  implementation is as important as developing
  policy
• Regular open provincial/national reporting has
  improved information flow and built trust
• There is need to measure performance of munix
  early on in decentralisation process as it
  promotes accountability
• Collaboration is not necessary all the time it
  can hold up as well as facilitate transformation.
  It is not a substitute for strong line management

28
Generic Lessons Learnt (SCR)

• Both drivers for and barriers to collaboration
  will change over time must be flexible to
  accommodate these changes
• Cannot expect the same constellation of partners
  or individuals to remain static plan for
  turnover in advance
• Collaboration costs money must be budgeted for
  cannot rely on donor funds in the long term
• Collaboration across sectors is more difficult
  but equally important

29
Eastern Cape Findings

• Eastern Cape only province reviewed, but findings
  shared corroborated with other provincial
  stakeholders
• Overall positive
• provincial collaboration has worked well, the
  improved DWAF / municipal relationships are very
  evident the dynamics have changed . to more
  of a municipality-to-municipality lesson-learning
  platform (p33)
• the collaboration has drawn councillors into
  discussions which has been very positive (p33)

30
Eastern Cape Findings

• as a result of collaboration there is a more
  widely-owned, more coherent policy framework for
  water service and implementation issues are being
  solved pragmatically (p31)
• the nature of collaboration has become
  increasingly practical, assisting in solving
  operational issues (p34)
• Yet on occasion collaborative structures are
  reacting to external changes rather than
  influencing them (which) highlights a need for
  greater political engagement in the future (p31)

31
General Findings
32
Observations issues for the future

• Approach for Future
• Putting municipalities first in collaboration
• Taking the customers perspective
• Ensuring gains are sustainable

33

• It seems that there are
• 4
• major shifts
• ( happening or awaited )

34
4 Shifts

1. Political and fiscal decentralisation
2. Moving from delivery of infrastructure to
   delivering services
3. Moving from individual relationships to
   organisational collaboration
4. Bringing the technocrats and politicians together

35

• The review presents a series of options
  (supported by international best practice) that
  the sector may want to consider.

36
Aligning the sector with national and municipal
systems
MIG PMUs Municipal managers Human resources
department A focus on service sustain-ability
37
Aligning the sector with national and municipal
systems
How Water Sector and MIG collaborative structure
relate
INTERMINISTERIAL COMMITTEE/CABINET Overall
responsible for policy, legislation and
performance
DWAF / DPLG relationship Role for a broker?
(Treasury?) Political viewpoint
IGR Act proposal
WATER SECTOR INTERGOVERNMENTAL FORUM Policy,
Legislation, Coordination Performance
MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE TASK TEAM Policy,
Legislation, Coordination Performance
WATER SERVICES SECTOR LEADERSHIP GROUP Policy
guidance coordination
WS COORD COMMITTEE (MCC) National coordination
reporting
MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNICAL TASK
TEAM National Coordination, Monitoring, reporting
This interface will be key
PROVINCIAL WATER SERVICES SECTOR FORA Development
of strategies plans, service delivery issues,
reporting, lesson learning
PROVINCIAL MI TASK TEAMS Coordination, IDP process
38
Harnessing Political Will
INTERMINISTERIAL COMMITTEE/CABINET Overall
responsible for policy, legislation and
performance
Learn from experience of councillor
involvement Make us of the IGR bill Consider a
National Intergovernmental forum for water
sector Look at lack of MEC challenge and how best
to work with SALGA
Links between technocrats politicians
WATER SECTOR INTERGOVERNMENTAL FORUM Policy,
Legislation, Coordination Performance
WATER SERVICES SECTOR LEADERSHIP GROUP Policy
guidance coordination
WS COORD COMMITTEE (MCC) National coordination
reporting
39
Focussing on service performance as well as
infrastructure delivery
consumers are in the best place to monitor the
effectiveness of water services provision.
Strengthening the voice of consumers it is the
responsibility of WSAs to put in place mechanisms
to facilitate, listen and respond to consumer and
citizen feedback on the quality of service
delivery
Strategic Framework for Water Services
40
Focussing on service performance as well as
infrastructure delivery
Grievance mechanisms Customer complaints /
consultations Consumer voice Voice within the
collaboration?
41
Internalising collaboration
Placed people Moving beyond champions Job
descriptions Spreading ownership Internal
process budgets
42
Where to start?

• There are eight actions which could shift both
  the agenda and the substance of collaboration
  towards municipalities and the consumer (p53)

43
Areas for action
National treasury / broker WSDP / IDP / MIG
relations Municipal system risk Internal
decision into collaborative process
44
Recommended Actions

1. Rapidly implement a unified system of WSA
   benchmarking and ensure all participate by mid
   2006
2. Disseminate information on sector performance
   thru publicity campaigns raise awareness of
   developments within sector
3. Develop policies on customer involvement
   collaboration within munix and roll out thru
   provincial sector fora
4. Consider establishing a National Water Sector
   Intergovernmental Forum (IGR) thereby anchoring
   the sector into the political realm
5. Lobby National Treasury to play honest broker
   role in cross-sector collaboration

45
Recommended Actions

1. Develop guidelines to better integrate the WSDP
   with the IDP hand over primary responsibility
   for coordinating WS infrastructure to MIG fora,
   clarifying back-stopping role of DWAF how MIG
   will relate to service delivery (other than
   infrastructure)
2. Review how WS sector support relates to broader
   strengthening of munic systems (conduct risk
   analysis of these from sector standpoint)
3. Review how decision-making within stakeholders
   related to collaborative processes and discuss
   strategies for better institutionalisation of
   organisational interface

46
Open questions to consider

• Treasurys role in sector inter-sector
  collaboration? Enhance its ability to improve
  effectiveness of resource allocation, consistency
  of policy links with LG.
• Given centrality of infrastructure spending in
  new accelerated shared economic growth plan
  collaborative approach is essential Treasury
  has critical role?

• Sustainable budget for collaboration importance
  of flexible resources?
• Does IGR open opportunity to entrench
  collaboration? Resource allocation -job
  descriptions political leadership?
• Budgeting for collaboration importance of
  flexible resources? (MIG 1 lost opportunity)

47
Open questions to consider

• Horse before the cart? LG/dplg vis a vis WS
  sector/DWAF
• Premiers offices key to coordinating across
  sectors?
• Taking sector wide approach in other sectors, esp
  re donor coordination? When is a sector ready?
• Harmonising reporting systems with LG at the
  centre?

• Does collaboration streamline or proliferate
  planning and when?
• Recognising decentralisation is a process not
  overnight instruction
• Will regulatory collaboration look
  significantly different from existing
  collaboration given change in relationship?