The Development Association for Self-reliance, Communication and Health (DASCOH) has been working for improving local governance in 17 union parishads (UPs) of Rajshahi and Chapainwabganj under an SDC-funded project, Sustainable Solutions for the Delivery of Safe Drinking Water (SDSD), since 2004.
The SDSD project was very unpretentious and it began with a low ambition. It did not aim at radical institutional reform or massive infusion of financial or human resources at local level. The project worked within the existing laws and rules and regulations, focusing on incremental improvement with an emphasis on influencing policies through successful practices.
The project has brought about positive changes at local level and has many lessons to offer. The UPs within the project have earned the trust and confidence of the people. They are delivering services to the poor through means that are participatory, accountable and transparent. The project also has a number of multiplier effects.
This report documents some of these lessons and good practices that may be useful to other development partners in advancing the agenda of good governance.
These include the delivery of water services through UP-led open tendering; the UP-centric operation and maintenance (O&M) of water points; and a number of spin-offs from the project. Though the lessons and practices are specifically of the water and sanitation sector, they may be of relevance to other sectors as well.
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