Application of the Circuit Rider methodology in Latin America and Africa

Small water supply systems are often unable to provide a reliable, safe, and sustainable service over time, and this has direct impacts on overall wellbeing of people. Circuit Rider post-construction support addresses this through the provision of technical, financial, and operational assistance to these systems. The Circuit Rider methodology has been proven over time to help sustain services from small water systems in countries in North America and Canada, Central America, and the Caribbean. To date, the Circuit Rider program has not been adapted at scale in the African context. This paper aims to describe best practices learned from existing programs and discuss how the Circuit Rider methodology is being adapted to the Ghanaian context, and to encourage further research into the benefits and costs of post-construction support in Africa.