Mobile phones as a tool for citizen monitoring of water supplies in rural Tanzania

MajiMatone is an innovative programme using citizens’ agency to promote accountability, equity and sustainability in rural water supply in Tanzania. The programme harnesses mobile phone technology and media partnerships to create user-friendly opportunities for citizens to bring problems to the attention of local government and to put pressure on local officials to solve these problems, thus increasing public accountability for water services. Concrete improvements in service delivery are not delivered by the programme itself, but by local government in response to pressure from citizens. The programme thus addresses the underlying political causes of low functionality rates and inequitable investment, rather than targeting the symptoms. The programme’s pilot phase in three districts of Southern Tanzania ends in April 2011. Details of outputs and outcomes, achievements and challenges from this pilot phase will be presented and analysed in time for presentation at the WEDC conference in July 2011.