Organisational exit strategies for water supplies

This paper is drawn from the output of a DFID funded KAR project, R7136. This paper presents the conclusions of a two-year project to collect and collate data on sustainable rural water systems. It describes in brief the methodology, referring to last years interim paper presented at the WEDC conference. The paper describes how a careful exit strategies can make up for emergency entry strategies and makes practical suggestions for essential components to any exit strategy. The suggestions are informed by field data gathered from three partners in Mozambique and Malawi. It shows that technical competence is a key factor in longer term sustainability. While social mobilisation is desirable for long term development, it’s influence on availability of water is not as key as “competence”. It emphasises the importance of even the smallest involvement during the start-up phase and draws attention to this for future emergency planning. The paper describes the role of spare part supply chains and second level repair agents. The paper concludes by presenting a summary of the key factors agencies should consider when planning an exit strategy.