Publication: Consumers Count : How Water and Sanitation Utilities Can Become More Accountable to Their Users
Date
2008-06
ISSN
Published
2008-06
Author(s)
Muller, Mike
Simpson, Robin
Ginnekan, Meike van
Abstract
This note presents tools that can help
make service providers more accountable to the people they
serve. The voice of users is often muted in water utilities.
One consequence is that utilities do not take account of
users' priorities and preferences. The utility, in
turn, loses the trust and cooperation of the community that
it is supposed to serve. The result is often service
deterioration, further alienating users. Traditionally,
users relied on politicians to maintain oversight of budgets
and compliance with rules and to intervene on their behalf
when services failed. This institutionalized a long route of
accountability from user to political representative to
service provider. Modern approaches to public management
seek to hold service providers more directly accountable to
their users for the outcomes of their work. Providers are
expected to ensure that water flows safely and reliably from
taps, that blocked drains are cleared, and that services are
accessible and affordable to all. Accountability in this
context is about establishing a direct short route between
users and service providers. Tools for accountability cannot
by themselves provide sustainable water services. But their
use can contribute to this goal, by improving utility
practices and the utility's policy and institutional environment.
Citation
“Muller, Mike; Simpson, Robin; Ginnekan, Meike van. 2008. Consumers Count : How Water and Sanitation Utilities Can Become More Accountable to Their Users. Water P-Notes; No. 15. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/22d6cb60-43b7-561a-aeb3-07a50b6876cf License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”