I.Target rationale:

Why local authorities should adopt and implement strategy and action plans for water and sanitation ?

In many countries, access to water supply and sanitation comes under the remit of local authorities. Dealing with the challenge of developing and sustainably managing water and sanitation services requires specific knowledge of the sector’s local needs and issues, as well as a pragmatic vision for defining means of intervention and prioritizing the actions: that’s the aim of a local strategy and action plan.
Even when water and sanitation services do not come under the direct remittance of local authorities, they must be key actors of strategic water and sanitation services development process, because:
- local authorities are close to the populations, their needs and demand; and because they have the duty to put into practice national policies into local action plans;
- as a local public service, water and sanitation can be used for building municipal capacities and governance’s good practices. It’s an important local democratic issue;
it is necessary to associate all the stakeholders, in order to define a shared vision and to implement a service level that gives satisfaction to all.

A necessity : bringing all stakeholders to work together

In order to improve sanitation services for all, local authorities should associate all stakeholders in the formulation of a strategy and in its implementation: of course local residents, but also all the others categories of consumers of sanitation services (schools, health centers, administrations, economic actors) and the providers of sanitation (building, emptying and treatment) services. How to develop and implement a local strategy:
1. identify in the national comprehensive strategic sanitation plan and priorities the elements relevant to the locality
2. construct a comprehensive diagnostic by making field observations on all the components of the sanitation chain locally and listening to all stakeholder’s points of view
3. identify key issues and challenges to take up in the locality
4. design a local action plan
5. implement the local action plan

II. Target description

Why a « 500 local authorities » target ?

500 local authorities would represent a significant but realistic number for a global-scale target:
- significant because it will allow the partners to learn the lessons from a large sample of experiences. Furthermore, these 500 local authorities will come from various origins: urban, periurban and rural, and from the five continents; which means a good representativity;
- realistic because a 500 group can be monitored and could be given back-up support through 5 -10 regional focal points, and means that the process’ final objective is achievable.

The necessary commitment of regional and local authorities process

Local authorities and regional processes should be fully committed to the conception and adoption of the target, to hand over to 500 local authorities from the five continents.

Regional focal points should take the responsibility of promoting and monitoring the progress in the implementation of the target after 2012.

A global platform could be hosted by the pS-Eau and other partners, in order to spread information and methodological tools, facilitate the trading between all stakeholders and give back-up support to the local authorities (pS-Eau has implemented a four years pilot project of local action plans and strategies in thirty African towns and cities, and is launching an electronic platform to share experiences on local strategies).
Moreover, and if financial means can be dedicated to this target, theses regional focal points could give back-up supports to regional authorities.

TARGET 1.2.6 ACTION PLAN 071011