Benchmarking local government performance on rural sanitation: learning from Himachal Pradesh, India

Published on: 24/02/2011

A WSP learning note, published in April 2010, draws some preliminary lessons from using the benchmarking model:

• Performance benchmarking enables districts to understand their performance and motivates them to improve. It helps to flag areas of strength, areas that need improvement, and linkages between them
• Through performance benchmarking, inputs, outputs and processes can be linked to outcomes in monitoring rural sanitation sector performance in India
• The use of performance benchmarking weighted scoring is designed to put heavier emphasis on, and therefore encourage, achievement of outcomes
• Benchmarking should enable policy makers and nodal agencies to monitor performance on a rational basis and thereby channel resources and efforts on the basis of identified strengths and weaknesses
• The comparison of performance provides an incentive to be on the “top of the league table”
• Periodic monitoring helps to flag gaps in data accuracy and timeliness of data reporting
• Benchmarking needs to be linked to an incentive in order to drive performance improvement

Kumar, C.A. and Singh, U. (2010). Benchmarking local government performance on rural sanitation : learning from Himachal Pradesh, India. (WSP learning note). Washington, DC, USA, Water and Sanitation Program. 5 p. : 3 fig., 2 tab. Read the full note

Related web site: WSP - Global Scaling Up Sanitation