Assessment of capacity building initiatives for key stakeholders from Odisha in rural water & sanitation

Safe and sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) service delivery to end users requires strong national and local WASH systems. WASH systems comprise of multiple building blocks. Institutions are one of the key building blocks necessary to develop, maintain and deliver reliable services. The institutions building block refers to the formal organisational arrangements in the WASH sector; the capacity and resources that each organisation has to perform its role, and the coordination mechanisms amongst the organisations. Over decades, large investments by governments and donors have led to creation of considerable amount of WASH infrastructure. Increase in access and coverage of WASH services demand greater maintenance for built infrastructure.

 

This document provides findings from a rapid assessment of state sponsored capacity building initiatives for concerned individuals across different levels of institutions from the state to the village level. The assessment, conducted between 2018 and early 2019 across four districts of Odisha – Ganjam, Nuapada, Balasore and Jajpur- maps the institutions and the individuals responsible at the different levels, after which it provides insights in to the existing capacity development support available for them.

 

The assessment reveals that capacities (in terms of knowledge, skills and attitude) necessary for the provision of drinking water supply and sanitation services steadily decline as we progress downwards in the hierarchy towards the grassroots. The existing capacities are average even at the top levels of the bureaucratic, technocratic and Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) hierarchies. This points to the need for enhanced capacity building initiatives for Administrators, Technocrats and Elected Representatives, especially at the operational levels right from the district till the village level. [Executive summary]