Mapping for better accountability in service delivery : assessing WaterAid’s work in mapping water supply and sanitation delivery to the poor

By displaying complex information in easily accessible and public formats, mapping can both improve the planning and delivery of services, and increase the public accountability of service delivery. This is one of the key lessons from WaterAid’s experience in the use of water and sanitation mapping in Ghana, Malawi, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan and Tanzania. Mapping is used to capture information on the availability and quality of water resources, access to water and sanitation services, and demand and use of these services. The techniques used ranged from simple community maps to GIS-based maps. The success of mapping depends on several factors including proper interpretation of statistics, levels of participation, follow-up and an enabling environment. Mapping approaches aimed at increased public accountability are highly political. To scale up mapping approaches it is necessary to link them with higher order policy approaches both at the local level and national level such as Sector-Wide Approaches (SWAps) and Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRS).