Sustaining rural water : a comparative study of maintenance models for community-managed schemes

This research report provides information and lessons to inform ongoing innovations in maintenance models by learning alliances working with IRC in Ethiopia within the USAID-funded Sustainable WASH Systems Learning Partnership (SWS).These learning alliances focus on strengthening or innovating within the existing institutional arrangements for maintenance and augmenting ongoing pilots.

Building on a desk-based review of 22 maintenance service provision (MSP) models for community-based management (CBM) across 17 countries, this report examines seven case studies from Ethiopia (3), Uganda (2), Central African Republic (1) and Kenya (1). It generates evidence and better understanding of how these maintenance models operate, how they evolved, and how they can be scaled and applied in new contexts. The study was undertaken between October 2018 and February 2019.

The report begins with an overview of the MSP typology and analytical framework based on the desk-based review of 22 MSP models. This is followed by an overview of the seven case study MSP models researched for this report together with a comparative analysis and key findings. The final section outlines emerging trends and practical recommendations for organisations interested in starting up a new MSP model, or growing an existing one. The annexes include a list of key informants; the desk study overview of maintenance providers; a detailed overview of each of the seven case studies; and further resources.