Susan Davis

By Susan M. Davis, Executive Director

Today we are proud to launch the report on Guidelines for Resolution of Problems with Water Systems Executive Summary. This report addresses a widely ignored question in international development: what should be done when an implementing organization finds out (e.g., through post-implementation monitoring) that a water system they built is no longer providing services?  Rehabilitation of infrastructure, the common response, if any, is not enough.

Ideally, resolution activities should be a bridge to sustained, locally-led services. While implementing organizations have a responsibility at a certain level, the goal is for governments to lead the way in ensuring water services for everyone in their countries. These guidelines, approaches, and models are intended to move implementing organizations toward that common goal.

The ultimate goal of these guidelines is to encourage actions that will improve the probability of sustained water services for people in developing countries.

We are grateful to the Wallace Genetic Foundation and other donors for funding this research; to David Douglas for his intense interest in this topic; to Jennifer Platt, Anna Summer, Hannah Cox, and Anne Wright for support with the research; Kelly Alexander, Katie Scolari Borden, Patricia S. Davis, Sean Furey, Katherine Robb, and Elynn Walter for thoughtful review and comments on the methodology and content; the many interviewees who took time to share their experiences; and the participants in the Resolution Workshop in February 2014. We also thank WASH Advocates and Global Water Challenge for hosting a series of webinars on resolution.

Related resources:

• A summary of the resolution guidelines
• Guidelines for Resolution of Problems with Water Systems – Exec Summary
• More information and resources on monitoring, evaluation, resolution and learning (MERL) compiled by WASH Advocates.
• Recording of resolution webinar 1 – Reporting is Not Enough – and resources
• Recording of resolution webinar 2 – Addressing the Resolution Gap – and resources
  • Recording of resolution webinar 3 – A Framework for Action – and resources