2016年-世界发展银行全球_SLB_Connect_for_Urban_Water_Supply_and_Sanitation___Using_ICTs_for_Citizen_Feedback_Surveys_to_Mainstream_Demand-side_Monitoring_8页_351kb

SLB Connect for Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Summary

Core Content

SLB Connect is an initiative by the World Bank's Water and Sanitation Program (WSP), developed in partnership with India's Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD). It aims to complement the Service Level Benchmarks (SLB) program by collecting citizen feedback on urban water supply and sanitation services. This initiative is part of the broader effort to use Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to enhance citizen engagement and improve service delivery.

Main Objectives

• Track citizen service experiences: Gather feedback from users to assess the quality and availability of water and sanitation services.
• Improve accountability: Use feedback data to hold service providers accountable and ensure better service outcomes.
• Enhance decision-making: Provide granular, location-specific data to support local planning and policy formulation.
• Support citizen engagement: Enable citizens to express their views and contribute to service improvement.

Key Findings

• Reality check for service providers: Citizen feedback often reveals discrepancies with service provider reports, particularly on service quality. For instance, in Raebareli, Jabalpur, and Varanasi, between 42% and 73% of households reported dirty water, while service providers claimed 96-98% compliance.
• Granular data for local decision-making: Data at the ward and zone levels, presented in maps, graphs, and tables, help local authorities identify inequities and improve service planning.
• ICT platforms for scalability and transparency: The SLB Connect platform allows for large-scale data collection using MAPI (Mobile Aided Personal Interview), which is resource-intensive but representative. It also supports real-time data tracking, validation, and analysis through an online dashboard with traffic light color-coding.
• Limited use of formal complaint mechanisms: Most citizens preferred informal channels like phone calls or SMS for reporting issues, and only a small percentage used formal complaint systems.
• Influence of local factors on responsiveness: The effectiveness of survey findings in prompting action depends on factors such as local political cohesion, the capacity of survey partners, and the level of decentralization of service delivery.

Implementation

• Pilot cities: SLB Connect started as a pilot in Pimpri Chinchwad in 2012, collecting around 5,200 responses.
• Scaling up: By 2014-15, it expanded to five additional cities: Raebareli, Varanasi, Ajmer, Jhunjhunu, and Jabalpur.
• Survey methods: MAPI surveys were primarily used, but other methods like telephone interviews and SMS polls were also tested for follow-up.
• Current reach: The program has surveyed around 35,000 households in eight cities across six states.
• Adaptation: The MoUD adopted the SLB Connect platform for the Swachh Survekshan (City Sanitation Ratings) in 73 cities as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission.

Key Learnings

• Alignment of metrics: Demand-side metrics should align with supply-side indicators to facilitate effective monitoring and accountability.
• Scalable survey design: Providing a customizable questionnaire template and enabling remote monitoring helps overcome local capacity constraints.
• ICT for transparency and impact: Access to all data, including rejected records and geo-coordinates, enhances the credibility of the data collection process.
• Complementary feedback methods: Different methods (MAPI, SMS, telephone) have distinct advantages and drawbacks, and should be used in combination based on local needs.
• Need for advocacy and capacity building: Local functionaries need to be involved in survey design and data interpretation to ensure the adoption and mainstreaming of citizen feedback mechanisms.
• Integration with national programs: The national government can support cities by integrating citizen feedback into policy and program formulations, and by providing ICT-based solutions.

Future Directions

• Adaptability of the platform: The SLB Connect platform has potential for use in other contexts and for different purposes, such as other service ratings or monitoring.
• Knowledge sharing: Consolidating lessons from SLB Connect with other World Bank projects like Maji Voice (Kenya) and Vozelectrica (Dominican Republic) could reduce costs and improve effectiveness.
• Support for adoption: The World Bank can support clients in adopting citizen engagement interventions by providing guidance, capacity building, and promoting proactive feedback mechanisms.

Conclusion

SLB Connect represents a significant step in integrating citizen feedback into urban water and sanitation service monitoring in India. It has demonstrated the value of ICTs in making feedback processes more efficient, transparent, and inclusive. The initiative has helped identify service gaps, improve accountability, and support local decision-making, with the potential to be adapted and scaled further for broader impact.