Private sector involvement in rural water supply:Case studies from Uganda

摘要

Community management has for a long time dominated the scene of rural water supplies in developingcountries. However, it has failed to produce the desired results in terms of sustainability andfunctionality, and it is time to question the very nature of the management model instead of blamingpractitioners and governments for poor implementation. Private sector involvement offers manypossibilities in terms of increased motivation and efficiency, but is not suitable in all communities.Especially in poorer communities, retaining some community management structures can be the only wayto make operation and maintenance affordable. In addition, the committees and private operators needadequate and continuous support to perform their roles in an effective way. This study looks at fourmanagement models in Uganda that involve the private sector to illustrate some of these points.