Promoting Water Sector Reforms
Performance Benchmarking of National Water Sector Apex Bodies
BACKGROUND
National water sector apex bodies (NWSABs) that participated in the 1st regional meeting of apex bodies recognized that benchmarking their performance would be a good exercise to
- assess achievements vis-à-vis their objectives
- learn from experiences of the others
- identify areas for improvement
They also acknowledged that a review of NWSAB performance may be more appropriately carried out by invited peers rather than by external consultants.
They requested ADB to develop a set of performance indicators against which NWSABs could be benchmarked, and pilot test a peer review process that could be applied by NWSABs. ADB supported this request and presented its initial outputs at the 2nd regional meeting of apex bodies in April 2005.
The participants then agreed on the initial set of indicators and the process for undertaking peer review.
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UNDERSTANDING BENCHMARKING AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
Benchmarking is about comparison against either a specific standard or a similar organization. Among the different types of benchmarking are:
| Standards benchmarking |
setting a standard of performance which an effective organization could be expected to achieve |
| Results benchmarking |
comparing the performance of a number of organizations providing a similar service |
| Process benchmarking |
undertaking a detailed examination within a group of organizations of the processes which produce a particular output, with a view to understanding the reasons for variations in performance and incorporating best practice |
Given the purpose and nature of NWSABs and the wide range of functions they perform, it is recommended that NWSAB performance be assessed using Results Benchmarking.
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NATIONAL WATER APEX BODIES AND BENCHMARKING
The principal role of NWSABs is to provide leadership in improving water governance. Their work cuts across sub-sectors. As such, NWSABs must have
- a clear mandate
- substantial and sustained support from the highest level of government
- institutional standing or leadership to be clearly recognized as the supreme authority in all aspects of water management
But these factors critical to the success of the NWSAB can be difficult or impossible to benchmark. Participants therefore discussed on a set of indicators that could show the presence or absence of these factors.
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PERFORMANCE INDICATORS FOR NWSABS
There is no one set of universally accepted indicators to measure the performance of NWSABs. At the 2nd regional meeting of NWSABs, the participants agreed on the following desired ends/ outputs and indicators:
| Outputs |
Indicators |
| A mandated NWSAB |
- Legal instrument creating NWSAB i.e. law, regulation, executive order, etc
- Form and structure of NWSAB i.e. Board, Commission, Council, Committee, etc.
- Powers and Functions of NWSAB under legal instrument
- Authority of NWSAB under legal instrument i.e. rationale for its creation
- Membership - number of members, level, type (Government, Academes, civil society, etc.)
|
| An active NWSAB |
NWSAB
- Actual number of meetings per year
- Percent of actual members/representatives attending meetings per year
|
Secretariat
- Number of staff and type: administrative, executive, technical, others
- Number of technical staff trained per year
- Total number of staff days trained per year
- Percent of budget for HRD
- Percent of budget for R & D
- Actual budget of per year (US$)
|
| An effective NWSAB |
NWSAB
- Recommendations of NWSAB accepted by Government (a)
- The NWSAB coordinates plans and programs of all sub-sectors including water projects i.e. hydropower, water supply, irrigation.
- River basin organizations (RBOs) created functioning and effective (b)
- Policy Dialogue and Stakeholder Participation (c)
|
Secretariat
- System for resource regulation including allocation and prioritization of use, conflict resolution and negotiation protocols among users in place (d)
- National water resources assessments conducted (number of; assessments include information on surface and groundwater availability)
- Water conservation and advocacy programs in place
- Integrated data management network in place
|
The details of selected indicators are as follows:
| Indicators |
Details |
- Recommendations of NWSAB accepted by Government
|
- National Water Resources Management Plan and Action Agenda
- Water Resources Law based on IWRM including allocation and prioritization of water use
- Recovery-based tariff policy structure for water infrastructure and services:
- Policy to delegate water service delivery to accountable and autonomous providers:
- Policy on resource regulation and conflict resolution/negotiation among users
- Policy on economic regulation of water service
- Water conservation and advocacy
- Policy on disaster mitigation (i.e. management of floods and drought)
- Policy to imposed market-based instruments for demand management i.e. fines, fees, penalties
- Policy on data sharing among agencies with clear guidelines and standards
- Prioritization of investments and projects
|
- River basin organizations (RBOs) created functioning and effective
|
- Number of RBO created vis-à-vis number of major river basins
- System of water allocation and utilization in river basins exists and implemented
- Number of river basin plans and profiles completed and submitted to NWSAB for approval
- Amount and source of budget for RBO
- Stakeholder involvement in RBOs:
- Number of fora/meetings conducted for formulation and review of basin plans
|
- Policy Dialogue and Stakeholder Participation
|
- Number of stakeholders in NWSAB membership
- NWSAB sets framework for debate on principles, guidelines and procedures for stakeholder participation in planning projects
- Civil society contributing to development of solutions to water challenges
- Civil society and government undertaking joint projects/tasks
|
- System for resource regulation in place
|
- System in place
- System needs improvement
- System being discussed and considered
- Number of conflicts resolved by NWSAB per year
|
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REFERENCE
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