Principles for sustainable services - a conceptual tool for improving sustainability

Based on a wide range of experience and learning over many years, by IRC and many other actors, Triple-S has identified a set of three core strategies for achieving sustainable rural water services at scale:

  • Adoption of a service delivery approach
  • Creation of capacity for learning and adaptive management
  • Ensuring harmonisation and alignment within national water sectors

Under these three strategies, eight principles describe the essential conditions for sustainable service delivery.  Taken together, these principles provide a vision of an ideal water sector - capable of providing universal access to sustained water services.  The principles are shown in their most basic form in the table below.  

The principles framework is regularly updated based on emerging experiences.  Click here to see the latest, more detailed, version that looks at the principles at each of five crucial institutional levels (consumer, water service provider, water service authority, national, international).

The Triple-S principles framework can be used in various ways:

  • As a guidance tool to inspire a holistic approach to identifying challenges and solutions.
  • As an analytical tool for the sector to identify what’s working and what’s not.
  • As a planning tool to improve coherency among individual initiatives

The principles framework is a conceptual tool that is intended to complement the more empirically based building blocks: ten areas of work that are emerging as priorities for sector reform.  The principles framework and building block are the heart of IRC's approach to water services that last.

Core strategies Principles Application of principles
Service delivery approach Policy, legislation and institutional roles are clarified for commonly agreed on service delivery models
  • Service delivery models (involving both infrastructure and management arrangements) and expected service levels for point source and networks are clear
  • Institutional roles and responsibilities are established and authority to act is granted, including asset owenership
Financing for full life-cycle costs are effectively covered through an agreed upon combination of tariffs, taxes and transfers
  • Full life-cycle costs should be understood at all levels
  • Full life-cycle costs of service delivery reflected through a combination of tariffs, taxes and transfers
  • An improved balance between capital investment and all other recurrent and capital maintenance costs
Planning aims for full coverage and accounts for the different stages of the life-cycle of the service and is based on participatory processes
  • Transparent and inclusive planning, involving consumers at different stages in the life-cycle of the service (including technology selection)
  • Planning based on life-cycles and involve asset management; where possible seeking to maximise economies of scale
  • Planning always with the aim of full coverage and to be directed by clear national policy and prioritisation
Transparency and accountability mechanisms are in place between consumers, service providers and independent oversight bodies over the quality and sustainability of services provided
  • Accountability mechanisms should be in place for stakeholders, including customers having access to information and being able to hold service providers to account,
  • Monitoring and regulatory instruments should be in place to ensure accountability against an agreed set of indicators; indicators should focus on outcomes rather than outputs.
 Learning and adaptive capacity Capacity (awareness, skills, resources, and access to support) exists within the sector for stakeholders to fulfil their functions, as defined in the service delivery model
  • Consumers should be aware of their roles, rights and obligations.
  • Skills, resources (including supply chains) and information should be available for good water governance, including long-term support to service providers and service authorities.
  • Capacity should be strengthened at all levels
  • Leadership should be provided at a national level
The sector has the ability to learn and innovate on the basis of knowledge sharing, reflection and analysis
  • Mechanisms should be in place for learning from performance monitoring and sharing with peers.
  • There should be a learning culture and adequate resources made available for monitoring, information gathering, research and innovation (including technology and management arrangements)
Harmonisation and alignment Sector investment and support is harmonised and aligned with national priorities and policies
  • All stakeholders should operate within commonly agreed national guidelines and service delivery models
  • Development partners should harmonise approaches and align with national priorities and frameworks
Actions of stakeholders are coordinated at different levels with commonly recognised platforms and fora
  • Coordination should be done for information sharing, effective planning and creating economies of scale
  • Funding flows and policies in the sector should be coordinated at national and international level

Published: 5 Sep 2011