In 2009, the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) initiated Service Level Benchmarks (SLBs) to encourage municipalities and utilities as service providing agencies to collect data and provide information on service level indicators. This was to identify performance gaps and focus on service improvements across water supply, wastewater, solid waste management and storm-water drainage at the city and sub-city level. To address the lack of systematic and systemic availability of information related to service delivery levels, SLBs cover three information-axes:
a) Financial information
b) Operational efficiency
c) Citizen information
In its current form, SLB related information is collected only from service providers (the supply side) and does not engage the citizens (demand side). There is a growing recognition that gauging service levels from citizens’ standpoint will provide a reality check on the perceived service quality, in addition to helping verify service level information received from service providers, encouraging citizens to demand better services and providing more granular data. It will also operationalise the 'Citizen Information' axis of the SLB in a more meaningful manner.
The Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) of the World Bank has made an endeavour to engage citizens' voice in water and sanitation service level assessment through SLB-Connect initiative. It intends to capture the actual experience of citizens and make service level information more robust.
PRIA in partnership with WSP, concerned state governments and MoUD undertook SLB Connect survey in 5 cities (Ajmer and Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan; Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh; and Rae Barily and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh). This project focused on ‘citizen feedback’ and covered nearly 28,000 households across different income groups in each city. It showcases ward level findings.
Municipalities and citizens of the 5 cities were the end beneficiaries. The survey recorded the demand side, that is, customer centric opinion of the services being provided by municipalities. This feedback bridged the gap between the supply and demand side, giving the municipalities a better picture of how it performs it services from the citizens’ point of view helping them improve and better plan their resources in future.
PRIA brought to SLB Connect its conviction in social accountability and drew from its years of experience as an enabler of participatory democracy. In doing so, PRIA trained and engaged with grassroots organisations and local (youth) citizens to conduct and manage the survey. The results were shared with the municipalities, utilities and concerned departments along with citizen groups, civil societies, thought leaders and opinion makers, including members of the academia and the media, NGOs operating in the area, and other government officials and policy makers at the state and national level.
The SLB Connect findings, experiences and learning were used for evidenced-based policy advocacy for institutionalisation of citizen engagement and social accountability practices in India and other countries.
Objectives
The specific objective of the project was to enhance citizen engagement with the municipalities and urban water supply and sanitation utilities through mobile technology enabled social accountability practices.
(i) Conducting a mobile-based survey of sample households on service aspects
(ii) Real-time monitoring of survey quality and timelines using an online survey management module
(iii) Real-time analysis of survey results using a web based Dashboard and data analysis tools.
(iv) Supporting the ULBs to design appropriate reform and response processes based on the findings from the survey.
Geographical Spread
5 cities (Ajmer and Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan; Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh; and Rae Barily and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh).
Methodology and Key Outputs
a) Capacity Building & Training
Community youth from each city were trained. In total, around 100 youth were trained.
b) Evaluation / Assessment
Every surveyor after going through the intensive training, including field exposure on the last day, was made to undergo an evaluation test. The supervisors and enumerators were evaluated and selected based on test scores, and the other metrics like comfort with using smart phones, and communication/soft skills illustrated during field-work.
c) Scoping Study
A scoping study was conducted in each city, including the history of the city, local conditions in terms of history of engagement with various stakeholders, capacities of local CSOs and citizens, and capacities and readiness of municipalities and utilities to engage and partner with social accountability initiatives. The scoping study included a city wide stakeholder analysis, urban water supply and sanitation services in every city, available existing options for the existing survey questionnaire and discussions with multiple stakeholders.
d) Flyers of the 5 cities
The city flyers represent the survey findings in each city. The flyers are a new innovation in the project. They were city specific and carry details of the important findings related to citizen satisfaction with water and sanitation services in that city. The flyers also highlight the steps or the new initiatives taken by respective municipalities under water and sanitation.
e) City level validation meetings and sharings
City level meetings were held for city level sharing and validation of the findings. A data integrity check was the main purpose of the validation meeting. Comparing the experiences of the municipalities with that of the survey findings gives strong support to the project’s findings. Multiple stakeholders, especially municipal functionaries, elected representatives and citizens, in the data validation process helped in generating awareness and trust among the stakeholders. Intensive discussion with concerned departments officials of the municipalities and water and sanitation officers, engineers, academia, media, etc were initiated in the sharing meetings.
f) Advocacy
A national multi-stakeholder dialogue “Smart Urban Services: Putting Citizens at the Centre” was orgnaised on 19 November 2015 in partnership with Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) of the World Bank and National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA). The key objective of the dialogue was to explore emerging opportunities and mechanisms for mainstreaming and institutionalising citizen participation in policies, programmes and institutions related to delivery of urban services with special focus on water supply and sanitation services.
g) Documentation
A manual on the SLB Connect Process and a short documentary were prepared.
Results
• The main impact has been on government institutions and city governance.
• Trained around 100 community youth, equipped with social accountability skills. An army of youth leaders have been created who are highly aware of their city’s needs.
• Trained 5 local partner organizations.
• Sensitised and generated awareness on water and sanitation issues in the respective municipalities/ utilities among 100 government officials and 400 ward councilors and other department heads.
• Concerned municipalities/utilities are also sensitised towards the needs of citizens
• Citizens of these cities have gained hope for improved service delivery by their municipality. The municipalities will use the findings of the survey to initiate real change in their city.
Year/Period
2014-2015
Client
Water and Sanitation Program (WSP), The World Bank
