WSSPS II is build on the experiences of the first phase, and started in 2006 and takes account of lessons learned and the changing institutional, economic and technical settings. The latter include a new Government of Bangladesh (GoB), the ‘Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper’, a ‘Sector Development Framework’ developed by the Local Government Division (LGD) of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (MLGRD&C), a ‘National Policy and Implementation Plan for Arsenic Mitigation’, and a pro-poor strategy approved by the National Forum for Safe Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation in January 2005. In addition, there has been a growing sense of priority given by GoB and the major donors to implementing the existing provisions concerning decentralisation of authority and resources to the elected local government levels – the Union Parishads (UPs) and the Pourashavas (Municipal Councils). Within the context of the fundamental principle of poverty reduction, the WSSPS seeks to address and mainstream the recognition, acknowledgement and respect for the following cross-cutting issues: the role of women in the development process; sustainable environment; good governance and human rights; awareness on preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS, and use of culture in the development process. The overall rationale for the programme can be summarised as follows:
The development objective is the same as that contained in the ‘National Policy for Safe Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation 1998’, i.e., To contribute to poverty reduction through improved standard of public health and an improved, sustainable environment. The immediate objectives are:
The objectives are related to Millennium Development Goals to be reached by 2015. They also address the goals of the ‘Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper’, and is contributing to the promotion of demand driven services based on democratic principles, and to the strengthening of a rights based approach to water and sanitation services. The programme components, listed below, while having their own formulation of immediate objectives, each address directly or indirectly one or more of the above immediate objectives:
1. Sector Policy Support Component;
2. Water Supply and Sanitation Component;
2a. Coastal Belt Project2b. HYSAWA Fund Project
3. Sector Capacity Building Component;
3a. Local Government Institutions Capacity Building Project.
3b. NGO and Civil Society Networking Project.3c. Knowledge Development and Training Networking Projects
4. Chittagong Hill tracts HYSAWA Fund Project.
The WSSPS thus combines: (i) support to the development of an effective national policy and planning environment; (ii) field level implementation of water and sanitation services through LGIs and Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs); and (iii) national and local level institutional capacity building for provision of water supply, sanitation and hygiene promotion services. Danida is committed to provide the following international advisers: one SPS adviser to be counterpart to the National Programme Director for the programme; one senior sector adviser for the Sector Policy Support component; and two senior component advisers for the WSS implementation component. Other local and international technical assistance, both long and short-term, will be recruited as provided for in the component/project descriptions. The WSSPS is governed by a SPS Programme Steering Committee and is chaired by the secretary of the LGD , which meet at least twice a year and deal with approval of policy, planning and budget issues. A SPS Coordination Group is acting as an executive committee of the Steering Committee, and is chaired by the Joint Secretary, Water Supply, of LGD, and deal with implementation issues, coordination and administration. Each component/project has a designated project director from the host institution. The National Programme Director (NPD) office, headed by the Joint Secretary of the LGD and advised by the SPS adviser is directing the flow of funds, monitor and report on the programme. The main programme level assumptions relate to the GoB’s continuing support to the present policies and trends regarding water supply and sanitation, and furtherance of the decentralisation process. The total programme budget is DKK 398.8 million for a period of five years January 2006- December 2010. The GoB and its implementing pertners’ financial input are estimated to be DKK 70 million while Danida is contributing with DKK 329.1 million.
