Towards an Analytical Framework to Benchmark the Performance of Urban Drinking Water Supply: Preliminary Findings from Ambo, Ethiopia

Abstract

This paper aims at identifying strategies to improve the performance of Ethiopian local governments in supplying drinking water. Therefore, a case study of Ambo (Ethiopia) is performed, on basis of document analysis, interview and focus group discussion. This allows operationalizing Pollitt and Bouckaert’s (2011) production process model, by defining input, activity, output and outcome indicators relevant for drinking water supply in the context of developing countries. The indicators and their interrelations subsequently allow coining efficiency-improvement and effectiveness-improvement strategies. The paper finds that most performance improvement strategies do not involve a trade-off between efficiency and effectiveness: investing in the maintenance of the water distribution network, involving the community in the production process, ensuring a minimum quality threshold, improving procurement policies, and relying on ground water contribute to both and deserve being implemented. On other aspects, related to commercial policies and the quality of water, local policymakers need to make a choice between pursing efficiency and effectiveness. The paper contributes to the ongoing discussion on the added-value of governance for the 2030 Agenda, and paves the way for benchmarking Ethiopian local governments, and warrants further research onto the added value of participation for development.