Public Service - Sanitation (SEK0002)

Issue to be addressed: Develop a new model of collaboration between STMA and landlords to increase the coverage of household toilets (and move away from public toilet usage as stated in updated STMA bylaws). The partnership with Landlords in the provision of household toilet facilities is part of a broader strategy to solicit citizen‟s involvement and contribution in the provision of basic services. Primary objective: Access to basic household sanitary facilities (toilets) is a lingering sanitation challenge in most slum communities in the Metropolis. Currently, close to 70% of slum dwellers lack access to basic sanitary facilities. Also, the non-existence of a strong platform for Landlords and STMA to collaborate in the provision of these basic facilities further worsens the situation where open defecation persists. Short description: To build a strong partnership with Landlord/ Resident Associations in the provision of household toilet facilities. OGP challenge: Of paramount importance to STMA is ensuring access to basic sanitary facilities. In this regard, as part of its Sanitation Bylaws, it is mandatory that every household must have a household toilet facility to curb perennial outbreaks of cholera and other communicable „toilet‟ related illnesses. In furtherance of this, the new model of collaboration with Landlords in two pilot-communities (to be selected based on an analysis of “need and interest”) in the provision of household toilets would promote an enduring partnership that would promote OGP values such as public accountability and civic participation on how best the bylaws could be enforced and reduce restraining forces of the intended change. Also partnership would be built between the Assembly, Landlords/Resident Associations and CSOs to explore innovative and appropriate toilets technologies as well as funding opportunities in the implementation of this commitment.

2. Public Service Delivery – Sanitation

Commitment Text

Build a strong partnership with Landlord/ Resident Associations in the provision of household toilet facilities. The STMA will develop a new model of collaboration with landlords in the metropolis to increase the number of households with toilets in consonance with the STMA bylaws. The partnership with landlords in the provision of household toilet facilities is part of a broader strategy to involve the citizenry in the provision of basic services in the metropolis.

Milestones

2.1. Review existing register of toilet coverage. We will partner with landlords to review existing community registers of toilet coverage to understand where gaps lie. The Metropolitan Assembly will meet with landlord associations to understand coverage of household toilets across the pilot communities.

2.2. Develop a strategy to extend toilet coverage. Based on the outcome of the review, we will develop lessons learned to inform our strategy to extend coverage. The Metropolitan Assembly will engage civil society organizations, including STMA-CSUF and Global Communities, which have tested ways of extending household toilet coverage to understand what worked and what did not.

2.3. Develop new strategies (model) of funding and management of toilets. The Metropolitan Assembly, together with landlord associations, CSOs, and media, will create a new strategy to innovatively fund and/or manage household toilets.

2.4. Conduct a 3-month test of new strategy (model). The Metropolitan Assembly, in collaboration with landlord associations, CSOs, and media, will test the strategy in two pilot communities (to be selected based on an analysis of “need and interest”) over a three-month period.

2.5. Review and assess new model. The Metropolitan Assembly will meet with landlord associations and other involved actors to assess the advantages and disadvantages of the new model (and how it has or has not helped to achieve the goal within our bylaws). Based on our assessment, we will develop a plan for replicating the model in other communities or for testing a new one.

Commitment Overview

Commitment Aim

Overall Objective & Relevance

More than 70% of households in slum communities in Sekondi-Takoradi do not have toilet facilities in their homes, which has contributed to significant sanitation challenges. [4] The objective of this commitment is to a build strong partnership with landlords and resident associations to review existing toilet coverage and provide toilet facilities in slum areas. The involvement of stakeholders and landlords in developing strategies for providing household toilets also helps promote the STMA's bylaws on toilet provision. This commitment will contribute to enhancing citizen participation in the decisions leading to the provision of public toilets, particularly how many toilets to build and where to place them.

Specificity and Potential Impact

The commitment will increase awareness among landlords/households in the communities about the STMA sanitation bylaws, [5] which enjoin each household to have its own toilets. This commitment has the potential to moderately increase the number of households with sanitation facilities in the metropolis toward achieving the goal of improving sanitation. The commitment could also facilitate an enduring partnership between the STMA, landlord/resident associations, and CSOs in implementing the sanitation bylaws of the metropolitan authority. Implementation of this commitment would promote the OGP value of civic participation.

Completion

Limited

The STMA engaged with landlords in slum communities and key stakeholders to develop a model of collaboration and financing in the delivery of household toilets. Registration of households for the pilot phase was still remained ongoing by the end of the implementation period. According to STMA’s self-assessment report, STMA has allocated One Hundred Thousand Ghana cCedis (GH¢100,000.00) to increase toilet coverage.

Overall, this commitment is behind schedule. As explained in commitment one, the STMA stated that the change in government also contributed to the delay.

Early Results: did it open government?

Civic participation: Marginal

The commitment sought to build a strong partnership with landlord/resident associations in the provision of household toilet facilities over the period of January 2017 to December 2017. Towards the objective of increasing households’ toilet coverage in the catchment area, a renewed and revamped relationship between the assembly and landlords was deemed important. It is projected that through partnership, the commitment could be extended to other communities in the metropolis by adopting the innovative funding or management model to increase toilet coverage. It is noted that prior to the implementation of the commitment, the STMA had not provided the opportunity for collaboration with landlords. The implementation of the commitment has however provided an avenue for the assembly to develop a relationship with landlords, thereby promoting the OGP value of civic participation.

Recommendations

The lack of availability of toilets for public or private use continues to be a problem in Sekondi-Takoradi, which has led to the development of diseases like cholera. The IRM recommends that the STMA to continue efforts to engage the community to better understand the reasons for the lack of access to sanitation services and jointly develop a strategy to tackle the problem.

[5] Sekondi-Takoradi Metroplitan Assembly 'The Twin City' Bylaw, Western Region, Ghana, May 2017, Page 157.