Integrating water and sanitation community forums into municipal planning and program implementation in South Africa

In addressing the persistent gaps in water and sanitation access in both rural and urban areas of South Africa, Water and Sanitation Community Forums (WSCFs), supported by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), play a crucial role in ensuring community participation and avoiding conventional ‘parachute projects’. This guideline, supported by the Water Research Commission (WRC) and implemented in collaboration with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), other support agencies, and academia, places the WSCFs at the forefront of inclusive, community-led water supply planning and their institutionalization in the Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) and Water Services Development Plans (WSDPs).
Based on experiences of eight WSCFs in Vhembe and Gauteng, the guideline outlines lessons learnt at community-scale and at municipal scale of Water Services Authorities (WSA) and other support agencies (e.g., NGOs, private sector) on how communities and officials can meet each other half-way to realize what either party can do on its own. At community-scale three key replicable approaches in providing actionable solutions are distinguished: municipal systems (post- and pre-construction), supported self-supply and other water and environmental projects. At the scale of municipal Water Services Authority (WSA) and other support agencies, the guideline recommends the institutionalization of the community voices, represented by WSCFs, within political and administrative frameworks to leverage technical, financial and institutional support. Through strategies such as prioritizing political buy-in, also by the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and the department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), fostering coordinated and sustainable relations, the water components of IDPs in Water Services Development Plans will be strengthened from local to national level and vice versa.
Despite commendable achievements, WSCFs face challenges such as lack of visibility and budget constraints. To overcome these, the guideline recommends advocating for capacity development, formal recognition, and reasonable financial support both by enhancing collaboration through IDP processes and through partnerships with NGOs and private sector.

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