Many international agreements recognise water and sanitation along with other services as basic rights but with few exceptions (South Africa) national governments do not carry these international commitments into national policy.

In many cases policies relevant to water and sanitation are not backed by specific national strategies that spell out how barriers will be removed to facilitate service delivery to the unserved. Similarly at the institutional level policies may or may not be elaborated specifically addressing the urban poor and corporate and/or operational plans of most service providers do not include specific objectives or strategies for low income communities, or allocate the necessary resources (human and financial) to meet specified targets.

Unprecedented urbanisation, leading to rapid growth of low income urban settlements, calls for an urgent review of existing policies. The growing scale of this problem makes it essential for utilities, national and local governments to develop pro-poor policies that explicitly target the poor and require service providers to make a deliberate effort to provide these services.

For reference, see: Toward a Strategic Sanitation Approach: Improving the Sustainability of Urban Sanitation in Developing Countries. Albert M. Wright. World Bank. November 1997.
http://www.wsp.org/pdfs/global_ssa.pdf

Policy may be reformed at national level but is also important within the utility. Check to see how the national policy addresses the issues mentioned above. If possible lobby for a reform of the policy to meet the objectives outlined, participate in the process, ensure the poor are on the agenda, lobby senior people you know to include it on the agenda and commit themselves to the issue.

Even if you are unable to influence national policy then focus only on where you can make a difference. If you work in a utility or local authority or have influence there examine whether the service provider has a policy to address the needs of the low income urban people. Lobby for reform if necessary and ensure that the needs of the low income urban communities remains on the agenda and policies are matched by strategies and action.
 

Have clear policies adopted at national and utility levels which recognise the right of the poor to adequate basic water and sanitation services and makes commitment to establish those services.
 

• Review policy (national and /or urban utility) to ensure that policies reflect international consensus and specifically address themselves to service delivery to low income communities.

• Undertake advocacy to create the political will to change the policy and also to support the subsequent strategy development and legal reform to make the policies effective.

• Develop a strategy that describes in broad terms the means by which the policy will be achieved.

• Priorities for Action:
  Cities across the globe confront problems related to water supply and use. For many cities of the developing world, the top environmental priority remains improving access to clean water and sanitation. As the World Bank concluded in 1992, doing so would be the single most effective means of alleviating human distress. When services were improved in cities in developed countries in the 19th and 20th Centuries, health improved dramatically. In both the developing and the developed world, there is also a critical need to use water more efficiently and to intensify efforts to stop the deterioration of aquatic environments caused by municipal and industrial effluents. Based on experience, policies suggested include:
  
  - Improve access to water and sanitation
  - Adopt appropriate technology and standards
  - Involve the community
  - Improve operation and maintenance
  - Put emphasis on cost recovery
  
  See: World Resources 1996-97: Priorities for Action
  (http://www.wri.org/wri/wr-96-97/up_txt2.html)

• Sample policy statements: At national level and urban utility level which specifically address the urban poor. (See: RESOURCES>TOOLS>POLICY STATEMENTS)
• Sample policies: Appropriate policy statements: they should be at the two levels - of national and urban utility; they should include: (See also: RESOURCES> TOOLS>POLICY STATEMENTS)
  • Recognition of the right to basic services for all residents, including those in low income or unplanned settlements.
  • Recognition and accommodation of informal settlements in water supply and sanitation development programmes.
  • Offering choice to consumers through a range of public and private sector service providers (including non-profit), and
  • Providing the necessary incentives for formal and informal service providers to extend services to the urban poor.
• Dublin statement
• See also: Making Space for the Poor in Institutional Reform. (PowerPoint Presentation)

See: Strategic Options for Urban Infrastructure Management. Urban Management Programme Paper 17. William F. Fox. The World Bank. 1994. Even though substantial investments have been made during the past decade, the condition of infrastructure facilities in developing countries is still poor, the services provided are inferior, and the financing systems are inadequate. This report reviews the essential issues that policymakers must examine and the questions they must answer when deciding what infrastructure investments to make in urban areas. It also looks at where to make the investments, how to finance them, and how to sustain the services. It identifies several broad areas for reform and recommends a series of actions to attain effective service delivery. Examples include lowering costs through integrated competition in service delivery and increasing efficiency in the production of services. The conclusion drawn is that the key to reform is the delivery of infrastructure services that meet users' demands--a radical departure from the traditional focus on the supply of services, where little attention was paid to the user.

See: Policy does matter! Developing Policies and Strategies for Improving Water Supply and Sanitation for the Urban Poor.