□ Advocacy

Even with improved awareness, a poor community may still not have the capacity to act as an equal partner at the outset, and an NGO can help represent and explain their interests and perspectives. While this may lead to conflict and disagreement over some central issues, the ultimate goal of sustainable service delivery is more likely to come about if communities are adequately represented in the partnership. In this respect the NGO plays an important advocacy role.

Box 6.14 Disaggregating Service Consumers

	Destitute	Very poor	Poor	Non-poor
Water supply
Primary interest	• Survival	• Basic service	• Affordable service	• Service at lowest cost
Livelihood requirements	• Access	• Flexibility	• Better service • Flexibility	• Reliability
Primary constraints	• Homelessness	• Insecure tenure • Occupy most marginal land	• Possible insecurity of tenure	• None
Capacity to pay*	• No	• Basic rates, with flexibility in Payments	• Basic rates, probably most of the year	• Yes
Capacity/willingness to participate	• No	• Yes, with support	• Yes, maybe dominant	No willingness
Level of service required**	• Communal, free	• Varies, but likely to change constantly.	• Immediate access, maybe household connection	• Household connection
Sanitation services
Primary interest	• Survival	• Basic service	• Affordable service	• Service provided at lowest cost
Livelihood requirements	• Access	• Access	• Close access	• Hygiene
Primary constraints	• Homelessness	• Insecure tenure • Occupy marginal land	• Lack of land for sanitation facilities	• None
Capacity to pay	• No	• Basic rates, would not prioritise as for water	• Basic rates, probably most of the year	• Yes
Willingness to pay	• No	• No	• Some households	• Yes
Willingness to participate	• No	• May not prioritise	• May not prioritise	• No willingness
Level of service required**	• Communal, free	• Varies, but likely to change constantly	• Immediate access, choice in service level	• Household connection
Solid waste services
Primary interest	• None	• Basic service	• Basic service	• Household removal
Livelihood requirements	• No waste	• Little waste, not prioritised	• Some waste, but rarely prioritised, flexibility	• Hygiene
Primary constraints	• Homelessness	• Interest • Dumping creates public health hazard	• Interest • Dumping creates public health hazard	• None
Capacity to pay	• No	• Basic rates, would not prioritise at all	• Basic rates	• Yes
Willingness to pay/ participate	• No	• Some households (capacity building)	• Some households (capacity building)	• Some pay • None participate
Level of service required**	• Communal, free	• Free	• Basic service	• Household service

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* Willingness to pay will vary much more significantly and is not included here

** Level of service required often expressed differently by men and women