Introducing a Framework for Analyzing Weaknesses in Institutional Service Delivery and the Human Rights to Water and Sanitation: Case Studies from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Mozambique, and Niger

This article discusses how weaknesses in the governance of the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) sector may present barriers to the assurance of human rights to WASH. The analytical framework in this article involves four key actors involved in the service-delivery process, operating across a three-way accountability connection linking the State, service providers, and citizens. The framework, drawn from the World Bank’s 2004 World Development Report, is applied to the following countries: the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Mozambique, and Niger. The findings suggest that breakdowns in provision can be strongly linked to disruptions in the accountability association between the State and WASH providers. Informed by the human-rights literature, suggestions are made as to how to increase financing and coverage for the sector. These include encouraging greater coordination across different levels of government, improving the governance structure, and reducing funding gaps