The impact and perceptions of solidarity financing mechanisms in countries of the South

A survey was carried out in 2006 to ascertain the opinions and visions of partners in the South regarding solidarity financing mechanisms. Through a questionnaire they were asked share their experiences and express their expectations and views regarding such financing.

Opinions converge around the advantages of these financing mechanisms. They are seen to be direct, flexible, sustainable and they involve the local populations. The recommendations made can be divided into four general categories. We must:

•  Improve the quality of demand – The local populations in the South need to be better equipped to express their needs in specific and agreed terms. This in turn will enable the partners in the North providing support to better tailor their responses and funding. Projects must also be in line with the wider national water and sanitation policies.

•  Ensure that the supply (support offered) is appropriate and realistic – Northern partners in solidarity financing mechanisms must ensure that the support they offer is appropriate to the local context and realistic in terms of short and long-term objectives. A professional approach to the different aspects of development involved is primordial.

•  Increase supply (support offered) – Increasing solidarity financing practices will provide access to water and sanitation to those in need, but it will also have a leverage effect, attracting support from larger donors to scale-up projects and building confidence through increased local capacities. Communication on existing mechanisms, the way they complement other forms of financing and lobbying actions will raise awareness at all levels.

•  Bring Demand and Supply into contact (match up project proposals and support offered) - The importance of human relations in decentralised and solidarity-based financing mechanisms is one of their key advantages. However the resulting random nature of meetings and chance encounters leading to collaboration could be reduced by doing more to actively put the networks of NGOs and local authorities in the North into contact with those in the South

You can download the Final Report of this survey.