Triple-S

Launched in December 2008, Sustainable Services at Scale (Triple-S) is an initiative that seeks to identify sustainable approaches to water delivery and access by departing from project-based, one-off and stand-alone implementation of water systems. It is a six-year multi-country learning initiative that aims to contribute to the realisation of indefinitely sustainable water services delivered at scale. In collaboration with select national partners, Triple-S will support a paradigm shift at the operational level for decentralised service delivery and will bring about a re-appraisal of the design and planning mechanisms of development assistance to the rural water supply sector.

Briefing Notes

Briefing Notes compiled for the Triple-S project.

Country Studies

Triple-S carried out in-depth analysis of the rural water sector in 13 countries.

The Country studies assess the ability of rural water sectors to deliver sustainable, reliable services. They include an analysis of:

service delivery models in use,
approaches to components such as financing, post-construction support, institutional arrangements, and
bottlenecks and gaps.

Based on this analysis, the reports identify priorities for action.

See the multi-country synthesis report (Supporting Rural Water Supply) for analysis of trends, challenges for sustainable service delivery, and good ideas from actual practice.

Supporting Rural Water Supply - Moving towards a Service Delivery Approach

A critical look at why we have been unable to provide a sustainable water service to rural people.

Multi-country synthesis

The multi-country synthesis report brings together the insights from the 13 Triple-S country studies to:

identify trends in rural water supply,
analyse factors that contribute to or constrain the delivery of sustainable rural water services at scale, and
highlight innovative models and good ideas from actual practice.

Read more or download Service Delivery Approach Summary.pdf (890.6 kB)

Working Papers

Building blocks

Aid effectiveness and its relevance for sustainable water services

This briefing paper examines the contribution of aid effectiveness towards improving sustainability. It argues that whilst aid effectiveness has a key role to play towards ensuring an enabling environment and supporting national systems and institutional capacity for water and sanitation services, it is limited in its reach when it comes to issues of sustainability on the ground.

Brief review of service delivery concepts

The literature review on service delivery concepts looks at how service delivery is defined and implemented in other sectors such as health, electricity and agriculture with a focus on rural populations, comparing this with the rural water sector.

Harmonisation and alignment - literature review

This document looks in particular at how aid harmonisation and aid alignment has translated to the water sector. This review includes a summary of the analysis and lessons to date and compares experiences with the health and education sectors.

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