Web sites

Community Self-Management, Empowerment & Development: Cost Recovery, Obtaining Resources to Manage a Water Supply
http://www.scn.org/ip/cds/cmp/modules/wat-cst.htm
This website, developed by Phil Bartle, PhD. and hosted by the Seattle Community Network, posts a training handout on cost recovery in a "cafeteria style" fashion with useful information about cost recovery at the community level. Most of the documents (which are available in French, English and Spanish) are designed to use as handouts at training sessions. The site is a product of the Community Management Programme (CMP) initially funded by Danida and designed by UN Habitat (UN Centre for Human Settlements). The site provides links and cross-references to other related training modules on the site.

Water and Sanitation for All: A Practitioner's Companion to Funding and Cost Recovery
http://web.mit.edu/urbanupgrading/waterandsanitation/funding/
This interactive site discusses things like establishing pricing policy, financial mechanisms, setting up payment systems and improving collection rates. Objectives for financing cost recovery are laid out, and specific actions are listed to help meet the objective. Tools are provided, along with case studies that offer examples of different types of funds and cost recovery mechanisms.

Sanitation Connection: Resources on Financing and Cost Recovery
http://www.sanicon.net/titles/topiclist.php3?topicId=13
Prepared by the Water and Sanitation Program for South Asia this website provides an introduction to financing and cost recovery, along with a list of publications that focus on finance and cost recovery. Documents are accessible through Sanitation Connection, a network of initiatives and resources to facilitate access to information on sanitation issues. Given the lack of attention paid to sanitation services in developing countries, this site provides a good start to thinking about the issues related to financing sanitation, and how these compare with water supply services.

The World Bank's Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Page
http://www.worldbank.org/html/fpd/water/rural.html
Rural areas pose unique challenges for the water and sanitation sector. This site offers basic principles for rural water and sanitation services projects, along with some good publications and resources on the topics of demand-responsive approaches, management options and promoting sustainability.

World Bank Rapid Response Unit: Papers & Links on Water Pricing and Subsidy Policy
http://rru.worldbank.org/Resources.asp?results=true
The Rapid Response Unit provides information on a variety of topics related to infrastructure, with a focus on investment climate and privatization. On the site, a section devoted to subsidy policy and pricing within the water sector has mini-reviews of websites and papers related to this aspect of cost recovery. The site also has a free helpdesk for information, along with fee-based services for more specialized reports. Reviews and links to World Bank Toolkits, and literature reviews on topics such as output-based aid, economic growth and poverty alleviation, and corporate governance round out the site. A "hot topic" feature provides a moderated web-based discussion forum.

World Bank Urban Development: Upgrading Urban Communities website
http://www.worldbank.org/html/fpd/urban/urb_pov/up_body.htm
Although this site does not have a strong focus on cost recovery, the processes for slum upgrading require a review of socio-economic impacts and issues including cost recovery for basic infrastructure services such as water and sanitation. The website includes a ten-country assessment report on urban upgrading in Africa, and information about existing and proposed projects that emphasize affordability, cost recovery, and replicability.