Life-cycle costs approach

The life-cycle costs approach seeks to raise awareness of the importance of life-cycle costs in achieving adequate, equitable and sustainable WASH services, to make reliable cost information readily available and to mainstream the use of life-cycle costs in WASH governance processes at every level.

Since 2008, WASHCost has developed new methodologies to better understand and use the costs of providing water, sanitation and hygiene services to rural and peri-urban communities in Ghana, Burkina-Faso, Mozambique and India (Andhra Pradesh).

Water and sanitation services that last eUpdate: January 2012 issue

News

In the first issue of 2012, learn about the differences in cost for ventilated improved pit (VIP) latrines in Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Mozambique. We also provide you with an effective methodology for costing hygiene effectiveness levels. “Assessing hygiene cost-effectiveness”—the new working paper from WASHCost, explains what indicators can be used as tools for analysing and comparing costs and outcomes of numerous hygiene promotion interventions.

Two in-depth literature reviews are now available on service delivery concepts and aid harmonisation & aid alignment which discuss how the two concepts are applied in the health and education sector, and what we can learn for rural water service delivery.

With so many research results becoming available, Catarina Fonseca will tweet one finding a day. Follow her Twitter feed: @FonsecaCatarina. The main focus of research for the year is all about “how can we fund capital maintenance and direct support? How much? What mechanisms are available?” Check the Ghana news for some out-of-the-box thinking on these issues.

Fontes Foundation uses actual figures on costs of water services to convince donors

Resources

Fontes Foundation has tracked the cost of small piped water schemes for years. According to Lucrezia Keoster from Fontes Foundation Uganda, following up on investments is important for sustainability. Showing what it will cost with the actual data and figures makes all the difference for donors when convicing them of this. In this short clip, she describes the kind of information they have been collecting.

Working paper 6 - Assessing hygiene cost-effectiveness

Research publications

This Working Paper introduces a conceptual approach for assessing the cost-effectiveness of hygiene promotion. It introduces the use of hygiene effectiveness levels as a tool to analyse and compare the costs and outcomes of a number of hygiene promotion interventions. Working Paper 6 should be read alongside Working Paper 2 and Working Paper 3. The additional documents provide background on service levels and service level indicators.

Working Paper 6 - Assessing hygiene cost-effectiveness.pdf (952.7 kB)

Latrine costs in Burkina Faso: Applying the life-cycle costs approach

WASHCost Burkina Faso

How much will it cost a country to reach the Millennium Development Goal for sanitation services? This briefing note from WASHCost Burkina Faso forecasts costs and highlights key challenges to reaching the MDG target for sanitation (55% coverage) in Burkina Faso. Research looks at the disaggregated costs of sanitation services per technology in rural and urban settings, and explores the relationship between costs and levels of poverty. This Briefing note based on the working paper is now available in English.

Dans la perspective d’un service, combien il en couterait à un pays pour atteindre l’OMD d’assainissement ? Cette fiche technique élaborée par l’équipe WASHCost Burkina Faso présente les principaux défis ainsi que des estimations financières liés à l’atteinte de la cible assainissement des OMD au Burkina Faso (soit un taux de couverture de 55%). Cette fiche présente les couts unitaires de différents types d’ouvrages au cœur du service d’assainissement dans les milieux urbains et ruraux, et explore les relations entre les coûts et la pauvreté. Elle est maintenant disponible en anglais.

Briefing Note BKF - Applying the life-cycle costs approach_Latrine costs in Burkina Faso.pdf (544.4 kB)

Ghana water sector looks for mutual funds and insurance to cover costs of repairs

WASHCost Ghana

The Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) in Ghana is considering a combination of insurance coverage options and mutual funds between villages to secure money for future repairs and maintenance of water systems in rural areas. Vida Duti, IRC Ghana Director explains in a video.

India pilot scheme will show Government value of life-cycle costs approach

WASHCost India

Snehalatha Sreedhar, Coordinator of WASHCost India, explains how the WASHCost will work with the Government on how to better contribute to national rural water supply guidelines.

The power of zero – priceless, not worthless

WASHCost Mozambique

What does it mean when the cost of a toilet is zero? Is this a cost saved or a cost lost? Is it a sign of success or a symptom of failure? WASHCost attempts to answer these questions in multiple countries, including Mozambique.