GOVERNANCE, FINANCE, INSTITUTIONS, AND MARKETS
Alignment with the U.S. Global Water Strategy
This topic aligns with Strategic Objective 1 in the U.S. Global Water Strategy: Strengthen Water and Sanitation Sector Governance, Financing, Institutions, and Markets
Key Resources
Context
USAID works with its partners to drive improvements in governance, finance, and market systems. These systems underpin progress toward universal access to water and sanitation services and broader water security. When countries have effective policies and regulations, country-led processes, and institutions capable of implementing them, they attract investment from both domestic and external sources. A cycle of increased capacity and performance, greater investor confidence, and increased sector finance ultimately enhances water security and accelerates coverage of water and sanitation services.
USAID WASH Lead, Joanne Dulce discusses Strategic Objective 1 in the Philippine context
USAID’s Approach
Develop, strengthen, and implement inclusive laws, policies, and regulations
USAID works with local, national, and regional institutions, including traditional or customary systems, to develop and improve the coordination and enforcement of laws, policies, and regulations. This includes promoting markets and advising on setting user fees, rate structures, and subsidies so that services are affordable to users while also ensuring long-term financial viability of public or private service providers.
Effectively mobilize and target public and private financing
USAID supports local and national governments to better utilize existing public funding and mobilize additional funds from domestic resources, user fees, and payments for ecosystem services; advises service providers on how to strengthen business viability and creditworthiness; partners with finance institutions to develop or expand financial products; and provides technical assistance to help structure private sector partnerships to improve management of water resources or enhance water and sanitation services.
Improve the capacity and performance of regional, national, and subnational institutions
USAID works with local communities and governments to improve the performance and diversification of sector institutions and actors, including supporting capacity development for professionals in government, the private sector, and civil society. This includes advances in diverse human resources and staffing, business and operational planning, management systems and technologies, clarification of roles and responsibilities within decision-making processes, occupational health and safety, integration of data and evidence into routine planning, and communication with and responsiveness to customers and other stakeholders.
Advance transparency, accountability, equity, and efficiency through participatory, data-driven decision-making
USAID supports civil society organizations to hold governments accountable, including in locations where partnership with governments is limited due to corruption and government-sanctioned conflict. USAID invests in evidence and data and works to ensure a diversity of constituents, especially underserved or marginalized groups and communities, can safely and meaningfully participate in the sector, including in sector research, data collection, and decision-making.
Read more under Strategic Objective 1 in the U.S. Global Water Strategy.
Featured Stories
Featured Activities
Urban WASH (to be awarded)
Ethiopia
2023 – 2028
Transform WASH
Mozambique
2022 – 2027
Expanding WASH
Zambia
2022 - 2027
Tanzania Maji na USAFI Wa Mazingira (MUM)
Tanzania
2021 - 2026
Tanzania Maji na USAFI Wa Mazingira (MUM)
Tanzania
2021 - 2026
Municipal Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (MuniWASH)
West Africa
2019 – 2024
Government-to-Government Activity: Sustainable Access to Water and Sanitation
Senegal
2019 – 2024
Effective Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Services in Nigeria (E-WASH)
Nigeria
2018 – 2022
Integrated Governance Activity (IGA)
Democratic Republic of the Congo
2017 – 2022
WASH-FIN
Global
2016 – 2022
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