National Policy Dialogue

National Policy Dialogue

National Policy Dialogues provide a platform for major stakeholders, such as government authorities and non-governmental organizations, for awareness raising, capacity building, policy-preparation and policy-implementation related to new water legislation, the establishment/strengthening of river basin management authorities and plans, water management tools and financing water management.

Typical outputs of the National Policy Dialogues on financing WSS include a feasible Financing Strategy (FS) and associated package of policy measures (financial, institutional, on sector governance and capacity building). Examples of policy packages designed in the framework of an NPD to implement a financing strategy for the WSS sector, and adopted by the Steering Group, are:

• Realistic projections of financing needed from all sources (user charges, public budget, external donor assistance);
• Recommendations on investment projects prioritization and on integration of the FS into the budgetary process (MTEF and annual budgets);
• Recommendations on tariff policy and on developing or strengthening social support systems targeted to the poor to ensure that WSS services are affordable for the poor;
• Recommendations on improving organization, governance and institutional set-up in the WSS sector.

Examples of policy packages developed under other NPDs are:

1. Draft pieces of legislation (e.g. governmental or ministerial regulation), finalized with the help of the Steering Group and submitted (by the relevant authority) for consideration by the Government/Ministry;
2. Recommendations and good practice documents, adopted by the Steering Group;
3. Analysis of institutional/management structures, adopted by the Steering Group;
4. Water management plans and water safety plans, adopted by the Steering Group; and
5. Assessments of the effectiveness of measures undertaken to prevent, control and reduce adverse effects on the environment and human health and safety, adopted by the Steering Group.