Comparing models for Ghana’s proposed National Sanitation Authority and supporting its design

Aim

To document comparative models of national-level sanitation authorities for Ghana’s Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, and to support decision-making around design of Ghana’s future National Sanitation Authority.

Findings

The international comparative review of sanitation bodies revealed that no single agency has the mandate to carry out all the activities proposed by the MSWR for the NSA. Researchers therefore recommended that the MSWR consider different models:

1. NSA provides funding and capacity building to local authorities to deliver sanitation
2. NSA takes on a primarily regulatory role
3. NSA becomes a national utility

Next steps

The establishment of the NSA is an ongoing discussion between stakeholders at the national, regional and local level. Consultations with stakeholders revealed that MSWR will need to carefully consider how the existing institutions and organisations would 1) be affected by the establishment of a new body and 2) work with the NSA, according to whichever model the MSWR will choose.

Read more

• Report: May 2018 – International study of institutional models to support the development of Ghana’s proposed National Sanitation Authority
• Policy Brief: Jan 2019 – Ghana’s National Sanitation Authority: recommended roles and responsibilities
• Journal article (Waterlines): October 2019 – Designing stakeholder consultations for institutional change: a case study from Ghana’s sanitation sector
• Blog: December 2019 – Ghana reactivates the call for a National Sanitation Authority