Community management of rural water supply and sanitation services

Major topics of the paper include: the roles of and salient issues between communities and external agencies; the five-level process of community management and the types and degrees of external support and interaction appropriate to each level; analysis of seven projects to identify key features of community management, focusing on the importance of strengthening the capacity of local communities to assume a leading role in the planning, construction, financing, and management of new water supplies; and a review of community management functions, resources, benefits, and constraints, and priorities for further research. (Author abstract, modified)