Although there is limited information on the process of roadmap development, the above elements are found to be key. A roadmap stresses the need for stakeholder consultation and ownership, so the process of its development becomes as or even more important than the roadmap itself. Advocacy is the first step to creating interest amongst stakeholder Groups. Arranging their active participation is often complex, as well as creating shared understanding of problems and solutions and agreement on actions required.

Sector Roadmaps

Sector roadmaps to achieve the MDGs are relatively new. Yet more general roadmaps, such as those described below, are not new for the sector and can provide valuable lessons for the growing number of sector road mapping efforts that are underway,.

Roadmap to guide PSP-based reform in the sector

This World Bank guided roadmap was the product of a 'decision makers' workshop in 2002.  Its objectives are to:

• develop a shared vision of conditions for sustainable and socially responsive Private Sector Participation (PSP) - WSS services in Africa;

• offer easy access to good practice and guiding principles;

• provide practical guidance in planning, implementation and sustaining PSP-based reforms; and

• facilitate coordinated action by donors.

Six stages are distinguished in the development process of the roadmap:

The roadmap is presented in three information 'layers' relating to the main target groups:

• policy makers and generalists: milestones and guiding principles;

• planners and sector managers: critical issues and success factors; and

• practitioners and specialists: cases, models, good practices and tools.

This approach helps to structure discussions and involves different stakeholders in the development of the roadmap at different times and particularly in relation to issues that are of most concern to them, thus making the process more efficient and interesting. The document states that the roadmap is seen as a living document that will capture and synthesize emerging experiences and will be enriched over time with innovations and new insights.  In practice, this has not happened and the World Bank seems to be placing less emphasis on PSP according to their recent statements in the World Water Forum in Mexico.

The Global WASH Forum Roadmap

The Roadmap from Dakar towards achieving the MDGs on Sanitation and Water came out of the 2004 Global WASH Forum. Its vision is that the sanitation MDG can be reached through collaboration of all stakeholders in the sector. The 23 critical signposts cover political will, enabling framework policies and strategies, finance, coalitions and partnerships, Local Government and external support. These can be used by politicians, professionals, civil society and others for analysis, planning and monitoring of progress towards the targets. Responsibility and accountability is required by all, and particularly those at country level.

One of the signposts is towards a national MDG-based WSS roadmap. Where this does not exist, the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) suggested good practice includes:

• MDG-based roadmaps at local and national levels for which they provide guidance;

• country-owned processes based on stakeholder consultation;

• linking with country-wide planning and budgeting systems; and

• recognition of the right to water and sanitation.

National WASH Sector Roadmaps

Senegal’s national sector roadmap - the Millennium Water and Sanitation program PEPAM 2015 – is based on a comprehensive sector review. It indicates that the state will set up a unified intervention framework with a set of common rules for all actors, a tool for coordination, synergy, and experience sharing. The development and consultation process for this is useful for other countries involved in roadmap development.

Current roadmaps are different from the comprehensive plans made during the Water Decade 1980-90 as they place more emphasis on national ownership, stakeholder dialogue, linkages with broader strategies, monitoring and their being living documents.

The WSSCC is an advocate of national sector roadmaps which they define as planning frameworks to align and accelerate existing country plans towards the  MDGs. They are long term, country-owned, phased plans based on consultation. They are not Master Plans, an easy way to get donor funds, or an imposed bureaucratic process unrelated to ongoing sector programmes.

The Africa Working Group on WSS of the EUWI was established under the Africa EU Strategic Partnership on Water Affairs and Sanitation to focus on country and regional activities related to WSS MDGs. The working group collaborates closely with the technical advisory committee of the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW). In 2005 the Africa Working Group and the WSP-Africa signed an agreement to support the achievement of the WSS MDGs in Africa and to chart the way forward through multi-stakeholder consultation to seek broad agreement on national sector roadmaps. AMCOW selected 10 countries for this ‘country dialogue’ process: Ethiopia, Ghana, Mozambique, Rwanda, Mauretania, Central African Republic (C.A.R.), Cape Verde, Congo-Brazzaville, Egypt and Zambia.

WSP-Africa in partnership with its fi nancial partners, the EUWI, World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB) is assisting roadmap development and implementation. Their achievement requires political commitment, government leadership and increased support by external agencies. The forthcoming first African MDG Country Assessment Report will collate the status of roadmap implementation.

Little information is available on roadmap development processes to guide others. Box 3 provides some insight into this, stressing the need for a good initial baseline overview. Scenario analysis may also help to explore different available options.

ADB-Supported Water Roadmaps

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has supported roadmap development for the water sector since 2001 in Cambodia, Pakistan, and Vietnam as part of their Country Strategy and Program Development process. These roadmaps do not refer to the MDGs, but are, in fact, more comprehensive than national WSS roadmaps, with more emphasis on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). The roadmaps have plans up to 2010, showing actual progress over the last five years. They do not provide different financing scenarios, but consist of a series of projects funded by different donors.

A distinction is made between:

• sector outcome (see examples below);

• sector outputs;

• sector issues and constraints; and

• actions, milestones and investments.

From an ABD perspective, the roadmap is a living document - part of a five year cycle.  From a country perspective, this is too long to direct progress.  Monitoring and updating through national authorities is not well established, making the roadmap in this case less of a living document.

Conclusions and Emerging Issues

Overall, roadmaps are receiving increasing support from donors and national governments. However, their development is not well documented and there is little guidance on effective stakeholder involvement in the process. The following sections point to good practice in any planning approach.

Roadmaps may become a goal in themselves

• Roadmaps may remain policy only, to satisfy donor requirements such as those of the EU which ask about how projects fit with a plan for reaching the MDGs.

Ensuring participation with a gender perspective

• Grassroots level consultation with marginalized sections of society is crucial to understanding their aspirations and difficulties.  Their representatives are important stakeholders in the process of roadmap development.

• Information that is disaggregated by gender is virtually absent in current roadmaps, but is an essential check on the equitable effects of these initiatives.  For example, the African Gender and Development Index is designed to measure differences in status by gender and the progress made in implementing gender policies.

• Recognizing that sector roadmaps are embedded within broader IWRM issues is necessary for the sustainability of services.  Linkages and financial competition with other sectors should be taken into account.

Linking to existing experience and avoiding duplication

• It is essential to build on experience with Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers and Sector-Wide Approaches, which include general strategies for sector development.

• Financial and administrative issues require considerable attention, including different scenarios together with their specific financial implications.  The fund flow process and transaction costs should be carefully reviewed alongside an exploration of how to shorten time between pledges and delivery.

Monitoring and transparency

• To maintain political commitment, roadmap implementation should be properly monitored, although there is no agreement on how this should be carried out.