Programme Steering Committee

At the regional level, policy guidance for the LVWATSAN Initiative is provided jointly by the Ministers responsible for water in the partner countries, the Secretariat of the East African Community (EAC), whose technical committee has fully endorsed and supports the programme, and UN-HABITAT.

In each country, three levels of programme management have been established under a framework for the management, implementation and co-ordination of the Lake Victoria Region Water and Sanitation Initiative (LVWATSAN) as established in Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) signed between UN-HABITAT and the Governments of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, respectively, in June 2006. The MOUs provide for the establishment of Project Management Units (PMUs) responsible for overall coordination and management of projects at regional or national level.

At the town level, project implementation is coordinated by Project Implementation Units (PIUs), chaired by the respective Town Clerks.

To encourage ownership at local level, Multi-Stakeholder Forums (MSFs) bringing together representatives of municipal authorities, service providers, local private sector, NGOs, and CBOs have been formed in the project towns. The MSFs facilitate the active participation of a broad range of stakeholders at town level, in the design and implementation of the programme interventions. They also help to raise local awareness, develop understanding, ensure buy-in and build local support for the programme by promoting active stakeholder participation.

In each of the project countries, UN-HABITAT has a National Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) and a Programme Manager (HPM) who assist the implementation teams in providing programme management advice. These are supported by teams of local experts engaged on a consultancy basis.