As part of strengthening the ongoing programme in the selected three mandals, WASSAN started working with Mandal mahila samakhyas (MMS) and also the functionaries of Social Discrimination Elimination Project (SDEP). As the role of MMS and their functionaries is mentioned in the G.O No. 66 on implementation arrangements of the programme, WASSAN tried to realize that role.

The role envisaged for MMS and the Community Coordinators working with MMS is to organise the assignees into Common Interest Groups and enable them to implement the program by themselves. In a way at mandal level MMS should play the role of project management agency, taking technical support of District Water Management Agency (DWMA) staff. But there were many difficulties at the field level in operationalising these roles. It was not adequate just to work with MMS to realize those roles. As MMS works under the guidance of DRDA, it was observed that unless there is an ownership of the programme from DRDA at district level, MMS may not able to handle the roles and responsibilities envisaged in this programme, how much ever support it was given from any other agency like WASSAN. Though G.O No. 66 clearly mentions the role of DRDA and DWMA, there are differences on that and is not operationalised.

To resolve this issue, WASSAN brought these problems to the notice of District Collector and also facilitated a joint meeting of District collector and the project directors of DRDA and DWMA on November 19th (minutes enclosed). It was decided in that meeting the roles of DRDA and DWMA are to be clearly defined and accordingly their staff to be oriented. Also monitoring systems to be developed at each level i.e village, mandal and district and make the respective functionaries responsible at each level. A draft list of tasks and persons responsible for those tasks also was developed by WASSAN.

An overall strategy for improving the implementation of the programme was proposed to the District Administration and was agreed in principle. It was proposed to conduct orientation programmes for the Community Coordinators, Mandal Technical Assistants and APMs of DRDA in the first week of January, 2006.

These efforts were put in to streamline the institutional arrangements at the district level for creating an enabling environment and also provide a space for negotiation for closely working in the selected mandals in addition to the general improvement in all the mandals of the district.

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