A clearer sense of a broader, sharper sector strategy has emerged in Paraguay, with its water, sanitation and hygiene sector moving forwards on several priority areas for action. A number of factors have generated momentum in recent years. Ministers in charge of water and sanitation have patiently lobbied the ministry of finance, with SWA support. They have succeeded in giving the sector increased prominence in national budgetary considerations. The SWA Secretariat has helped the sector capitalize on this increased visibility, working with country partners and sector actors in Paraguay to provide support and advice, bring partners together, and help crystalize areas of agreement and opportunity.
In 2019, the Minister of Public Works and Communication, along with the water and sanitation director and a representative from the Ministry of Health, attended the SWA Sector Ministers’ Meeting in Costa Rica. The meeting inspired the minister to work closely with the Directorate of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DAPSAN), to promote SWA’s Guiding Principles in the water and sanitation sector. One of these Guiding Principles was strongly supported when Paraguay agreed to be one of the five pilot countries for SWA’s new Results Framework, which involved wide-ranging, multi-stakeholder dialogue analyzing the priorities of Paraguay’s sector.
The 2020 SWA Finance Ministers’ Meeting provided the opportunity for engaging Paraguay’s Minister of Finance directly on water, sanitation and hygiene. The idea of water, sanitation and hygiene as a valuable investment was explored and impressed on the minister, both in the briefings ahead of the meeting and during the meeting itself, focusing in particular on infrastructure and on water governance.
The SWA Framework has inspired Paraguay to pay special attention to the articulation and coordination of the sector, both at the level of government actors and with civil society and academia.
SWA has also supported Paraguay’s sector to define clearer roles and responsibilities, harmonize its systems and data to build a better case for investment, and introduce dedicated national budget lines for sector institutions. There have also been knowledge exchange and learning between the Paraguay, Honduras and Costa Rica. Importantly, the momentum generated in Paraguay has also seen the expansion of its coordination platform for the sector. This has now been extended to include CSOs, academia and the private sector, to consider sector infrastructure as well as systems management, governance, operation and maintenance.