One of the strengths of the Mutual Accountability Mechanism is that it can be adapted to fit even the most complex contexts. While the mechanism is not yet an established element of State of Palestine’s sector, its defining principles can help stakeholders picture how the sector might progress beyond a purely humanitarian response. These principles – in particular those of setting out clear sector priorities and defining multi-stakeholder responsibilities – are the key.
The water, sanitation and hygiene sector in Palestine is currently coordinated, as it is in many other SWA partner countries, by the humanitarian Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Cluster. The WASH Cluster is led by UNICEF and focuses on the urgent humanitarian needs of people in Palestine, as opposed to the Mutual Accountability Mechanism’s typical government-led, longer-term development focus. Still, the WASH Cluster model shares characteristics with the mechanism, such as convening a wide range of stakeholders to identify common challenges, plans and priorities. The Mutual Accountability Mechanism can build on these shared characteristics since it is designed to help set a focus on the longer-term development goals, which is something that can help ensure continuity of service provision beyond the phases of an emergency response. In Palestine, the Government’s commitments tabled under the Mutual Accountability Mechanism are seen as a potential way to frame a longer-term development conversation for the sector. Led by the Government through the Palestinian Water Authority, such conversations could build on existing work and begin to include, for example, wider stakeholders, such as local non-governmental organizations. This could help maintain focus beyond the immediate humanitarian emergency and, ultimately, work towards the achievement of SDG 6.
The Mutual Accountability Mechanism can help to establish a formal focus on the longer-term development goals of water, sanitation and hygiene sector, to ensure continuity of service provision beyond the phases of an emergency response.
In Palestine, the Government’s commitments tabled under the Mutual Accountability Mechanism are seen as a potential way to frame a longer-term development conversation for the sector. Led by the Government through the Palestinian Water Authority, such conversations could build on existing work and begin to include, for example, wider stakeholders, such as local non-governmental organizations. This could help maintain focus beyond the immediate humanitarian emergency and, ultimately, work towards the achievement of SDG 6.
Viewed in this way, the mechanism can be seen as a useful tool that could help promote the nexus between development and humanitarian approaches in unstable contexts, in the face of political upheaval or protracted conflict. The Palestinian Water Authority also suggests that an effective mechanism focused on accountability can help deliver on some crucial principles of aid effectiveness and coordination. Namely, country ownership over programmes; alignment between donor funding and country priorities; harmonization of donor activities to avoid duplication and fragmentation of efforts; transparency and accountability; and providing predictable, long-term funding.
In any context, actors can use the Mutual Accountability Mechanism to provide a clearer sense of direction for the sector and help to clarify their role in delivering that vision with improved efficiency and less overlap. The mechanism is a flexible tool, and in humanitarian contexts, it can help ensure there is a balance between being focused on the immediate, life-saving needs of the people and also looking ahead at how the system can be improved to be more resilient to such shocks and crises.