Output-Based Aid in Water and Sanitation: The Experience So Far

Output-Based Aid (OBA) has been used since the early 2000s to deliver basic infrastructure and social services to the poor, typically through public-private partnerships.

Given the limited experience with OBA in the water and sanitation sector, GPOBA has made a concerted effort to test OBA approaches in the sector. A growing number of regional and local private providers have emerged, and some projects involve public providers.

This note is based on the World Bank study “Output-Based Aid: Lessons Learned and Best Practices” (Mumssen, Johannes and Kumar 2010) and aims to share experiences so far with the use of OBA in water and sanitation.