Sec. 5. Promoting the maximum impact and long-term sustainability of USAID safe water, sanitation, and hygiene-related projects and programs
960 words·~4 min read·
/bill/113/s/2946/rs/section-5A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Section 136 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as redesignated and amended by this Act, is further amended by adding at the end the following: The Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development shall ensure that the Agency for International Development’s projects and programs authorized under this section are designed to achieve maximum impact and long-term sustainability by— prioritizing countries on the basis of the following clearly defined criteria and indicators, to the extent sufficient data are available— the proportion of the population using an unimproved drinking water source; the total population using an unimproved drinking water source; the proportion of the population without piped water access; the proportion of the population using shared or other unimproved sanitation facilities; the total population using shared or other unimproved sanitation facilities; the proportion of the population practicing open defecation; the total number of children younger than 5 years of age who died from diarrheal disease; the proportion of all deaths of children younger than 5 years of age resulting from diarrheal disease; the national government’s capacity, capability, and commitment to work with the United States to improve access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene, including— the government’s capacity and commitment to developing the indigenous capacity to provide safe water and sanitation without the assistance of outside donors; and the degree to which such government— identifies such efforts as a priority; and allocates resources to such efforts; the availability of opportunities to leverage existing public, private, or other donor investments in the water, sanitation, and hygiene sectors, including investments in the management of water resources; and the likelihood of making significant improvements on a per capita basis on the health and educational opportunities available to women as a result of increased access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene, including access to appropriate facilities at primary and secondary educational institutions seeking to ensure that communities benefitting from such projects and activities develop the indigenous capacity to provide safe water and sanitation without the assistance of outside donors; prioritizing and measuring, including through rigorous monitoring and evaluating mechanisms, the extent to which such project or program— furthers significant improvements in— the criteria set forth in subparagraphs
(A)through
(H)of paragraph (1); the health and educational opportunities available to women as a result of increased access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene, including access to appropriate facilities at primary and secondary educational institutions; and the indigenous capacity of the host nation or community to provide safe water and sanitation without the assistance of outside donors; is designed, as part of the provision of safe water and sanitation to the local community— to be financially independent over the long term, focusing on local ownership and sustainability; to be undertaken in conjunction with relevant public institutions or private enterprises; to identify and empower local individuals or institutions to be responsible for the effective management and maintenance of such project or program; and to provide safe water or expertise or capacity building to those identified parties or institutions for the purposes of developing a plan and clear responsibilities for the effective management and maintenance of such project or program; leverages existing public, private, or other donor investments in the water, sanitation, and hygiene sectors, including investments in the management of water resources; avoids duplication of efforts with other United States Government agencies or departments or those of other nations or nongovernmental organizations; coordinates such efforts with the efforts of other United States Government agencies or departments or those of other nations or nongovernmental organizations directed at assisting refugees and other displaced individuals; and involves consultation with appropriate stakeholders, including communities directly affected by the lack of access to clean water, sanitation or hygiene, and other appropriate nongovernmental organizations; seeking to further the USAID Water and Development Strategy, 2013–2018 through 2018; and seeking to further the strategy required under subsection
(j)after 2018. The Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development is authorized to use improved data collection— to meet the health-based prioritization criteria established pursuant to subsection (f)(1); and to review new standardized indicators in evaluating progress towards meeting such criteria. The Administrator shall— regularly consult with the appropriate congressional committees; and notify such committees not later 30 days before using improved data collection and review of new standardized indicators under paragraph
(1)for the purposes of carrying out this section. Not later than October 1, 2015, the President shall— designate, on the basis of the criteria set forth in subsection (f)(1) and in furtherance of the USAID Water and Development Strategy, 2013–2018 , not fewer than 10 countries as high priority countries to be the primary recipients of United States Government assistance authorized under this section during fiscal year 2016; and notify the appropriate congressional committees of such designations. Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the President shall annually make new designations pursuant to the criteria set forth in paragraph (1). Beginning with fiscal year 2019, designations under paragraph
(1)shall be made— based upon the criteria set forth in subsection (f)(1); and in furtherance of the strategy required under subsection (j). Not later than 15 days before the obligation of any funds for water, sanitation, or hygiene projects or programs pursuant to this section in countries that are not ranked in the top 50 countries based upon the WASH Needs Index, the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development shall notify the appropriate congressional committees of the planned obligation of such funds. In this subsection and in subsection (j), the term WASH Needs Index means the needs index for water, sanitation, or hygiene projects or programs authorized under this section that has been developed using the criteria and indicators described in subparagraphs
(A)through
(H)of subsection (f)(1). .