End-User Applications in Electronic and Mobile Water Governance

Key technological developments for efficiency, accountability & public participation

Sarah Boone, MSc.Cap-Tec UNDP Expert Meeting, March 26-27th 2015, UNESCO-IHE, Delft

Sarah Boone, MSc. – sarahboone@oxon.org

What is e-gov / m-gov?

• A tool for governments & utilities •monitoring, data collection, billing

• A resource for end users • information, convenient payment options, conservation messaging, engagement

Why develop end-user apps?

• Promote two-way dialogue with consumers

• Improve user efficiency/conservation

• Improve cost recovery & data collection

• Manage expectations of utility

• Promote integrity through transparency

• Prevent conflict through participation

MW4D & MPesa: Meeting Rural WASH Needs

• Mobile technology in hand pump sends technicians updates on performance

• Users can send SMS to ask for repairs

• Water paid for from mobile phones

(Hope et al 2012, Krolikowski et al 2013)

UAE FEWA: Municipal Water Management

• Easy online payment

• Easy reporting of issues (broken water mains, contamination etc.)

• Provides information to consumer, water related news and public announcements

• Provides data to utility on households

Promoting conservation

My research on using m-gov to improve urban demand

management

WaterSmart Software: Urban Water Demand Management

Image Source: Copyright 2015, WaterSmart Software.

• Utilizes social norms to decrease demand

• Provides tailored conservation messaging

• Measured success: 5% reduction in water use

Would m-gov work in Oman? Evaluating Capacity Development

Conservation Potential

• Current water use exceeds basic needs

• Significant potential for water savings

• Reductions in domestic water use will not reduce quality of life

Technological Feasibility

• Data availability

• Government or utility must have technical capabilities

• User's mobile app and internet connectivity must be high

Social Acceptability

• Must be appropriate for user demographics

• Users should be pre-disposed to conservation

• Trust in e-governance

(Boone 2013, 2014)

Significant potential for success!

Conservation Potential

• Current water use exceeds basic needs

• Significant potential for water savings

• Reductions in domestic water use will not reduce quality of life

Technological Feasibility

• Data available

• Government has technical capabilities

• High Connectivity: Mobile subscription penetration at 180%

Social Acceptability

• Bulk of population in key demographic: 20-45 yrs old

• Cultural predisposition to conservation

• Growing trust in e-governance

✓

✓

✓

✓✓✓

?

?✓

(Boone 2013, 2014)

Needed guidance in e/m-gov capacity development

• Inform governments/utilities of the options

• Provide open-source code that utilities can tailor

• Train utility employees to manage e-gov/m-gov solutions

• Support public agencies currently developing solutions

• Support technology for data collection: meters, databases etc.

Thank you!Please feel free to ask questions and get in touch!

Sarah Boonesarahboone@oxon.org

+1 (206) 330 6401

References

• Alkhunaizan, A. and Love, S. (2013) Predicting Consumer Decisions to Adopt Mobile Commerce in Saudi Arabia. Americas Conference on Information Systems; Hyperconnected World: Anything, anywhere, anytime.Red Hook, N.Y.: Curran Associates Inc., pp. 2767.

• Al-Sobhi, F., Weerakkody, V. and El-Haddadeh, R. (2011) The Relative Importance of Intermediaries in eGovernment Adoption: A study of Saudi Arabia. Electronic Government (6846), eds. M. Janssen, H.J. Scholl, M.A. Wimmer & Y. Tan, Heidelberg: Lecture Notes in Computer Science: Springer, pp. 62.

• Belwal, R.andBelwal, S. (2009) Mobile Phone Usage Behavior of University Students in Oman.

• Boone, S. (2014) ‘Reviving Ancient Wisdom: Using mobile technology to re-build social norms for water conservation in Oman,’ paper presented at the WSTA 11th Gulf Water Conference, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, October 20-22. (See for extended reference list)

• Boone, S. (2013) Substance and Symbol: The Ethics of Water Use and Development in Oman. Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington.

• Boxall, B. (03/03/14) Use less water than your neighbors? You get a smiley face. latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-behavioral-water-efficiency-20140303,0,2306355.story: Los Angeles Times.

References

• Brent, D., Cook, J. and Olsen, S. (2013) Heterogeneous Responses to Social Norms for Water Conservation. Working Paper ed. Seattle, WA: University of Washington.

• Donner, J. (2008) Research Approaches to Mobile Use in the Developing World: A Review of the Literature. The Information Society, 24 (3), pp. 140-159.

• Fishbein, M. and Ajzen, I. (1975) Belief, attitude, intention and behavior: An introduction to theory and research.

• Hope, R., Foster, T., Money, A. and  Rouse, M. (2012) Harnessing mobile communications innovations for water security. Global Policy, 3 (4), pp. 433-442.

• Krolikowski, A., Fu, X. and Hope, R. (2013) Improving Public Service Delivery with Mobile Payment Solutions. Policy Brief, April 2013. Oxford University, UK.

• Manochehri, N.-.andAlHinai, Y. (2006) Mobile phone users attitude towards Mobile Commerce (m-commerce) and Mobile Services in Oman.

• Mitchell, D. & M. Cubed (2013) Evaluation of East Bay Municipal Utility District’s Pilot of WaterSmart Home Water Reports.

WaterSmart Software: Urban Water Demand Management

• Data collection to improve service delivery and messaging

Image Source: Copyright 2015, WaterSmart Software.

Historical norms and recent increase in urban water use in Oman

Data: Oman Ministry of Information, Statistical Yearbooks

Historical norms and recent increase in urban water use in Oman

(Boone 2013)

Assessing Criteria: Conservation Potential

1970

1973

1976

1979

1982

1985

1988

1991

1994

1997

2000

2003

2006

2009

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

Water in Muscat

Total Production Total Consumption

WASH standards are now very high in city, but demand continues to drive increased supply

Per capita demand doubled between 1995 and 2010

Qualitative evidence suggests that Muscat residents use more water than they need

o But good scientific evidence is scarce

Data: Oman Ministry of Information, Statistical Yearbooks

Assessing Criteria: Technological Feasibility

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

ICT Penetration in Oman

Mobile Subscriptions Landline PhonesInternet Users Personal Computers

Improving data availability

Good technological capability in utility

Excellent user connectivity over mobile phones

Data: Data: UNSD MDG 2012, DevInfo

Assessing criteria: Social Acceptability

Demographics targeted would be appropriate: young professionals (Belwal &

Belwal 2009)

Strong cultural precedent (Boone 2013)

Trust in m-gov seems to be improving with increasing m-commerce (Manochehri

and AlHinai, 2006, Al Sobhi et al 2011)

Age:20-45