This document outlines the Utility of the Future (UoF) program's methodology, which is divided into two main phases: the UoF Standard and UoF Advanced. The UoF Standard phase focuses on establishing a solid foundation for transformation through initial analysis, action planning, and strategic...

A project in the Mexican state of Guanajuato shows how tying disbursements to specific outputs can provide incentives for effective implementation of a water sector strategy. The disbursements, from pooled government and World Bank loan funds, are made against connections to safe and reliable...

Governments in developing countries and members of the development aid community are acutely aware of the need to find more effective ways to improve basic living conditions for the poor. Traditional approaches to delivering public support have not always led to the results intended....

Using data from 270 water and sanitation providers, this Note investigates the relationship between a utility's size and its operating costs. The current trend toward transferring responsibility for providing services to the municipal level is driven in part by the assumption that this will make...

This note highlights the wide variation in performance on key indicators: unaccounted-for water, labor costs, the working ratio, service coverage, water prices and connection costs, and continuity of service. As governments struggle with rising health care costs, public-private partnerships in...

In some countries regulators routinely publish indicators of utility service performance through the local media. Exposing the "worst in class" has proven to be a powerful way of pressuring utilities to provide better services to consumers. This Note reviews the requirements for effective...