Abstract

GALINDO, Emmanuel  and  PALERM, Jacinta. Rural Drinking Water Systems. Institutions, Organizations, Government, Administration and Legitimacy. Tecnol. cienc. agua [online]. 2016, vol.7, n.2, pp.17-34. ISSN 2007-2422.

Field information obtained from 12 systems located in 5 municipalities was used to analyze the size or number of intakes supplied and the type of organization, for the purpose of management, governance and administration, as well regulations for access to and exclusion from piped water service. The objective was to compare management models to determine the ones that are most suitable, effective and legitimate. Two factors were compared for their contribution to improving conditions -professionalization of the administration under the direction of managers versus the users themselves based on local knowledge systems. According to the evidence, we can state the following: no direct correlation exists between the number of intakes supplied and the type of organization; various systems can have a single centralized administration; the institutional structure designed by the users themselves represent more legitimacy; and this affects the efficiency of applying the regulations related to access and exclusion.

Keywords : decentralized operating entities; municipal departments; users committees; self-management; self-government; neo-institutionalism.