The document proposes a framework for linking the OECD Principles on Water Governance to impacts and outcomes. It relates the Principles, indicators of existence and a principles' quality, range, and sustainability to outcomes and the UN's Sustainable Development Goal 6 indicators. As an example, it assesses principle 5 on data and information in Tunisia. It finds the existence of water information systems but delays in groundwater data availability. It also finds data not easily understandable for non-specialists and institutions lacking strong mandates to sustainably fulfill tasks. The document argues this framework can help evaluate governance and identify measures to improve water governance and outcomes.

1. THE OECD PRINCIPLES ON WATER GOVERNANCE AS
A MEANS TO AN END:
How to Measure Impacts of Water Governance
Think piece presented by:
GIZ Water Program Tunisia:
Manfred Matz, Esther Thomas, Ons Oueslati, Imen Bousrih,
Water Governance PHD researcher:
Sophie Erfurth

2. The usual process for a result-based planning process:
Activity Outputs Outcome
Assumptions &
Risks
Impact
Vision & High
Level Impact
Output
Problem Analysis

3. Our concept of linking principles to impacts:
Impact
Indicators:
SDG 6 Indicators
Outcome
Indicators:
Quality (Q),
Range (R),
Sustainability (S)
OECD Water Governance
Principles Framework
OECD
Principles
Principles
Indicators
Indicator:
Existence (E)
Outcomes
Assumptions &
Risks
Impacts
Vision & High
Level Impact
MONITORING & EVALUATION
tailored to
project context
Activity Output
Outcome Indicators:
Q
Quality
Key question: What is the outcome of activities
referring to these principles?
R
Range
Key question: What is the geographic or general
extension of the outcome?
S
Sustainability
Key question: What is the level of institutionalising
and financing of the exemplary outcome?

4. Outputs (OECD Principles on water governance)
Problem analysis and identification of measures for the Tunisia case
Outcomes (water
resources sector)
Evaluation Assumption Impact Measures to be taken
Principles main text Principles’ indicators:
Existence (E)
Quality (Q), Range (R)
and Sustainability (S) in
the water resources
sector
Score between 1 (not at
all) and 5 (completely)
Explanations and
analysis of contextual
risks
SDG 6.4.2 (Tunisia)
Principle 5:
Data and information:
Produce, update and share
timely, consistent,
comparable and policy-
relevant water and
water-related data and
information, and use it to
guide, assess and improve
water policy.
Indicator 5.a: Existence and
functioning of updated,
timely shared, consistent
and comparable water
information systems
Q.: Do Information
systems on ground and
surface waterbodies
provide transparent and
reliable data in due time?
2
Data, especially on
groundwater, are not
easily available and
publication is delayed.
Decision makers have an
interest in publicly
targeting the (critical)
data-based situation of
water use efficiency or
groundwater over
abstraction and take
relevant measures even if
they are unpopular.
96 % (UN Water, 2018)
(Internal figures suggest
even a mean score of
around 115 %)
Improve data
management systems
Indicator 5.b: Existence and
functioning of public
institutions, organisations
and agencies in charge of
producing, co-ordinating
and disclosing
standardised, harmonised
and official water-related
statistics
R.: Are the data and
information providing
institutions delivering
understandable data for
decision making/or
policy process and/or the
public?
2
Publications, especially
on groundwater, are not
very easy to understand
by non-specialists.
Improve data
presentation and
publishing
Indicator 5.c: Existence and
level of implementation of
mechanisms to identify and
review data gaps, overlaps
and unnecessary overload
S.: Are the institution in
place sufficiently
mandated and financially
strong enough to fulfil
their tasks sustainably? 1
Institutions are under
the mandate of the main
water user making it
difficult to make
information on
unsustainable
developments heard.
Improve mandate of
relevant body
Applying the proposed system in practice: The case of water data management in Tunisia