Suivi Technique et Financier (STeFI)

Suivi Technique et Financier (STeFI) can be used to monitor the functionality of water facilities and the financial costs of small town and rural water services. It was developed and tested between 1994 and 2004 by the National Water Supply Directorate (DNH) with German assistance. It has been used in parts of Mali, Niger and Chad.

In Mali, for example, the STeFI was used by two operators, who are in charge of:

• checking the functionality of water facilities,
• collecting the bi-annual financial accounting of water service providers,
• reporting every six months to the local water authorities (i.e. communes), the local water service providers and the users through technical and financial reports,
• formulating recommendations in order to improve functionality and planning, and
• consolidating cost data and reporting to the government.

STeFI is limited to monitoring the costs for which communes are ultimately responsible, such as operational and minor maintenance expenditures, capital maintenance expenditures and direct support costs. (Fonseca et.al, 2011). As capital expenditure and other costs are covered by government and international donors, these costs are not considered in the STeFI.

Data is communicated by the providers to the operators via a radio system, and the data is compiled in SARI SAGE accounting software. The information is available to the participating communes and service providers and is reported to the government. The total monitoring costs are divided between the users (via tariffs established by providers), the communes and the government. Communes pay the STeFI operators two thirds of the monitoring fee either annually or every six months.

Key documents

Fonseca, C., Dubé, A. and Verhoeven J., 2011. Cost-based decision support tools for water and sanitation. (WASHCost working paper 4). The Hague, The Netherlands: IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre

Mali. Direction Nationale de l'Hydraulique, 2009. Etude concernant l’evolution future du systeme STEFI : rapport final. Bamako, Mali: Mali, Ministere des Mines, de l'Hydraulique et de l'Energie, Direction Nationale de l'Hydraulique.