FEASIBLE
FEASIBLE is a software tool developed by COWI, an international consultancy group, to support the preparation of environmentally sound financing strategies. A first model was developed during the early 2000s in close cooperation with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and financed by the Danish Ministry of the Environment under the Danish Cooperation for Environment in Eastern Europe. The model and support guidelines are available on the OECD website.
The basic approach of FEASIBLE is to consider targets for water supply and sanitation, determine the costs of achieving these targets and compare the required expenditures with the available resources to identify the finance gaps (Fonseca et.al, 2011). The tool is based on cost calculation functions, which can be adapted to local situations from which it is possible to develop various scenarios to determine how these finance gaps can be closed. It covers drinking water supply, wastewater, sanitation and solid waste. It can be applied countrywide or to specific regions or large cities.
In addition, FEASIBLE provides interesting components such as calculations on the debt service, calculations of user charges, and affordability measurements. The tool has been tested at length and reports are available for different countries including Lesotho, Egypt and Kyrgyz Republic. A recently developed second model now allows FEASIBLE to support financing strategies for the rural sector.
| FEASIBLE is a computer-based tool which serves to consider the expenditure needs (in terms of capital expenditure and operation and management expenditure needs) of meeting specific and time bound targets and also the financing hereof by means of grants, loans, user charges and public subsidies. It covers water, e.g. water supply, wastewater and sanitation, and also the solid waste sectors. |
The outputs of the tool come in four categories (EUWI Finance Working Group, 2007):
1) Technical information
2) Expenditure needs
3) Financing
4) Financing gap
Data for each category are provided on a year by year basis and with breakdowns for subsectors and regions (or municipalities). Thus, the tool facilitates an iterative process of matching the expenditures required to meet set water development targets with available finance. In other words, it facilitates the development of the baseline scenario and development scenarios in the process of strategy development.
Downloads
- To obtain Model Documentation and the software to prepare a financing strategy, all you need to do is to fill in the registration form and send it via e-mail to Alexander Martoussevitch from the OECD/EAP Task Force Secretariat: [email protected]. In response, they will send you a CD with the FEASIBLE Version 2 software.
- FEASIBLE Quick Guide
- FEASIBLE User Manual
Key documents
- Jacobsen, M. and Karup, J., 2007. Developing financing strategies in water supply and sanitation: information note prepared by COWI consultants and shortened by the FWG Secretariat. EUWI Finance Working Group. Brussels, Belgium : EUWI Secretariat , European Commission
- 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.
