Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering Commons^™

Management Of Rural Water Services In Nicaragua: A Systematic Network Approach To Evaluating Stakeholder Alignment, Jeffrey P. Walters, Amy N. Javemick-Will

Faculty Publications - Biomedical, Mechanical, and Civil Engineering

Water sector literature attributes a substantial cause of rural water system failure in developing countries to poor alignment between water service stakeholders. This study aimed to investigate a means for assessing stakeholder alignment by comparing the systemic interaction of stakeholder values, where the term ‘stakeholder values’ refers to aspects stakeholders believe are necessary to ensure rural water services are sustainable. The research held focus groups with key stakeholder groups involved in the management of rural water infrastructure in Terrabona, Nicaragua, to identify stakeholder values, and then used cross-impact analysis to evaluate how these values interacted to form stakeholder value networks …