Prepared for the Monitoring Sustainable WASH Service Delivery Symposium, 9 - 11 April 2013, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

1. Water and Sanitation Information System
for Timor-Leste
SIBS (Sistema Informasaun Bee no Saneamentu)

2. The New Deal!
• The Timor-Leste Government is the Chair of G7+ Group, a
grouping of post conflict countries.
• The G7+ The New Deal specifically calls for country led
development in partnership with development partners.
• Monitoring systems that are owned by a nation are a key to
country led development
“We, the member countries of the g7+, believe fragile states are
characterized and classified through the lens of the developed
rather than through the eyes of the developing.”
g7+ Statement, 7 April 2010, Dili, Timor-Leste
“We support the pursuit of universal aspirational goals at the
global level. At the same time, we emphasise that national
ownership of the development agenda is imperative”
g7+ Statement, 28 February 2013, Dili Timor-Leste

3. Our experience in Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste had a water supply monitoring system
however there were a number off weaknesses:
• data was weak - some partners provided information -
others didn’t
• different indicators and information was provided
• for many areas of Timor-Leste, no data was collected
• data we had was often out of date
• there was no record of functionality of water systems
and other variables including access times, water
source flows.
• only water-supply data was collected, there was no
database of sanitation.
As a result, data analysis was difficult, complete data was
not available, data was out of date and the monitoring
system was not useful as a management tool

4. SIBS - a country led system?
• It covers all rural villages in Timor-Leste
• Government staff collect the information
• It is timely, collected as part of staff day-to day work
• The data collected is used at for a range of uses and
is used at sub-district, district and national level
• As it uses SMS for data transfer - it is efficient and
cost effective
• SIBS was developed in 2010 and transitioned across
to full use of mobile technology in 2012
• SIBS receives technical and funding from AusAID
through the BESIK program

5. What is SIBS for?
SIBS is a national monitoring tool to:
• manage and monitor water services in rural areas, at
national, district and sub-district level
• monitor sanitation and hygiene coverage in rural areas
• provide evidence used for Government planning for and
investment in service delivery
• measure national level performance and thus progress
towards our national targets for water and sanitation
• measure functionality down to the village level – thus
directly supporting the implementation of an service
delivery approach
• allow analysis of key aspects of sustainable service
delivery

6. SIBS covers all rural villages - providing
information at the village level
District 13
Sub District 65
Suco (large village – lowers admin unit) 442
Aldeia (village) 2225

7. What is monitored?
What indicators are we collecting?

8. What is new about SIBS?
Databases established in the past are difficult to maintain due to
mountains of paper work, that needs to be entered into a data
base.
We have limited internet access across Timor-Leste, and a key
element of SIBS is the use of mobile phones to enter data and
sends the data to via SMS. Mobile service is available across
approximately 85% of Timor-Leste.
The Government WASH facilitators have a normal phone where
the forms are downloaded for easy use. Data can be stored in the
phone and then sent when a phone is in an area with coverage.
.
.
01110100101010 .
.

9. How is information collection done?
Data is collected by Government employed WASH Facilitators (90
employed across Timor-Leste) as follows:
• Community Profile collected for all communities - information on
water system asset and social information (population etc.).
• Information is updated quarterly through the regular visits SDFs
make as part of their role to support community management of
WASH
• Update information is sent by SMS to a central database held at
national level
• If there is a new system built or a major rehabilitation, a new
Community Profile is completed

10. SIBS – data entry via a mobile phone

11. How is information analysed?
How is information reported and used?
• Monthly reports on key indicators are produced and shared at
district and national level
• At district level staff are being trained to analyse data and are
starting to use it
• At subdistrict level there are no computers so they receive
printed copies from District level
• Results are reported in Excel and using maps

12. SIBS – presenting data - excel spreadsheets
System Functioning Status
District Sub District Suco Aldeia Status
Bobonaro Maliana Lahomea 04010101 Maliana Adequate
04010102 Laho Mea Adequate
04010104 Genu Ha'an Vulnerable
04010105 Hatu Laca Adequate
Raifun 04010201 Raifun Vila Adequate
04010202 Raifun Foho Adequate
04010203 Nunu Tanan Adequate
Ritabou 04010301 Ritabou Vulnerable
04010302 Uat Adequate
04010303 Maganutu Adequate
04010309 Cor Luli Adequate
04010310 Same Laun Vulnerable
04010311 Diru Aben Critical
04010312 Ti Matan Vulnerable
Odomau 04010401 Genoha'an Don't Know
04010402 Rai Maten Critical
04010403 Rocon Vulnerable
Holsa 04010501 Solu Golo Don't Know
04010502 Op Legul Vulnerable
04010503 Tas Vulnerable
04010504 Bili Cou Critical
04010505 Lolo Oa Critical
Tapo/Memo 04010602 Lep Guen Critical
04010603 Pip Galag 1 Critical
04010604 Tunu Bibi Critical
04010605 Pip Galag 2 Critical
Cailaco Raeheu 04020101 Daru Asa Critical
Goulolo 04020201 Mali Lea Critical
04020202 Ilat Bote Critical
04020203 Suri Ubu Critical
Atu Dara 04020401 Atu Buti Critical

13. SIBS – Mapping Program

14. Monitoring functionality
2010 January
2011 July
2012 January
July
October

15. Comparison of
functioning water
systems over time
July 2011
October 2012

16. Monitoring time taken to collect water
2012
2011
2010

17. Internet access – using Google earth

18. Supporting transparency & accountability
Information available at national,
district and sub-district Water
Supply and Sanitation.
NGOs can access data for planning
through requesting national level.
The next step is to support
Government to make the
information openly available
SIBS data available outside the
outside – outside sub-district Directorate for Water & Sanitation
administration offices. office in Dili
In the future can be used to hold
service providers accountable

19. What does SIBS cost?
• Frontline SMS – www.frontlinesms.com -open source
software.
• Phones for data collection (in TL 88 WASH Facilitators),
server based in Dili (capital)
• SMS – one form each for Water and Sanitation (thus 2 SMS
at 0.8c per village – 2,225 villages)
• Cost of visiting each community (in Timor Leste this is part
of the ongoing role of the WASH Facilitator)
• Information Management system support: establish
database, sms system and for ongoing systems support.
• Equipment for users to access maps, data
• Bringing key people together to analyse and respond to
data
• Invest in doing a check of data (5%) to ensure accuracy

20. What are the challenges?
• Management and resourcing of sub-national staff for collection of
data for timely collection (although SIBS provides data on when
data was collected so can clearly see if data is older than 3 months
and 6 months)
• The quality of sanitation data can be poor, as health volunteers,
community leaders are collecting this (currently training and
motivation for collection of accurate data)
• Internet and IT challenges in the districts, mean it is difficult for
sub-national offices to access information on-line (currently
provided each month electronically)
• Government interest in making the SIBS information publicly
available
• Further development of linking SIBS to an asset management
system for each water system – through the community profile and
include key technical data
• Ongoing support from BESIK with Government to look at ways to
overcome the above challenges

21. SIBS (Sistema Informasaun Bee no Saneamentu)
Water and Sanitation Information System
Obrigado
Thank you