The Impact of Civic Engagement Mechanisms on Household Access to Water Services A Case Study of Kondoa District, Tanzania

Abstract

Globally, governance has increasingly shifted towards civic engagement as a means through 
which citizens participate in the improvement of public service delivery, including essential 
services such as water provision. In the context of Tanzania, policy frameworks for civic 
engagement have been established within the water sector to promote accountability, 
amplify citizens’ voices, and enhance communication aimed at improving water supply 
management. Despite these initiatives, access to water services remains a significant 
challenge, particularly in Kondoa District. Against this backdrop, this study investigated the 
extent to which civic engagement mechanisms influence access to water service delivery in 
Kondoa District Council. The Principal-Agent Theory was employed to conceptualise the 
relationship between citizens and public service providers. A questionnaire was employed to 
gather data from 376 households. The collected data was initially examined at the response 
level before proceeding to analysis using IBM SPSS software version 25. A Logistic 
Regression Model was applied to analyse the quantitative data. The results indicated that 
citizen voice and accountability mechanisms have the highest regression weights and are, 
therefore, the strongest predictors of both quality and physical access to water services. The 
findings suggest that citizens’ ability to voice concerns and hold authorities accountable 
significantly influences their likelihood of accessing water services in Kondoa District 
Council. The study recommends strengthening of existing citizen-driven institutions that 
serve as platforms for amplifying community perspectives and enhancing accountability to 
strengthen public service delivery, including water services.