The SMS might be heading for extinction in most parts of the world but in Zimbabwe it just got a new lease on life.

The SMS system was developed by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in support of the government run STWP (Small Towns Water and Sanitation Programme), with funding from AustralianAID. It is also supported by the ministries of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing and Environment Water and Climate and some non-government organisations (NGOs).

The system is simple. A community member acting as a reporter SMS' a key word to 33500 and receives a menu option in reply. The menu allows the reporter to select amongst other issues, water, sewage, solid waste and open defecation.

The platform then prompts the reporter to specify the exact location and describe the problem. The resultant report is immediately received by the local authorities.

Local authorities say the system has revolutionised their work. Mvurwi town engineer Jefta Chikanya said the technology has helped improve turnaround times and enabled electronic case management with prompt assignment and resolution by the relevant departments.

"The system enhances the effective communication between the local authority and the residents. Complaints are received in realtime in the relevant categories of sewer, water, solid-waste and open defecation making it easier for redress and ease of reporting, he said. This allows management to prioritise resources and make informed decisions".

Chikanya said the next stage in its development would be to improve the reports through community training.

Monitoring service provision

Apart from being used for case management to report, update and attend to faults, the platform is also being used as a tool for monitoring and evaluating service provisions in councils and to improve and measure social accountability as the town councils provide and receive feedback on the levels and timelines of service delivery on a regular basis.

Gokwe Town Council and its residents have extended the use of the system as a broadcast tool. They are using it in conjunction with U-Report - a UNICEF developed messaging system - as an education and information dissemination tool. The Town Council is sending notices on services, meetings, emergencies and up-coming events.

U-report is a free SMS tool for community participation. Anyone can join by sending "join" to 33500 across all networks.

"Government is enthused by this programme whose main objective is to strengthen communication between the council and its clients by capacitating the community who will now be able to report service delivery issues that requires council attention and its real time," said T. Maja, Urban Wash Officer with National Coordination Unit (NCU) - WASH Sector.

"The system is also a monitoring tool which allows Government through the Project Management Team for the small towns wash project particularly Ministry of Local Government to keep track of the complaints handling and redress of challenges by the local authorities through the dashboard."

An initial rollout of the programme has seen 20 people in the selected five towns receiving a specially designed mobile phone donated by Econet Wireless, the country's biggest mobile phone operator.

The overall goal of the programme is to help reduce the burden of diarrhoeal diseases, including cholera and improving productivity in 14 small towns which are home to half a million people.