| The vacuum created by the inadequacies of urban service provision in developing countries resulted in a new water paradigm in the 1990s based on demand management rather than the conventional focus on the supply side. It prescribed a larger role for users and put community managed water supply services in the spotlight. However, evidence about factors that facilitate or impede communities from investing in water management remains relatively scarce. Although empirical evidence suggests that such services have often had success in rural areas, there is less evidence about how they fare in urban settings, where factors affecting service delivery are not only different but also far more complex.;This study analyzes three Community Managed Water Supply Schemes (CMWSS) in the cities of Gwalior, Indore, and Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, India, to unravel how collective action by users, particularly women, influences project effectiveness. Qualitative research comprising of case studies examine the project dynamics that explain why some projects are more effective than others. A quantitative analysis component, based on primary household survey data, complements the case study descriptions and facilitates comparison among them.;The key research findings indicate that, firstly, the institutional arrangement could either impede or facilitate collective action at the community level, thereby influencing project effectiveness. Secondly, a direct partnership for service delivery between users and the government could boost project effectiveness as it has the potential to transform 'agency-user' relations. Finally, although women's participation in the project is not a significant factor for project effectiveness, in general, their participation in decision-making roles within collective action institutions such as the user committee appears to be crucial. |
