Water Governance: An Effective Model for Sub-Saharan Africa. Rafael Quijada Landaverde; Dr. Mary T. Rodriguez; Dr. Amanda Robinson; Rebecca Giannotti, Ph.D. Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership Research Purpose This study aimed to examine the body of scholarly knowledge, research, and practice related to water governance systems. The objective was to identify the components of an adequate water governance system for the Sub-Saharan Africa region. Methodology For this theoretical study, researchers conducted a desktop review using multiple primary and secondary data sources, including international cooperation organization documents, journal articles, government reports, and websites. This research study is part of the Water for Governance Research project (GROWS) funded by USAID. The goal of GROWS is to identify and disseminate learnings around innovative governance models and tools that will help improve rural water service delivery in sub-Saharan Africa. Implications and Recommendations • Central and local governments should guarantee safe drinking water to all its inhabitants. However, it is most often the communities themselves that organize and ensure the distribution of water in sub-Saharan African countries. • The inadequate supply of water by government entities and the increasing demand for water resources has forced new policies to encourage private sector water supply (Foster, 2010). We recommend that future studies examine more closely the relationship between each of the governance elements identified; and use this model to evaluate governance in other water supply systems. • The implementation of water governance models capable of achieving transparency, accountability, equity, and trust could significantly reduce the private sector’s hesitance in investing in community water distribution systems. A water governance model only makes sense when it incorporates all actors in the system, including users, service providers, and government (Gianotti et al., 2018). • It is recommended to include and disseminate this model of water governance in those initiatives that seek to improve the conditions of water resources in Sub-Saharan Africa. Results Trust Accountability Transparency Equity The OECD explains that “trust is important for the success of a wide range of public policies that depend on behavioral responses from the public. Trust is necessary to increase the confidence of investors and consumers. Trust is essential for key economic activities, most notably finance. Trust in institutions is important for the success of many government policies, programs, and regulations that depend on cooperation and compliance of citizens” (OECD 2018). In a water system’s operations, trust is built in a bi-directional relationship between the service provider entity and the users. Those in charge of supplying water must ensure the quality and quantity of the service while respecting the operating conditions that govern the system. Users must adopt responsible consumption patterns and comply with the water system's obligations of payment and care (Gianotti et al., 2018) In a water system’s governance, the benefit must be equal and equitable among the users. This includes access and availability of water to all marginalized groups within a community. Finally, decision-making must be brokered between stakeholders or through an organizational structure that ensures the same opportunity for participation, especially for women and young people, in water governance. The USAID defines accountability as “the systems, procedures, and mechanisms that ensure that public officials and institutions perform their stated duties and uphold their responsibilities to the public while imposing restraints on their power and authority and providing for redress or sanction when these duties and responsibilities are not met” (USAID, 2013). In water governance, both the scheme and the users must be hold accountable for the