Community water systems development

The evaluation covered the period 6/84-2/87. Implementation was slowed during the first year by unfortunate circumstances mostly outside CARE"s control. These included: (1) underestimation by project planners of the time required to establish a local implementation office at Les Cayes; (2) protracted delays in meeting certification requirements imposed by Congress for funding approval; and (3) CARE"s initial difficulty in bringing on board key management personnel. Progress was adversely affected during the second year by civil disturbances in the wake of the overthrow of the Duvalier regime. Another restraining factor was that the process of community building and organization, and use of volunteer and Food for Work compensated labor proved to be far more problematic, complex, and time consuming than was originally believed. As a result of these problems, only about 7 of 40 targeted water systems are completed, and only 40% of budgeted funds have been expended. CARE is now proposing a 2-year extension beyond the current 6/88 PACD, with a modest funding increase (local currency), to allow for the completion of all the water systems, and the provision of TA to local water user groups in community organization and water system maintenance. The Mission will carefully consider this request when submitted. The evaluation report proposed several thoughtful recommendations -- including expansion of the pilot latrine program to all project sites, given the project"s emphasis on proper waste disposal, and the prestige community residents associate with this basic convenience. CARE will include such a component in its implementation plan. The recommendation calling for the election of the COQ members by neighborhood groups, and for COQ members to supervise the maintenance of fountains and showers by neighborhood families on a rotational basis rather than perform such tasks themselves, should lead to a more institutionalized and rational routine maintenance system. Project health benefits are of particular interest. Unfortunately, although a system to collect data on anthropometric, mortality, and morbidity was designed by WASH it was never implemented due to resource constraints. The project design has also demonstrated that substantial cash and in-kind resources can be generated and harnessed for development purposes in apparently impoverished communities. The most significant lesson learned is obvious but bears repeating: the process of community building and organization is highly complex, time consuming, and requires systematic, careful planning. Recognition of this should be built into the project implementation schedule. For more detailed information, see the abstract of PD-AAW-068. (Author abstract, modified)