Final evaluation of the rural water systems and environmental sanitation project, Peru

External evaluation covers the period 9/80-6/89. The Ministry of Health and DISABAR were insufficiently involved in the project development process and consequently lacked knowledge of A.I.D. regulations and procedures, causing implementation delays. Conditions precedent were not met until 11 months after the project agreement, and construction materials, vehicles, and regional engineers did not arrive until 6 months to 2 years thereafter. These problems were exacerbated by frequent turnover of USAID/P and DISABAR management staff. Nonetheless, the project made several achievements, most notably in decentralizing and strengthening DISABAR. The project recruited and trained personnel and provided facilities, commodities, and vehicles for DISABAR's regional offices. Whereas DISABAR/Lima previously controlled all DISABAR programs, the regional offices assumed increasing responsibility for field activities. Another successful activity was the water supply component, which completed 941 of 1,200 planned systems, with 138 under construction. The spring-fed gravity systems resulted in high-quality water for 367,000 beneficiaries (87% of target). Several project weaknesses are also apparent. Village committees organized to manage the water systems received insufficient training and supervision in operation and maintenance, and water users received only minimal health education. The latrine component failed to meet its numerical targets, and many beneficiaries were dissatisfied with the latrine design. The goal of coordinating activities with those of the integrated primary health project was not achieved because a formal plan was never developed. Despite women's roles as principal domestic water users and their contribution to water system construction, no effort was made to involve them in the decisionmaking process. Only 3 of the 75 administrative junta members are women. While five special studies were proposed in the project paper, only two were conducted. A major lesson learned is that successful rural water supply and sanitation projects require detailed plans for community participation, health education, latrine promotion, and operation and maintenance programs. Many of this project's difficulties are attributable to its technical focus and lack of attention to social and cultural factors. Finally, under Peru's present economic conditions, programs that build decentralized institutions need continued funding to avoid the collapse of these institutions.