Report of an evaluation of the water and sanitation for health (WASH) project

water supply and sanitation activities. Special evaluation, focusing on the major contractor (Camp, Dresser and McKee - CDM), covers the period 8/80-2/83 and is based on document review, visits to 7 LDC's, surveys of Mission personnel, and interviews with LDC, A.I.D., CDM, and other development personnel. WASH has provided timely and effective TA to 9 A.I.D. Bureaus, 49 Missions and Offices, the Peace Corps, and several PVO's. Further, it has responded to 1,706 requests for information from A.I.D., produced more than 15 training aids for use by operational-level LDC personnel, and conducted numerous training programs. In most (not all) cases, TA scopes of work have been well-defined and appropriate consultants have been assigned; WASH disaster assistance in 3 countries was especially valuable. Most consultancies have a training or personnel development component, and stress community participation. WASH training staff are effective, dedicated, and knowledgeable, but training activities have not been as varied as they might have been. Moreover, CDM has, as a matter of policy, unreasonably turned down requests for assistance in urban areas. Technology transfer activities have focused on developing handpumps. Progress in this area has been slow due to design problems and poor AID/W planning, and insufficient attention has been given to other types of water supply equipment and to solid waste and sanitation technologies. While most WASH technical reports have been impressive, a few have included inaccurate or outdated information, others were not pertinent to the problems they were to address, and others included typographical and/or syntactical errors. Key recommendations are to continue the project through the UN Water Supply and Sanitation Decade (1981-1990); increase emphasis on sanitation, technology transfer, and long-term preinvestment assistance; and make A.I.D. project management less directive and more collaborative. It is also suggested that A.I.D. staffing throughout the water and sanitation sector be increased and that consideration be given to transferring the WASH model of rapid, flexible, technical backstopping to other sectors.