Summary of the evaluation of the rural water and sanitation project in Honduras

Evaluation covered the period 5/80-10/85 and was based on site visits, document review, and interviews with involved personnel. The project has been unable to effectively coordinate activities of the 3 Government of Honduras (GOH) implementing agencies, mainly because no single GOH offical has overall authority. An integrated implementation plan has never been developed, and independent planning by the 3 agencies has contributed to a fragmented approach at the community level and an overemphasis on construction, with less concern for promotion, health education, and proper water use. The agencies also use different evaluation systems; some personnel are evaluated by two unrelated systems, and the information collected may not be shared. The project suffers from several other problems. (1) Project-supplied water is not subjected to quality analysis. Regional laboratories are nonexistent, nor are there institutional norms to ensure periodic testing. (2) The serious deterioration of existing systems shows the critical need for an operations and maintenance (O&M) program; activities to rehabilitate these systems will have only limited impact due to indecision as to the respective roles of the project and the GOH Office of O&M. Water census data collected in 1985 (but not yet analyzed) should be used to define rehabilitation priorities. (3) There is need to review (a) the project's radio messages and other educational materials to ensure that they depict women as decisionmakers and beneficiaries in water use, and (b) procedures for selecting subprojects, especially to ensure that smaller and more remote communities are served. Increased PVO participation could help reach these communities, but the project has not developed procedures for working with PVO's, only a few of which have been involved. In other areas: (1) funds for training, evaluation, and TA have not been fully used (reassessment and re-allocation are needed); (2) lengthy and complex disbursement procedures have caused many delays; (3) establishment of design and construction standards has lagged, but a committee has now been named to do this; (4) responsibility for latrine construction should be given to one organization and promoters trained to situate and construct latrines; (5) the behavioral impacts of health education activities need more study; and (6) promotion and health education need strengthening to better mobilize community participation and proper water use. An additional $4.3 million in GOH funds will be needed to complete activities by the 12/87 PACD.