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Evaluation Report: WaterSHED’s Hands-Off Sanitation Marketing Program


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Authors: Peter Dwan and Matthew Bond, FH Designs

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Enterprise Development (WaterSHED) has been working in the rural WASH sector in Cambodia since 2009 and is one of the premier sanitation marketing agencies. This report documents an evaluation of WaterSHED’s Hands-Off Sanitation Marketing Program covering the period 2012-14. It was carried out in mid-2015 by FH Designs, with field work directed by Mr Peter Dwan.
The Hands-Off program operates in eight provinces to build sustainable sanitation businesses, linking them with household consumers and supporting government to oversee and support market processes. It worked in 54 districts, with 174 sanitation enterprises and resulted in sales of 79,660 toilets. On this basis, the program was highly successful, meeting its sales target and enabling an additional 376,000 rural Cambodians to access safe, durable, high-quality sanitation facilities.

Evaluation purpose and methods. The purpose of the evaluation was to assess the outcomes of the program across six dimensions: development impact, effectiveness and efficiency, sustainability, scalability, risks and capacity building. The methodology comprised review of secondary data, particularly quantitative information, combined with qualitative data collection in ten communities in six communes spread across two provinces. A highly participatory approach was employed that engaged stakeholders—particularly WaterSHED staff—in their own reflection and analysis.

Overall assessment. The evaluation affirmed that WaterSHED’s Hands-Off sanitation marketing approach is a highly effective method for assisting rural people in Cambodia to access improved sanitation. Targets for sales and supplier numbers were achieved, delivering strong improvements in health and quality of life for consumers. The program has established considerable momentum and there are strong prospects for the development outcomes to be sustained.