Strategic Exit

Start-up Design and Piloting

We started with formative research to identify opportunities for market development in WASH. In rural sanitation, the initial focus was on rings 1 & 2 with interventions at the firm and consumer level, for example:

• developing a product system,
• creating a delivery model,
• initiating consumer marketing.

We engaged elected commune councilors before launching market facilitation activities in each commune – including them in the design of the new approach from the start.

Expansion and Consolidation

In Phase 2, the Hands-Off market-building model was proven to be robust and scalable. By expanding from four to 54 districts across eight provinces, we helped build a market that serves 40% of the total population of Cambodia. Because we leveraged local systems, Phase 2 was very efficient, with a total cost of 0.75M USD per year.

Investigations into the factors driving high levels of sustained access to sanitation led to the development of a leadership training program for local government officials, which was a critical piece of our exit strategy. Delivering the Civic Champions program at scale enabled continuous and significant increases in toilet adoption–independent of our assistance.

In-depth research revealed addressable product gaps in the areas of infant and young child sanitation, handwashing, and the laborious process of building a latrine shelter.