The two case studies below highlight how, as a result of timely external feedback and in-built review mechanisms, the Wat/San team was able to correct potential problems in a participatory way and create lasting solutions that have increased positive impact for the beneficiaries of the project.

Dengue Fever and Malaria Prevention
Since the construction of rainwater catchments is new for CRC, close managerial and technical support is being provided by the IFRC Regional Office in Bangkok. Marcus Bolleurs, regional WatSan delegate, has been visiting the projects in Kep and Koh Kong on a quarterly basis. His last visit took place in December 2005.  During this visit, Bolleurs highlighted the potential of rainwater catchments to create higher risks of dengue fever and malaria – fresh rainwater is a perfect breeding place for mosquitoes. Consequently, he stressed, extra precautions should be taken by the Wat/San project to prevent an increase in dengue fever and malaria cases in the targeted villages.

This sobering feedback initiated an intense internal discussion amongst the WatSan team on how to best integrate dengue fever and malaria prevention into the project in 2006. The outcomes of the consultation were considerable. First, the Wat/San team agreed that the project must focus on raising awareness of the risk amongst beneficiaries.  To this end, we incorporated dengue fever and malaria prevention into the hygiene promotion curriculum.  Already, the first quarter of 2006 has shown interesting results. The vast majority of targeted households now have mosquito screens installed on the open end of the ventilation pipes of their latrines, preventing mosquitoes which breed in the tank from exiting through these pipes.

Secondly, Wat/San staff cooperated closely with the local department of the Ministry of Rural Development to conduct social marketing for mosquito nets in the targeted communities. Additionally, the project allocated funds to support every family that considers purchasing mosquito nets. While the dengue fever season (April – May) has not yet started in Koh Kong province, the Wat/San team is confident that the potentially negative effects in the targeted villages will be mitigated considerably owing to those extra precautions taken.

Increased Ownership

In September 2005, CRC created an M&E team tasked with undertaking an impact assessment study of one CRC project.  The aim of the study was to create a best practice of impact measurement methodology for the National Society.  The project chosen for the study was the WatSan project in Koh Kong. The findings were then presented at the annual CRC Planning Meeting at the end of November 2005.

While the results clearly demonstrated positive impact on the beneficiaries, the study also highlighted that the feeling of ownership for the provided rainwater tanks, a stated objective of the project, was still low in the targeted communities.  Approximately two thirds of the beneficiaries thought that the tanks were owned by the CRC.

Ownership is critical to the sustainability of the Wat/San project.  This feedback, therefore, forced the Wat/San team to review its current approach and find new ways to increase the feeling of ownership amongst the beneficiaries. The outcomes of the review signaled a profound change in CRC’s approach to the integration and participation of beneficiaries in the Wat/San project: beneficiaries are now encouraged to give financial contributions for the supplied benefits.

Based on 6 socio-economic indicators including housing material, number of household members (esp. children under six years), health and marital status (e.g. handicapped, widowed), size of rice paddies, ownership of cattle and other assets (motorbike, radio, television), beneficiaries were divided into three groups: poor, medium poor and very poor. According to the group, the project asks for contributions of 10%, 5% and 0% of the total construction costs.

Through recent field observation in 2006, increased participation and ownership is becoming visible.  The new approach set off a process of discussion amongst the beneficiaries and resulted in a village wide voting on which household shall belong to which category.  Coupled with the fact that beneficiaries are now contributing financially for the supplies is undoubtedly fostering increased feelings of ownership amongst the beneficiaries.  Consequently, families are now fully integrated in the production process by supporting the team when the tanks are assembled; the men help fix the tank whilst the women and children erect wooden fences around the tank – on the very day the tank is constructed.  This is, in itself, another indicator of success from 2005 as it took several months for families to construct fences around their facilities.

In sum, ongoing feedback and support from both the Federation Regional Office and CRC’s M & E team has helped the CRC Wat/San to identify potential problems, review activities and find appropriate solutions.  This process has helped to significantly improve the quality of the project and increase the positive impact on the lives of the most vulnerable in Cambodia.