Integrated Rural Community Development Project – Endline Evaluation

Background:
ADRA’s Integrated Rural Community Development Project started in February 2006 and finished in December 2008. The goal of the project was to improve health status, education and environmental awareness of local villagers in Oromiya region in Ethiopia through construction of water systems, latrines, biogas units, schools, and provision of health promotion activities through community volunteers.  Projects activities were carried out in 14 Kebeles in a remote area of Adami Tulu Jido Kombolcha (ATJK), East Showa Zone, Oromiya Region of Ethiopia.  The project was composed of three complementary components namely; water, basic education, and health promotion and environmental awareness.

Purpose/objective:
The final evaluation covered the project period from February 2006 to the date of the evaluation (December 2008). The purpose of the final evaluation was to determine the extent and direction to which the project goal and objectives were achieved.

Methodology:
The survey was conducted at Adami Tulu Jido Kombolcha district in east Shoa, Oromiya region. A total of fourteen kebeles (smallest administrative unit), where the project has been operating, were covered during the survey. The study population primarily comprises of female of reproductive age groups for the quantitative part, as well as both men and women for the qualitative part.The sample size was calculated in consultation with statistician; a total of 360 households were selected for the survey and data collected from all of them.With respect to sampling technique, households have been selected from all the 14 kebeles of ATJK district. The households
from each kebele were selected through proportional sampling technique with reference to the population size.  A systematic sampling technique was applied with the calculated sampling interval, in order to identify the selected household. The first household has been selected by spinning a bottle at the center of the kebele and then we followed that direction until a residential house is reached. Then the data collection team moved to that direction to select the next households based on the sampling interval. When the number of households in the selected direction was found to be insufficient, the process was repeated in another direction. In each selected household, a woman in reproductive age group (15 to 49 years of age), which in most cases were the wife in the household, has been interviewed by using a structured questionnaire.  In those selected households where the female in reproductive age group was not available, an adult man has been interviewed.The qualitative information was collected through a focus group discussion conducted with a group of eight to eleven community members who have been selected based on their status in the community and the knowledge they have about the social, cultural and environmental conditions of the area.  A discussion guide has been used as a checklist in order to facilitate the focus group discussion.

Key findings:
The findings demonstrated that the community development activities implemented by ADRA, over the past three years, have brought about a lot of significant changes in Adami-tulu jido kombolcha district. All parameters from health to environmental protection are indicative of the beneficial impact of the project. Public awareness about health issues especially on prevention of communicable diseases and timely seeking of care has shown a marked improvement. Utilization of primary health care services like family planning and vaccination has become almost a popular culture. The education on hygiene – be it personal or environmental sanitation – has influenced the public sense of cleanliness and practice to impressive degree. Attitude towards sending children to school has dramatic progress to extent the community perceive that ‘children to school and adults to work.’ It has been remarkable to hear from the community the way they express their appreciation of value of education. There are evidences that the public has already taken the lead in conserving the environment so much so that they associate the presence of trees to survival of human beings and all living things, their slogan being ‘no trees no life’. They are confirming
their commitment not only by avoiding cutting trees and planting more but also by shifting their practice to use alternate sources of energy for cooking.Poverty has been deep-rooted problems in the community and very difficult to see changes in short period of time. However, the findings demonstrated that even such seemingly unbeatable challenge is showing defeat gradually. More households are depending on their private farm holdings to feed their family, and the food security period has increased over time.

Recommendations:
As a general remark, given the short duration of the project, the changes obtained so far are impressive and cost effective. Most importantly the project activities have been driven by the need of the community, through active participation of the beneficiaries. At this stage, the question is, ‘is it really timely for the project to come to its end?’
There are number of issues to consider answering this question, first of all community developmental efforts of this kind require a longer period of time to see the overall impact in the community. Second the remarkable achievements obtained so far are still in process of upward trend and they require close follow-up to maintain their progress. Third, further extension of the project’s duration requires minimal resource compared to the first time, as all the major project investments have already happened at the beginning and what is needed more is only running costs. The community has been well sensitized and already reached a stage where they appreciate the need and importance of striving for change and as time goes on the public will rely more and more on its own resources and gradually less dependent on the external support.  Therefore for these and other reasons, it is strongly recommended that the project extend its assistance to the community at Adami tulu Jido kombolcga district for few more years.

Comments from the organisation, if any:
The report is a very good presentation of the data collected in the survey, however it does not seem to give much attention to the objectives it was supposed to achieve, as stated in pages 2 and 3.  In sum, the report fails to assess the extent to which many of the project goal and objectives were achieved.  It is mainly a descriptive document, poor on critical analysis.