Midterm Evaluation Report on NCA/Ethiopia Water and Sanitation Development Program January 2007-December 2008

Background:
NCA has been the implementing agency of a comprehensive Water Development and Sanitation Program (WDP) in Southern Ethiopia since 1980.  The main emphasis in the past has been the production of new water supply schemes, mobilizing right holder communities to participate in planning and implementation process in order to provide accessible and safe water supply to population groups in rural areas.

At the end of 2008, totally about 865 water supply schemes have been drilled, constructed or rehabilitated (requiring drilling equipment), serving about 889,400 beneficiaries in Oromia and SNNPR States.

Purpose/ Objective:
• To evaluate the progress of the program physical and financial performance against their outputs, and target thereby to assess whether it is in a right direction to the overall goals as outlined  in the agreed program documents;
• To assess the overall process of implementation in terms of relevance, efficiency and effectiveness of the program in addressing the issues of water supply and sanitation;
• To measure the inputs of the program on target groups and assess the sustainability arrangements ;
• To provide recommendations for the remaining period of the project.

Methodology:
The methodology of the evaluation is mainly based on primary and secondary data, including:
• Document review, i.e. project agreement, plans, reports, study documents, etc.
• Short briefing and presentation of the overall plan of the project and its achievements were conducted at each
woreda in the presence of all level stakeholders.
• Discussions on the short briefing and presentation were undertaken by participants of the evaluation.
• Seven purposefully selected water schemes were visited and discussions were made with WASH Committees and
beneficiaries; information collected through interviewing and discussion with beneficiary, community water management committee and NCA/E staffs. More than 100 people benefiting the water schemes are interviewed.

Key Findings:
The NCA capacity building trainings of 2007-2009 have improved and is more diversified compared to the 2004-2006 period as reported to the evaluation team and its effect is observed in the achievements; yet it still requires more advancement. Steering Committee meetings which were supposed to do a close follow up in the overall implementation process were not conducted on quarterly basis and contribute for some of the gaps.

In terms of capacity building, efforts were made to incorporate trainings, logistical provisions focusing on spare part shops, motor bike and computer supplies, community mobilization. Previous attempts of capacity development through the government structure were not successful from the regional level to the lowest WASHCOM units. As a result the capacity building modality is now done by NCA with emphasis on the woreda and community level. 

Recommendations:
• Legal status of the WASHCOM should be ensured and thereby water management system and financial handling
should be established, regulated and enforced. On top of this government legalization and by-laws should be put in place and practiced.
• Though the soft ware aspect is now more effectively progressing than the previous one it still requires intensive
community awareness creation, mobilization, and organization at all phases and levels of the project process.
• To ensure sustainability of schemes, spare parts shop operation should be speeded up with back up on financial
regulation and bylaw enforcement. The advocating responsibility should be that of BoWRD. The Steering Committee should establish a follow-up mechanism by establishing a sub committee to study the situation and provide implementation procedures and guidelines.
• Standard and regular water quality testing and certification for human consumption should be exercised solely by
BoWRD as explicitly indicated in the agreement and NCA should advocate for the fulfilment of the same. For the future, this is an important step that should be completed before handover and inauguration. The certificates should be available at the hands of the implementing agency, WWRDO, WASHCOM and other relevant stakeholders.
• Gender elements need to be articulated in a measurable way with smart indicators both in the project methodology
and implementation and moreover, data on gender needs to be disaggregated.
• In some areas of very deep ground water level such as Damot Weide where roof water harvesting is recommended
it is necessary to scale up and increase such work and ensure the technical and sustainability aspects of such options spring development.

Comments from Norwegian Church Aid (if any):

• The delay of the steering committee meeting was due to that the regional government partners at all level were
occupied with restructuring process.
• Spare parts for water schemes were purchased and delivered to each program Woredas but bye law is expected
from the government to run the shops.
• Gender and HIV/AIDS mainstreaming was made part of WDP field activity with own staff since mid of last year.
Good results have been achieved so far and will continue to improve in all projects of WDP.
• Constructing Roof rain water harvesting structures is part of WDP and will continue to be in areas where ground
water is not feasable in terms of quality and quantity
• On the program agreement it is stated that water quality test is the responsibility of the Regional Water Bureau.
NCA will discuss on this issue with the regional water bureau and find out mechanisms to conduct quality testing for all water wells.