AN EVALUATION SCHEME TO INCREASE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INTERNATIONAL WATER DEVELOPMENT WORK

Thorough critiques of development projects designed to aid underdeveloped communities can help a development worker or agency focus on initiatives and technologies which cause real positive change. Here, an evaluation scheme for measuring the effectiveness of water development projects is put forth. This scheme takes into consideration several aspects of community development which contribute to a project’s success, including a cost-benefit analysis and scoring systems for sustainability, education, and behavioral change. The cost benefit analysis is in terms of the number of person-days of clean water per project cost are anticipated until significant repair is expected. The sustainability score measures the likelihood of a project to outlast external assistance, factoring in availability of materials and expertise, as well as local interest. The education score is a measure of the effort put forth by the development worker to include education about clean water, disease transmission and sanitation. It considers the types of education implemented, as well as the apparent interest from the participants. Behavioral change is the most important aspect, but often the hardest to measure. This score measures what real positive change has taken place in the target community, taking into consideration how the participants in the project have implemented change, but also if it has spread to non-participants. Using this scoring system, development workers and agencies can effectively learn from past success and failures and help them to focus on those projects and technologies most workable in their region.