An Evaluation of Evaluation Systems for Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Systems

Abstract

An evaluation of evaluation systems applied to water supply and sanitation systems in rural areas would contribute to improving the validity and quality of the evaluation results. An evaluation system is supposed to be based on latest indicators in the field, theory-based evaluation principles, in consideration of threats to the validity of the evaluation. A case study of the Mekong Delta Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project (AUSAID Project) is used for a review of its evaluation system. This project was implemented in five provinces in Vietnam for the period from 2000 to 2007. Information on this evaluation is collected from regular project monitoring and evaluation reports and the Activity Completion Report. The author’s work as an evaluation officer for the project improves the understanding of the project’s evaluation approaches. The project evaluation reports serve the purpose of measuring the effectiveness and sustainability of the project’s activities. Several potential threats to the validity of the evaluation include some missing assumptions and intermediate outcome for the project’s impacts. Notwithstanding the above threats, this evaluation system of rural water and sanitation was the first in this field in Vietnam, and its indicators satisfy the evaluation standards. This evaluation of evaluation, based on theory-based evaluation principles, for a specific case of rural water supply project in Mekong Delta has never been conducted before.