Project Implementation Management Modalities and Their Implications on Sustainability of Water Services in Rural Areas in Ethiopia: Are Community-Managed Projects More Effective?

• Main Authors: Fekadu Megersa Senbeta, Yang Shu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-03-01
• Series: Sustainability
• Subjects: sustainability; community; community-managed project; sustainability assessment indicators; rural water supply
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/6/1675

The study examines the impact of project implementation management approaches on the sustainability outcomes of rural water services in Ethiopia. A random selection of 102 water access points managed by the community, local government, and other external actors (charity and non-governmental organizations (NGOs)) were made to comparatively assess the sustainable outcomes of each. The analysis of the study is based on a unique set of data that constitutes interview results gathered from 612 beneficiary households, observation of 102 water access points, and another set of interviews held with 387 water supply, sanitation, and hygiene committee (WASHCO) members drawn from 102 water supply services. Additionally, document analysis was conducted on the records that were kept by all the 102 WASHCOs. One-way ANOVA and chi-square analysis was employed to assess and test the existence of significant differences among project implementation management approaches. The result showed the existence of a significant difference in most of the sustainability variables among project implementation management modalities under the study. As to the findings, the community-managed project approach generated a relatively higher and statistically significant sustainability outcome as compared to the others. Nevertheless, environmental sustainability indicators lack a statistically significant relationship. Overall, the key findings suggest that, in addition to demand-driven interventions, if the communities are empowered with the management and decision-making role of constructing their water points, the benefits of continuous delivery and sustainability of services can be maximized.