Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) in Cambodia: Formative Evaluation Report

CLTS (Community Led Total Sanitation) is a new approach to sanitation improvement which does not depend on hardware subsidies from external agencies. CLTS strives to promote community doalogue, analysis, and social action that lead to improved sanitation and hygiene practices using locally available resources, tapping the skills and creativity of the people. In Cambodia, CLTS was initiated in 2004 when Dr. Kamal Kar facilitated training workshops for the staff of Concern Worldwide.
 
A formative evaluation of CLTS was therefore required. It is expected that the results of this evaluation will contribute towards development of the National Strategy on Rural Sanitation and Hygiene Improvement, which will be developed in 2009. This evaluation has been conducted for the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD) with funding support from UNICEF and Plan Cambodia.
 
The evaluation had two main objectives. The first was to review the current experiences of the CLTS approach being promoted by the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD) in collaboration with UNICEF and Plan Cambodia, in terms of achievements, barriers, and opportunities for further strengthening and scaling-up. The second objective was to assess the performance of the CLTS approach in sanitation improvement according to i) sustainability, ii) equity in terms of access of the poor and vulnerable to sanitation, circumstances and behavior change among the poorest, most disadvantages and most reluctant households, iii) effectiveness in terms of promoting behavior change particularly with regard to use of latrines for defecation especially among women and children, and iv) efficiency of CLTS as a cost-effective approach to achieving improved sanitation as compared to subsidized approaches.

Contents:

Acknowledgements

Executive Summary

Background of Evaluation

Objectives, Methodology & Limitations

CLTS Approach in Cambodia
- Scope and Coverage
- Inception of CLTS in Cambodia
- Current Implementation Approach

Evaluation Findings
- Achievements/ Results of CLTS
- Equity in CLTS
- Effectiveness of CLTS
- Latrine Costs
- CLTS promote sustainability of actions to prevent and eliminate open defecation and improve sanitation in rural villages
- Emerging lessons from the CLTS experience in Cambodia
- Opportunities for scaling-up CLTS in Cambodia

Conclusions and Recommendations
- Conclusions
- Recommendations