News & Learning

Verification of Sanitation Outcomes in Vietnam and Cambodia through the CHOBA Project

The purpose of this report was to provide independent verification of eligibility for participants in CHOBA, the rural sanitation project implemented in Vietnam and Cambodia by East Meets West (EMW). The project’s aim was to accelerate household ownership of hygienic latrines through the use of an output-based approach.

Incentives, in the form of rebates or discounts, were given to poor families who purchased and installed a latrine. Financial incentives also were provided to implementing partners and to village promoters who went door to door promoting latrine ownership. To encourage latrine ownership in non-poor households, communes that increased their household latrine ownership rate by more than 30 percent were eligible for a conditional cash transfer (CCT) to the Commune government. EMW developed a comprehensive monitoring system to verify latrine construction and economic status of households that applied for the rebate, as well as communes applying for the CCT.

Findings

The independent verification carried out by the researchers found a very high percentage of eligible latrines in the OBA and CCT samples in both countries. (Ineligibility in Cambodia, <1% OBA, <2% CCT; in Vietnam, <1% OBA, 4% CCT.)

Conclusions

CHOBA had a rigorous internal verification process. The program has been successful in accelerating household ownership of hygienic latrines and has demonstrated that output-based approaches, when applied at multiple levels, can result in effective and transparent initiatives to promote ownership among poor and non-poor households.

Authors:
Ann Larson, PhD, with Social Dimensions consulting firm, Geraldton, Australia

Jessie Connell, PhD candidate, School of Geosciences, University of Sydney; consultant

Material:
Verification of Sanitation Outcomes in Vietnam and Cambodia through the CHOBA Project – November 2, 2015 – Larson and Connell
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