Sustainability

The tested approaches used by ADRA in its previous projects (e.g. SMILE in Preah Vihear) ensures sustainability of the project. Behavioral transformation provides a key to the sustainable implementation of the project. The expected support of the local authority also plays a major factor. ADRA enjoy the support from the local authority. The District Governor expressed interest of collaborating with ADRA. During the consultation, the PHD suggested for ADRA to cover more villages in the province. ADRA, however, opted to focus on the most vulnerable and economically depressed villages. These villages will serve as hub of expanding the experience to other areas. The proposed strategy is not only moral (i.e. by serving the most economically depressed areas) but will foster efficient delivery of services and use of resources.

From the consultations made, the main threats, risks and challenges that ADRA may encounter are:

1.      Low participation in the meetings - this has been the experience based on the consultation and lessons learned from the District Officials.

2.      Difficulty to build trust among the target beneficiaries. Social preparation is a very critical part of the project implementation.

3.      Sustainability - most of the interventions stops after most project end (please section 3.8 on the fate of previous interventions).

4.      Water supply – lack of water supply will affect the home gardening interventions and food security.

5.      Fluctuating agricultural prices - this has contributed to poverty. Many people become indebted after losing in their investments and unable to pay their loans.

6.      Poverty - the community members have to spend more time tending their farms and have to leave their children under the care of the parents/caregivers. This might affect the efforts of improving the nutritional status of children.  

According to the experience of some organizations working in the past, many household members often made excuses for not attending awareness meetings saying that they are busy working on their farmland. Poverty will also affect the access of mothers and children to the nutritious foods. The fluctuating prices of the agricultural commodities may undermine the progress of the program.

ADRA also integrated in the proposed plan the following elements that will ensure sustainability:

·         Local coordinators and Reflect Circle facilitators will be local community members from each village who remain in the community and can use their knowledge and skills post-project.  It is not expected that groups will continue to meet on a formal basis after the project therefore no additional inputs to this group are needed.

·         The project strategies emphasize peer-to-peer learning, motivation, and establishment of local traditions, norms and expectations to provide a positive environment for sustainability of new behaviours in nutrition and hygiene.  The key project results in this area are based on the greater knowledge, awareness, and choices to initiate and sustain improved behaviours on a personal and household level for caregivers using the resources they have.

·         Target households will have a full personal, informed choice in defining their involvement in the project but will be required to make personal inputs in time and resources that are required for sustained behaviours. 

·         Direct financial assistance for infrastructure will be targeted to the most vulnerable households and will require HH input and be structured around initial capital rather than ongoing maintenance inputs.

·         WASH suppliers are, where possible, existing suppliers who the project will train in quality production methods of sanitation units.  Using existing suppliers means that they are familiar with the industry and more likely to continue post-project.

·         Vulnerable farmers will be better networked and have improved long term opportunities to work at quality agriculture jobs closer to home.

The involvement of the staff from the District Hospitals will ensure that there will be skills transfer and sustainability of the activities.