Impact evaluation round table

I wish to address few neglected issues relating to impact evaluation of WATSAN projects for comments, dicsussions and possibly to be included into the round table being planned. Some critical issues are listed below:
a) The first question is that many projects are not subject to impact evaluation itself. This may be due to the obvious reason of being fear if the project has not delivered the expected outcome. Project design should explicitly state that it will be subject to impact evaluation after completion
b) Information for impact evaluation usually comes from short missions which do not have the time for extended field work utilizing participatory techniques. Hence, very little of achievements by the project is utilised for the impact evaluation whenever it is undertaken. It is necessatry to avoid this situation by adoptng other appropriate strategies. What are these strategies? How could the strategies be built into the project design?
c) Many WATSAN projects do not have a participatory / social development specialist as part of the team. This is partly because the TOR for the impact evaluation does not adequately include participatory, community and social sustainability issues as it is done with little or no inputs from a social specialists. It is critical that projects should have developed a well balanced TOR specifically stating participatory and social dimensions. In many situations, project teams do NOT include skilled and professional participatory and social specialists. More often than not, the participatory specialist attached whenever it is done does not have the appropriate skills and experiences to handle all relevant issues. In many cases, the participatory specialist is less comparable in relating to skills and qualification of other technical specialists such as engineers, sanitation specialists, etc. The end result being the social and community aspects are inadequately completed.
d) Many projects do not have on-going activities aimed at completing in-depth studies as part of the implementation programme. When the project is about to terminate, the day-to-day mundane and admin activities take over the remaining time of staff leaving little or no time for writing the findings of the project. The project design should be such that it has a programme to undertake and publish case studies that may focus on various aspects inclusive of sustainability issues. The case studies should be undertaken by specialists with proven track record inclusive of social aspects.

Finally, I wish to suggest that the panel for the round table itself SHOULD include 1-2 social and community development specialists possessing a track record of skills and qualifications in these areas.

Thank you
Anura W Ph D