IRC's Christine Sijbesma member of reference group for Dutch policy review

The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reviewed its contribution to improving the drinking water and sanitation services in developing countries over the period 1990-2011. The review provides insight into how the policy has impacted health and development opportunities of people around the world.

Safe drinking water and sanitation for the poor has been a policy priority for Dutch development cooperation for a long time. The current policy is anchored in the specific Millennium Development Goal to halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.

This policy review provides insight into the policy implemented and the effects of this policy on the use of drinking water and sanitation facilities, as well as the consequences for the health and development opportunities of the target group. The report shows that the efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been significant but that the information collected regarding increased access to and use of these facilities does not provide a complete picture. There is scope for improving policy management in order to ensure sustainable impact, provided the ministry puts the necessary manpower in place to do so.

The review has been conducted by the Policy and Operations Evaluations Department (IOB) with support from a reference group of which IRC’s Christine Sijbesma was a member.

The full report is available on the web site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.