Engineers Without Borders – USA
Program Sustainability
Interactive Presentation
Program Sustainability
Webinar
Goal of Webinar:
To assist project teams and partnering communities in
making projects that are sustainable, from program
adoption through assessment, design,
implementation, monitoring & evaluation and
closeout of the program.
Outline
 Why is project sustainability important?
 Background on Program Sustainability Criteria in a
Developing Community Setting
 Lessons Learned
 Interactive Example – How to start a sustainable
program from the onset
Why is sustainability important?
EWB-USA Vision: Our vision is a world in which all communities
have the capacity to meet their basic human needs.
EWB-USA Mission: Engineers Without Borders – USA supports
community-driven development programs worldwide through the
design and implementation of sustainable engineering projects,
while fostering responsible leadership.
Sustainability
Characteristics
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Performance
Environmental Sustainability
Ecosystem Sustainability
Economic Sustainability
Social/Cultural Sustainability
Resilience
* Adapted from Dr. Anu Ramaswami, 2010
Performance
1. Performance: Will the system perform as well or
better than similar systems in the country or
region, used by current populations, other EWBUSA Chapters, or other NGOs
Performance
• How can a chapter address this?
• Alternatives analysis
• TAC review
• Monitoring and evaluation
Performance
• Example Problems
• Bio-sand filters that work in theory but not at
the site
• Water supply – yield is not what was expected
Environmental Sustainability
2. Environmental Sustainability: Does the project
preserve or enhance the physical environment at
the local and global scale? Address quantity and
quality of water, air and soil. Project won’t hurt
the physical environment in which it exists. This
shows it can persevere for the long term with no
negative impact on the environment on which it
ultimately depends.
Environmental Sustainability
• Cradle to grave analysis of inputs and outputs at
a local, regional and global scale
Ecosystem Sustainability
3. Ecosystem Sustainability: Do not damage the
surrounding local ecosystem beyond its
regenerative capacity. Nothing biological
outside the project must be harmed, either
human, plant or animal.
Ecosystem Sustainability
• Example problems
• Latrine project adversely affects the quality of
the groundwater that the community depends
on
• Water diversions for drinking water purposes
dry up a surface stream negatively affecting
the ecosystem of the riparian area
Economic Sustainability
4. Economic Sustainability: Community Ownership
of project from inception. Full Cost pricing for
operation, maintenance, repairs and expansion.
If the system can’t pay for itself, it certainly can’t
exist in the future.
Economic Sustainability
How can a chapter analyze this?
• Ask yourself the question – can the community
afford to operate, maintain and eventually
replace the system that you are implementing
without outside assistance? If the answer is no,
you should look for an alternative solution.
Economic Sustainability
• Example problems
• A chapter assists a community to install a
water system. Solar panels used for pumping.
Solar panels are stolen and the community can
not afford to purchase new ones.
Economic Sustainability
• Example problems
• Slow sand filters are given to half of a
community with no financial contribution asked
from the community members. The remainder
of the community and neighboring
communities will now not purchase the filters.
They are waiting for the filters to be given to
them.
Social/Cultural Sustainability
Characteristics
5. Social and Cultural Sustainability: Preserve
stable social structures and cultural values and
wisdom, while also promoting social equity in a
participatory manner. The project must be the
highest priority of the community, not the
Chapter or the NGO. The services provided by
the project must be shared with all and without
prejudice.
Social/Cultural Sustainability
Characteristics
• How does the chapter address this
• Listen to the community members – remember
the program is community based
• Depend on your NGO to tell you the
shortcomings of the planned approach
• Do not start implementation without a detailed
agreement with the community
• Education
Social/Cultural Sustainability
Characteristics
• Examples
• The chapter started an improved stove project
because they observed heavy smoke in the
homes. The new stoves were not adopted by
the community members because they did not
want to change their cooking.
Resilience
6. Resilience: The project must be able to withstand
challenges to its viability. This includes internal
issues, such as community committee strife, to
external pressures, such as climate change.
Some Perspective
• Are there hard and fast rules for analyzing
sustainability of a program? No
• Should the chapter give equal weight to all of
the sustainability characteristics? Not
necessarily. Many times, economic and
cultural/social sustainability will take more
attention of the chapter than the other
characteristics.
Lessons Learned
Your Own Project!
Misunderstanding between chapter and community even after there was the
assumption of an understanding agreement in detail, trusted liaison in country,
frequent trips, talk with the community at large, multiple contacts from different
families and clans, understanding of the cultural aspects of an agreement, follow
our intuition, must feel good about the implementation before proceeding
Microfinance through orchards- social taboos against trees
Clean water and sanitation for schools – projects are mostly dealing with social
issues, larger projects are exponentially more difficult, definition of community,
lots of lead time
NGO gives things our for free. How can chapter charge for services. No direct fee
but social pressure. Set yourself apart from the NGO.
Sustainability
Characteristics
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Performance
Environmental Sustainability
Ecosystem Sustainability
Economic Sustainability
Social/Cultural Sustainability
Resilience
* Adapted from Dr. Anu Ramaswami, 2010
Interactive Challenge
A Chapter has just adopted a brand new program
from EWB-USA website. What should the chapter
be looking for to ensure sustainability of the
project?
Facts:
•Water Supply Project
•Possible Sources – Borehole and ?
•Water Quality – Unknown, but said to be bad.
•Climate – Not Specified
•NGO – New
•Community Capacity – Unknown
For Each Sustainability Principle, what questions
should be asked?
Challenge – Possible Questions
•
•
•
•
Performance – What are all possible water sources? What is performance of
other water systems for all alternatives in country and region? What community
and nearby projects have failed, and why? Does chapter have Technical
Lead/Mentor experience applicable to project? What metrics should chapter have
to document project success? What local technical experts can meet us at site?
Environmental Sustainability – What is the water quality of different sources?
Effect of different power sources (renewable/non renewable)? Has a full life cycle
analysis been completed of options? Will there be any waste from the system?
Ecosystem Sustainability – Is water being removed from an ecosystem? What are
the impacts? How will these be mitigated?
Economic Sustainability: Is a water committee in place? Are fees being collected
for water system or electrical system? Is community willing to contribute a
portion of the cash, materials and labor? Can all materials be sourced locally?
Challenge –Questions Cont’d
•
•
Social and Cultural Sustainability: Is this the number one priority project for the
community? Will everyone have access to the project? Are tiered price levels a
possibility in community? Is NGO good partner to assist chapter? What
education will chapter provide community, and in what format?
Resilience: How long have similar systems lasted in similar situations? Is this a
new technology or a well-proven one? What external (climate change, extreme
events) and internal (water committee corruption) pressures will project have,
and how will chapter minimize risk?
Thank you for your commitment to
Engineers Without Borders-USA.
For questions on this presentation contact:
Joshua Knight, EWB-USA Project Manager
Lessons Learned (cont.)
Rwanda – Water Pipeline
In Rwanda: A neighboring community dug out the pipelines that had been
installed and the project community feared that the neighboring community would
try to inject poison into the system.
Lesson learned: What is the relationship among neighboring communities,
what is the political history and cultural dynamics of an area, such as the
Hutu/Tutsi genocide in Rwanda
Peru – Biosand Filter Project
An EWB-USA team designed a biosand filter project without a thorough
assessment of locally available options for sand. A few weeks before their trip they
realized there were no nearby sources of clean sand and that shipping the sand to
the remote community accessible only by boat was cost-prohibitive.
Lesson Learned: You need to do a thorough assessment before you design
the system.
Lessons Learned (Cont.)
Belize – Water Supply
EWB-USA’s very first project in Belize proved less than
sustainable as a flood washed out the ram pump placed in the
river.
Projects must take into consideration extreme events,
especially those that may increase with climate change (rising
sea levels, hurricanes, floods, droughts, etc.). At sites where
extreme events have recently occurred, Chapters should tour
the area to see which types of sustainable structures and
projects survived.
Lessons Learned (cont.)
Things successful source development projects have had in common:
• Eyes on the ground: engaged and involved local NGO
• Team addressed both the technology and behavioral aspects of project.
• Thorough health & problems assessments were conducted.
• Solid lines of communication between project team and community
(telephone, email, NGO, etc.)
• Project team members were able to speak the local language, or translators
were sourced from the area.
• Project engaged the locals during every project phase (pre-program adoption,
assessment, design, implementation and monitoring & evaluation).
• Project team had multiple mentors/members experienced in the relevant
disciplines (hydrogeology, hydrology, structural, electrical, geotechnical,
water, public health, etc.)
• Design was not finalized until functioning water board with fee collection
system was established, & community cash contribution (5-10%) was in the
bank.
Lessons Learned (cont.)
Things successful source development projects have had in common:
• Team returned to the site for years after project was completed on monitoring
& evaluation trips.
• Reasonable construction schedules with contingency were developed
• Community led construction activities