Privious project implementation

By Tanzania Mission to the Poor and Disabled (PADI) Posted on Fri 22 Jul 2011, almost 13 years ago

You are doing a good job insupporting water in Schools:

Please can you briefly tell us the main challages you have been facing during project implementation in privious projects.
Thanks
Msigwa

Privious project implementation

By Lifewater International Posted on Mon 25 Jul 2011, almost 13 years ago

One challenge Lifewater experienced in Kenya was high inflation rates which heavily affected cement and fuel prices. While these costs rae difficult to predict, Lifewater has learned to take these costs into account.

Working in schools, Lifewater has realized that teachers move from one school to another frequently, sometimes remaining in one school for only a year. This affects the success of the WASH in Schools program and puts strain on the Trainer-of-Trainers (ToT) strategy. While the knowledge and skills remain with the teacher and still get passed on regardless of which the school where they teach, comprehensive project impact is made difficult when trained teachers move out of the project area. Lifewater has learned to address these issues by carefully choosing which teachers attend the training based on their commitment to the school and to the WASH program and by requiring the teachers to train their fellow teachers and school faculty in addition to their students.

Thanks,
Julie

TSP Question...

By The Samburu Project Posted on Sun 24 Jul 2011, almost 13 years ago

Julie...

It was great to read about your project. It's always good to hear about the approach and methodologies different organization use in well drilling. I have a few questions:

How deep are the boreholes? Do you hire a well drilling company to drill and install the well or does you local partner do this?

Why do you use the India Mark Hand Pump? What is the maximum well depth for this pump to be used effectively?

In your application, it says that water point hand over to the community is Phase 3 of the project. This sounds like prior to this the community does not have ownership of the project. How does this work?

The proposal state that annual maintenance costs are $50. This seems like a really low number. What if there is some sort of major unforeseen breakage? I know that with some well they may function for years with no need for repair but others have repair issues from the start.

How are you able to do workshops so inexpensively? What is the set-up of the workshops? I have always found that the facilitation is usually at no or minimal cost but feeding participants, providing accommodation and transportation is costly.

Thanks!

Kristen

TSP Question...

By Lifewater International Posted on Mon 25 Jul 2011, almost 13 years ago

Hi Kristin,

Thanks for taking the time to review the project! I hope my answers help clarify.

-The borehole depth depends on results of the hydro-geophysical survey and the water table. Past deep boreholes in this project range from 50m - 65m. Divine Waters seeks bids for at least 3 drilling companies then chooses one to contract for the drilling. The local partner drills shallow wells but does not have the equipment necessary for deep wells.

-Uganda Modified India Mark II or III hand pumps are used because the Ugandan government has standardized these pumps and because these are the pumps for which materials and replacement parts are most accessible. They are effective to a maximum depth of approximately 80 meters.

- The dedication ceremony is the official hand-over of the water point, and this naturally occurs after the survey, the drilling, and the installation. Mobilization and sensitization is ongoing through ancillary activities of this project, beginning from the time the need for a well is identified. Specific trainings for the community occur just prior to the well drilling.

-Hand pump repair costs are low when they are well maintained and receive regular check-ups. $50 is enough to cover these maintenance fees as well as repairs every few years.

-The training costs include materials, communications, and transportation and meals for staff trainers. Because the trainings take place in the communities, there is no need for meals or accommodation for participants.

Thanks,
Julie

Numbers and Oversight

By Blue Planet Network Posted on Fri 22 Jul 2011, almost 13 years ago

Could you expand on your budget and costs please?
The pdf file looks nice but does not answer many questions:

- what is the breakdown of the large drilling cost? Everything is lumped together: mobilization, materials, and labor, etc.). Prefer that you provide a detailed spreadsheet that includes: drilling rig rental, materials, handpump, etc. Wouldn't mobilization be a separate workshop type unit?

Are the drilling rig costs reduced by sharing between the two sites? Any other sites you or your partners are working on at the same time?

- what exchange rate are you using?

- what indirect costs and inflation adjustments are you using? Is some of the G&A for the US org included?

Regarding oversight, i know that LWI has faced some challenging fiscal issues in the past in Africa. I assume that management and board introduced processes for fiscal integrity and delivery. What are the oversight processes and associated documentation between your implementer and LWI?

In your previous projects i see no documentation regarding matching of actual expenses along with projected. Esp. since one project was delayed by a year there might have been significant overruns that would be good to share for learning and transparency.

Since your organization has decades of experience, some of these fiscal and system oversight processes would make great sharing and lead other members to better management, audit, and reporting.

Thanks,
Rajesh

Numbers and Oversight

By Lifewater International Posted on Tue 26 Jul 2011, almost 13 years ago

Hi Rajesh,
I apologize for any confusion regarding the budget, I hope this clarifies:
-I've attached two more pdf's with breakdowns of the large drilling costs. Mobilization might have been a confusing term; it is referring to the support costs associated with the actual drilling, including transportation, materials/supplies, etc. These costs are broken out in the Deep Drilling Budget Breakdown pdf.

-The costs listed are reduced because the two sites will be drilled consecutively. If only one well were being drill the costs would be higher.

-We are using a 2,200 UGS to 1 USD exchange rate based on the current local rates researched by the implementing partner

-10% Indirect Costs are built into each line item. This supports Lifewater's communication and project management expenses. 10% Inflation Rate is also included in each line item. Inflation rates in Uganda have been fluctuate dramatically, with a regional annual exchange rate of 19.4% and regional monthly exchange rate of 2.7% in May and -1.7% in June, according to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics. Lifewater uses an average rate of 10% and accounts for the imprecision by recording actual receipted expenses.

-Lifewater has experienced issues regarding financial integrity with a previous partnership and we have ended this partnership. In the 10 years of partnership with Divine Waters Uganda, they have demonstrated financial competence and integrity, providing Lifewater with monthly financial reports including receipts for all expenses. Divine Waters has also received positive results from the annual audit required by the Government of Uganda as well as Lifewater International.

-Regarding the documentation of actual expenses of past projects, I will go ahead and update those projects. We used all of the Peer Water Funds and more for the Nakuru Schools project. The budget for that project rose considerably after we applied to PWX, due to inflation particularly with regards to raw materials, cement prices and fuel in Nakuru. Mutual learning is definitely a great benefit of this exchange, and I hope we can contribute towards this with Lifewater's project experience and the experience of others.

Thanks,
Julie

Re: Numbers and Oversight

By Blue Planet Network Posted on Fri 29 Jul 2011, almost 13 years ago

Thanks but i can't find the new budget documents (and i hope you can upload the original spreadsheets as they are much easier to go thru and understand and review).

Why have an inflation rate in a project that is supposed to end in 3 months? I can understand if it is a multi-year project or for some reason goes beyond like the Nakuru projects. But for a short project it is unnecessary.

Am glad to know that LWI accounts with actual expenses. What happens with the discrepancies?

If there is a shortfall, i want the funders to be informed so they can act. If there is excess, it would be good to have the funder in the decision on what to do.

Regards,
Rajesh

ps: regarding the Nakuru, please update the total cost of the project and the community contribution as well as creating the second site for the second school

Re: Numbers and Oversight

By Lifewater International Posted on Tue 02 Aug 2011, almost 13 years ago

Hi Rajesh,
I apologize for the delay in uploading the new budget breakdown costs, they should be up now. I didn't post the original excel sheet because these are real costs rather than formulas, so the numbers should be straight forward, however I can break it down further if that would be more helpful.

I agree that normally in such a short project, an inflation adjustment would be unnecessary. However, this project is part of a three-year project which is currently in its third year, as the project began in July 2009. This increases the sustainability and long-term impact of this individual project, yet the trade-off is that some costs must be adjusted for inflation. The inflation rate is applied to certain approved costs are set to increase by an average 5% per year to account for inflation. These costs include trainings, participant mentoring and support, and participant follow-up. Lifewater's partner reconciles these amounts against actual receipted expenses.

Lifewater will be sure to update PWX on the actual expenses of the project to allow the donor to make the final decision on these costs, and to help educate peer organizations on actual costs of implementation. I will go ahead and make these changes for the Nakuru project, as well. What second school would you like me to make the second site for?

Thanks,
Julie

Finances are reconciled monthly. Lifewater works with the partner to re-allocate funds if there is any major discrepancy between the receipts and the budget. Minor discrepancies are kept within the same line item and rolled into the three-year project.