Monitoring and Evaluation for Rural Sanitation and Hygiene: Guidelines

Approach Guidelines
December 2021

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The monitoring and evaluation (M&E) Guidelines and Framework presented in this document (and in the accompanying M&E Indicator Framework) aim to encourage stakeholders in the rural sanitation and hygiene sector to take a more comprehensive, comparable and people focused approach to monitoring and evaluation.

Few M&E frameworks have been designed to examine the overall sanitation and hygiene situation – to assess how interventions have affected sanitation and hygiene outcomes across an entire area (rather than just in specific target communities); to look at who (from the overall population) benefitted from the intervention, and who did not; to report on the level and quality of service used; or examine whether public health has improved.

This document provides guidelines on the monitoring and evaluation of rural sanitation and hygiene, and presents an M&E framework that outlines core elements and features for reporting on progress towards the 2030 SDG sanitation target (and related national goals and targets for rural sanitation and hygiene), while also encouraging learning and accountability. Given wide variations in the ambition, capacity and resources available for monitoring and evaluation, it is apparent that not all of the M&E processes and indicators described will be appropriate for all stakeholders.

The intention is to provide guidelines and details on useful and progressive approaches to monitoring rural sanitation and hygiene, from which a range of rural sanitation and hygiene duty bearers and practitioners – including governments, implementation agencies, development partners and service providers – can select and use those most appropriate to their needs. Eventually, it is hoped that all of the more progressive M&E elements and features will become standard, and be incorporated in all sector monitoring systems.

Additional details

PublisherInstitute of Development Studies
ThemesGender and equity, Leave no one behind, Monitoring, evaluation and learning, National and sub-national monitoring systems, Outcomes and impacts, Sustainability and safely managed sanitation, Tools and processes
ApproachesLearning approaches
Citation

Robinson, A. (2021) Monitoring and Evaluation for Rural Sanitation and Hygiene: Framework. The Sanitation Learning Hub, Brighton: Institute of Development Studies, DOI: 10.19088/SLH.2021.027

LanguageEnglish

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