4.3 Defining Success
The established indicators that speak to the higher metrics of performance and
quality, maintenance and functionality, and community capacity are used to determine the overall success of an EWB-USA project. Success is dependent not only on
a quality design but also on the community’s capacity to operate and maintain the
project well into the future, after the partnership has ended. The alignment of
indicators across all EWB-USA projects allows for high-level reporting across all
our work on an annual basis.
4.4 Lessons Learned: Factors Impacting Success
As a critical component of the learning aspect within the PMEL framework, lessons
learned provide useful data to help teams and the communities they serve to set
themselves up for success. These reported lessons also inform potential gaps in
resources. EWB-USA has created a dashboard tool (Fig. 2.5) to explore the lessons
learned that have been reported for a given region, project type, phase, or country.
Some of the most common reported lessons learned factors are community
relations, construction materials, and finances. Figure 2.6 notes general lessons
learned from the database applicable to latrines. These common factors among all
project types speak to some of the bigger challenges within all of our projects,
including latrine projects, incorporating:
1. Importance of Community Engagement and Buy-In. Regardless of how welldesigned a project may be, the real success factor is whether the community takes
ownership and responsibility. This includes cultural acceptance and the behavior/
Table 2.1. EWB-USA sanitation project categories
Category
Description
Number of active
EWB-USA
projects
Latrine and
handwashing (school)
Any latrine project at a school
12
Latrine and
handwashing (hospital)
Any latrine project at a clinic or hospital
1
Latrine and
handwashing (community/household)
Any latrine project not at school or clinic
24
Stand-alone
handwashing Facility
Handwashing station not built as part of the
latrine
0
Other sanitation
Wastewater treatment, solid waste management,
medical waste management, black water management, stand-alone hygiene education,
showers
6
2 Village-Driven Latrines with “Engineers Without Borders USA”
51
The established indicators that speak to the higher metrics of performance and
quality, maintenance and functionality, and community capacity are used to determine the overall success of an EWB-USA project. Success is dependent not only on
a quality design but also on the community’s capacity to operate and maintain the
project well into the future, after the partnership has ended. The alignment of
indicators across all EWB-USA projects allows for high-level reporting across all
our work on an annual basis.
4.4 Lessons Learned: Factors Impacting Success
As a critical component of the learning aspect within the PMEL framework, lessons
learned provide useful data to help teams and the communities they serve to set
themselves up for success. These reported lessons also inform potential gaps in
resources. EWB-USA has created a dashboard tool (Fig. 2.5) to explore the lessons
learned that have been reported for a given region, project type, phase, or country.
Some of the most common reported lessons learned factors are community
relations, construction materials, and finances. Figure 2.6 notes general lessons
learned from the database applicable to latrines. These common factors among all
project types speak to some of the bigger challenges within all of our projects,
including latrine projects, incorporating:
1. Importance of Community Engagement and Buy-In. Regardless of how welldesigned a project may be, the real success factor is whether the community takes
ownership and responsibility. This includes cultural acceptance and the behavior/
Table 2.1. EWB-USA sanitation project categories
Category
Description
Number of active
EWB-USA
projects
Latrine and
handwashing (school)
Any latrine project at a school
12
Latrine and
handwashing (hospital)
Any latrine project at a clinic or hospital
1
Latrine and
handwashing (community/household)
Any latrine project not at school or clinic
24
Stand-alone
handwashing Facility
Handwashing station not built as part of the
latrine
0
Other sanitation
Wastewater treatment, solid waste management,
medical waste management, black water management, stand-alone hygiene education,
showers
6
2 Village-Driven Latrines with “Engineers Without Borders USA”
51