A methodology for evaluating education and training activities: a case study in Ethiopia

Organizations that provide capacity development services within the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector aim to improve access to water and sanitation through improved implementation of WASH projects. A key challenge for these organizations is a lack of clarity on how their results should be measured. Through a series of university research partnerships, the Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology has developed an evaluation methodology to enable organizations to evaluate the outcomes and impacts of their education and training activities in WASH. In 2014, CAWST and the Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church Development Program Water Expertise and Training Centre applied the methodology to evaluate their WASH Awareness training program to health workers in Ethiopia. The evaluation methodology was found to be practical and useful in gathering rich information on program outcomes and for program improvement. It is recommended that the methodology be further developed, and applied widely by capacity development organizations.