AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT 
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A.I.D. MISSION 
TO EL SALVADOR 
C/O AMERICAN EMBASSY 
SAN SALVADOR. EL SALVADOR. C.A 
ACTION MEMORANDUM FOR THE MISSION DIRECTOR _/ 
SUBJECT: Project Assistance Completion Report of the Environmental 
Protection Project (PROMESA), No. 519-0385 
DATE : December 10, 2000 
In accordance with ADS 203 (Managing for Results: Monitoring and 
Evaluation Performance) and USAID/El Salvador Policy (Mission 
Operation Manual, Chapter 770), attached is the Project 
Assistance Completion Report (PACR) for the Environmental 
Protection Project, No. 519-0385. The PACR summarizes 
accomplishment of the Project, results of a mid-term evaluation 
as well as Lessons Learned and Recommendations. 
RECOMMENDATION : 
That you approve the attached Project Assistance Report. 
Approved 
Disapproved 
6 
Date 
&" 
Attachments 
Drafted by: MLatino-Rodriguez, SO4 ,&3 Date 12/10/2000 
Cleared by: 
ACMejia, SDO 
FBreen, CONT 
DHarrison, SDO 
RGoughnour, DDI 
PROJECT ASSISTANCE COMPLETION REPORT 
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION PROJECT 
I. SUMMaRY OF THE PROJECT 
The Environmental Protection Project was authorized, and the 
Project Grant Agreement between USAID/EL Salvador and the GOES 
was signed on April 1, 1993. The implementing entity was the 
Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock(MAG), with project 
coordination to be provided by the Executive Secretary for the 
Environment (SEMA). The Project Completion Date was June 30 
1999. 
A. Goal and Purpose of the Project 
The PROMESA Project goal was to improve environmental and natural 
resources management. The Project purpose was to halt and then 
reverse the degradation of El Salvador's natural resource base to 
safeguard year-round water supplies and rural incomes . 
B. Project Components 
The Environmental Protection Project was divided into three 
components: Policy Formulation and Reform; Demonstration of 
Benefits; and Environmental Education. A fourth component, NGO 
strengthening was implemented independently through a cooperative 
agreement with the Pan American Development Foundation. 
The Policy component was developed in order to increase the capacity 
of SEMA and selected NGOs to lead a participatory policy reform 
process. 
The second component, Demonstration of Benefits, called for 
establishment of a field demonstration area where the effects of 
policy reform, environmental education, and improved conservation 
practices could be measured. 
The third component, Environmental Education, provided for 
assistance to the Ministry of Education, CENTA, DGRNR, CENDEPESCA 
and NGOs to establish four kinds of environmental and natural 
resource education programs: 
-Formal education, through the primary school curriculum; 
-Education of public audiences, through mass media campaigns; 
-Education through the use of interpretation sites; and, 
-Training of extensionists in natural resources management 
subjects. 
To implement the Project, USAID/El Salvador entered into an 
institutional contract with a technical assistance consortium led 
by Abt Associates, with Winrock and Ronco as sub-contractors. In 
addition, the Project funded a buy-in with the Academy for 
Educational Development GreenCOM Project. 
The technical assistance for the Policy component and Legislation 
and the Demonstration of Benefits component was assigned to a 
partnership constituted by Abt Associates and Winrock 
International. The Project's main counterparts institutions were 
headed by SEMA and included the Ministries of Education and 
Agriculture, The National Directorate for Natural Resources 
(DGRNR), The National Center of Agricultural Technology (CENTA), 
The National Center for Development of Fishing (CENDEPESCA), and 
two NGOfs: SalvaNatura and AMAR. Abt and Winrock formed an 
integrated team and were located in the same offices to 
coordinate their efforts and capacities. 
The technical assistance of the Environmental Education (EE) 
component to be supplied by GreenCom was hired originally for a 
three-year period, from March 1994 to March 1997. At first, and 
according to the terms of its contract, GreenCom was housed into 
SEMA facilities. In June of 1994, Abt and Winrock started their 
activities and GreenCom moved to those offices, ceasing the use 
of the GreenCom name to prevent confusion and to promote its 
integration into the PROMESA Project. 
GreenCom's counterpart institutions established themselves 
according to the nature of their activities, the terms of their 
contracts and the results expected from them in the different 
educational areas. SEMA was then the main counterpart for 
PROMESA and was responsible for the national environmental 
education (EE) campaigns and the activities related to the mass 
media and the NGOs. The Ministry of Education was the 
counterpart in the area of formal education, and the National 
Directorate for Natural Resources was the counterpart for 
activities related to National Parks, along with AMAR 
(responsible for the coad-ministration of the Barra de Santiago 
Park), and SalvaNatura (responsible for the coadministration of 
the Imposible National Park). CENTA, with its departmental 
extension agencies, was the counterpart for work with 
agricultural extensionists. 
C. Analysis of the Present Status of the Project 
Over the years since 1993, the expected results from the Project 
evolved as the Mission went through a major re-engineering 
effort. This effort involved development of strategic objectives 
as a management tool. The Mission Strategic Objective #4 (S04), 
approved in June 1996, called for Increased Use of 
Environmentally Sound Technologies and Practices in Selected 
Fragile Areas. In June 1997, due to a reduction of funds for the 
Environment Strategic Objective, the Mission proposed to 
Washington the idea of restructuring the Strategic Objective with 
a new one entitled, "Increased Access by Rural Households to 
Clean Water"; which coordinated, integrated, and completed the 
results of water-related activities planned under existing 
Health, Economic Growth and Democracy Strategic Objectives. The 
Water SO was approved by USAID/W in October 1997. 
Taking as a reference the reengineering process that USAID/El 
Salvador held in 1996, the PROMESA Project was divided into two 
main stages: 
a) A first phase corresponding to the period from March 1994 to 
June 1997. 
b) A second phase corresponding to the period from June 1997 to 
June 1999. 
In the first phase, the scope of work was at the national level 
and dealt with multiple environmental topics. In the second 
phase, the work was focused on the 18 priority municipalities and 
sought to increase people's access to sufficient supplies of 
clean water. Achievements in these two phases are described in 
section 111, Project Accomplishment, of this document. 
11. FINANCIAL STATUS 
In May 1998 a Project Grant Agreement Amendment was approved by 
the Mission Director which reduced the authorized budget level 
from $20,000,000 to $16,402,500. The remaining $3,597,500. 
authorized under the original Agreement was re-assigned to the 
Activity "Access, Management and Rational Use of Water (AGUA)" 
under the new Strategic Objective Grant Agreement (SOAG) signed 
with the GOES. This allowed the funds to be used to support the 
USAIDfs new Water Strategic Objective. In addition, the downward 
adjustment of the dollar funds assisted the GOES in meeting their 
counterpart obligation under the Project Agreement; therefore at 
the end of the Project, the counterpart contribution was 100% 
accomplished by the GOES. 
The Project budget was spent in the following manner: 
LINE ITEM 
1) Policy, 
Formulation and 
Reform 
2) 
Demonstration 
of Benefits 
OBLIGATIONS 
5,400,000 
4 ) Audit 
5) Management 
and Evaluation. 
6) NGO 
TOTAL 
EXPENDITURES 
5,400,000 
Strengthening 
*NICRA from contractor for FY 1997 and FY 1998 rates are still 
provisional; once the Office of Contracts and Grants receive the 
official rates, the NICRA will be paid. Any balance after the 
NICRA payment will be de-obligated and transferred to the US 
Treasury. 
4 
GOES COUNTERPART 
COUNTRIBUTION 
TOTAL 
1,900, 000 
0 
733,169 
686,151 
0 
733,169 
0 
0 
686,151 0 
111. PROJECT ACCOMPLISHMENTS 
A first phase corresponding to the period from March 1994 to 
June 1997. 
Progress towards achieving expected results was mixed. Major 
contributions were achieved regarding awareness of environmental 
problems by policy makers, stakeholders and the general public, 
and in developing mass media capacities to continue awareness 
activities. There was some notable progress in internalizing 
selected institutional capacities to develop and implement 
environmental education activities. 
Abt Associates made a mayor contribution to policy reform in El 
Salvador by supporting the preparation and public consultation of 
a draft comprehensive environmental law, a draft forestry law and 
a draft protected areas law. 
The participation process carried out with Project support 
contributed significantly to raising awareness and concerns about 
the environment among stakeholders and the general public. The 
group dynamic methodology applied contributed greatly to the 
environmental strategy, the policy framework and the 
environmental agenda. 
Training which was provided to CENTA extension agents 
strengthened CENTArs institutional capacity to transform soil and 
water management and agro-forestry technologies to target 
population of small, hillside farmers in the demonstration area 
(DA). Removal of counterpart-founded extension agents from CENTA 
in late 1996 and creating a parallel group of Green Project/SEMA 
training specialists with NGO supervisors slowed the progress in 
achieving DA objectives. 
GreenCom made good progress in assisting to establish 
environmental education and communications (EE/C) technical units 
in the Ministry of Education, SEMA and Parks and Wildlife 
Division (PANAVIS) of MAG. Also GreenCom assisted the Ministry 
of Education to prepare teachers guides for including 
environmental topics in primary education. 
GreenCom supported SEMA's environmental media campaigns and 
worked with environmental journalists, newspapers and television 
channels to develop and disseminate better quality environmental 
information. A national environmental journalism awards program 
was created. These activities contributed significantly to 
increase quantity and quality of coverage of environmental issues 
by major newspapers and television channels for 1996 and 1997. 
A second phase corresponding to the period from June 1997 to 
June 1999. 
In February 1998 the Mission terminated the contract of Abt 
Associates and Winrock. All the commodities purchased under the 
Abt contract were transferred to counterpart project office 
located at MARN, the project continued with the contracting of 
GreenCom having as counterpart the Ministry of Environment. 
At the en of 1998, the Project was located within the offices of 
the recently created Ministry of Environment and Natural 
Resources (MARN), with both technical-assistance partners and 
national staff in those offices. Simultaneously, the Mission 
selected the 18 priority municipalities for water focus 
activities, and prepared the objectives, intermediate results and 
indicators for this approach to water issues. GreenCom and the 
MARN acting as the national counterpart drew up a plan to 
implement the new USAID objectives in the priority 
municipalities. To implement the plan, eight rural promoters 
were hired, four financed by GreenCom and four by MARN as part of 
their counterpart contribution. These rural promoters, along 
with the staff from the Demonstration of Benefits component of 
PROMESA, were housed in an office in Santiago de Maria (Usulut6n) 
that turned out to be the first regional MARN's office. 
Next, to tackle the new USAID/El Salvador Strategic Objective 
"Increased number of rural homes with access to adequate supplies 
of clean water", GreenCom designed an Environmental Education 
strategy, aimed at the sustainable management and protection of 
water resources. This strategy, implemented from September 1998 
until the end of the Project in June 1999, was based on results 
from a Knowledge, Attitude and Perceptions (KAP) survey of the 
targeted rural communities, related to water and other 
environmental issues. The strategy included: 
- A regional communication campaign that broadcast the messages 
through both national and local mass media (radio and 
television) and distributed graphic materials to the 
population. 
- Training for mayors, members of the municipal councils, 
community water committees, technical and community leaders, 
that protected the integrated management of municipal water 
resources. 
- The mobilization of relevant existing water-related 
organizations and the creation of new local water-related 
organizations. 
The Communication Campaign: 
The educational communication activities centered on a regional 
campaign, with the slogan "Let's stop polluting the water, we 
need it clean for life". Mass media were the main channels used 
in the campaign, but interpersonal and alternative communication 
and educational materials were also developed to support the 
training and social mobilization activities. 
For the regional communication campaign, GreenCom created a 
character who was called "Cantarito". This character represented 
a pitcher (in Spanish, c6ntaro) salvadoran women used to carry 
water. "Cantarito" was in charge of transmitting the campaign 
messages and advice. Three radio messages were produced about 
the water's quality and quantity, and broadcast by six radio 
stations with national coverage and four with local coverage; two 
television spots were produced and broadcast by a local cable 
channel. Among the alternative media were used a poster, a 
calendar, leaflets, the 14 healthy stories of "Cantarito", and 
script puppets shows. Educative materials were also produced 
such as: a flipchart "What a small watershed offers"; the 
audiovisual series, "Clean Water for Life" (three educational 
programs on water quantity and quality and communications 
organizations); an audiovisual series for schools, "The Water 
House" (with six videos, six complementary booklets, and a 
teacher's guide); the Basic Library of Water and Sewage" (12 
booklets on water and protection) for local leaders and 
technicians. New editions of earlier GreenCom educational 
materials, like the radio series "Drop by Drop" and the 
audiovisual series "Our Environment, Our Home" were also 
produced. 
As a result of this effort, at least 285,380 people from the 
57,067 homes were reached directly or indirectly by these 
different media with this educational intervention. 
The Training: 
Training on community organization, decision-making and 
management was designed to strengthen the community's ability to 
solve local problems locally. Sixty five training events were 
held, in which 434 different community leaders (252 men and 182 
women) from 13 priority municipalities of the department of 
Usulut6n learned how to manage their water supply systems in 
sustainable ways, with emphasis on the protection of water. 
GreenCom formed local teams with these training activities and 
programs, made up of local technicians, development workers and 
teachers. These teams then had to define and implement a common 
approach for sustainable community water and sewage projects. As 
a result, GreenCom and MARN trained 329 technicians and 
development workers (208 men and 121 women) and 1,589 teachers 
(565 men and 1024 women) . 
Organization and Social mobilization: 
An ADESCOS Federation, a Regional Water Organization 
(ORA), an ORA network, and water communities were created and/or 
reinforced in the 18 priority municipalities. 
The Project sought to either create local organizations related 
to water issues or reinforce those already existing, like water 
community, water assemblies, health committees, ecological clubs 
and other forms of local organization. Eighteen water 
committees, 16 ADESCOS, and five youth groups were created or 
strengthened. 
Another strategy was to involve municipal authorities. Nine 
municipalities of the Usulut6n Department received orientation, 
training, and technical assistance, through a municipal training 
program called "How to sustain water and sewage projects". Nine 
mayors and 18 councilors participated in this program. Other 
products of this training program included the drafting and 
enactment of 12 environmental municipal ordinances (two have 
already being published by the Official Newspaper), and the 
investment by eight municipalities half a million colones (more 
than $57,000) for the improvements of their water supplies and 
the protection of their water quality. 
Given the important role of local and regional institutions and 
organizations, the Project developed activities to coordinate 
actions with them. Among these actions was the First Regional 
Encounter for Development Institutions held during the first 
quarter of 1999 with institutions working in eastern El Salvador. 
This meeting allowed different organizations and programs in the 
priority municipalities to get to know one another and to 
coordinate their actions. Through an agreement with The European 
Community and the Department of Social Promotion of the Rural 
Systems Management of ANDA, 23 community plumbers were trained, 
and among them, the first woman plumber. 
Schools were key to the educational strategy of the Project, in 
fact, 15 water festivals that mobilized nearly 15,000 people, 
including hundred of teachers and students. Most of these 
festivals occurred with the organized participation of 
communities, and were held in public areas like parks and 
municipalities. It is estimated that these mobilization and 
information activities reached approximately 285,000 people. 
The Project trained a total of 1,589 teachers (565 men and 1,024 
women) in water-related topics, and through them reached at least 
158,000 students of these priority municipalities. A total of 
329 technicians (208 men and 121 women) also received training, 
and through them the Project reached approximately 9,870 
households. Training was also provided to 434 community leaders 
(252 men and 182 women), 9 mayors and 18 councilors in the 
different aspects of sustainable water projects. 
IV EVALUATION 
A mid-term evaluation of the Project was conducted for USAID/El 
Salvador during the period April 21 through May 30, 1997, by the 
Cambridge Consulting Corporation team composed of John OIDonnell, 
Team Leader and Institutional Development/Management Specialist, 
Dr. Fred Mann, Natural Resources Policy Specialist, Robert Peck, 
Natural Resources Management Specialist, and Raymond Dodd, 
Environmental Communications Specialist. 
The purpose of the evaluation was to assess progress for the 
three components of the Project and recommend mid-course 
corrections to facilitate attainment of Environmental 
Strategic Objective #4, including the new emphasis on water as a 
crosscutting issue. 
Upon arrival in country, the Cambridge team reviewed relevant 
Project documentation. A full interview schedule was completed 
during weeks two through four, including meetings with key 
Project personnel, national counterparts, USAID/El Salvador 
staff, personnel from relevant GOES agencies, and staff of a 
number of NGOs working in environmental protection and natural 
resources management. 
Team members made field visits to the Project Demonstration Area, 
to selected alcaldias municipales, and to other sites outside of 
San Salvador, where Project related activities were taking place. 
Presentations of team findings, conclusions and recommendations 
were made to the SO4 team, the USAID Mission Director and other 
interested USAID personnel. 
Changes to the Project Agreement were implemented and major 
recommendations for mid-course corrections were developed, 
changes following the mid-term evaluation follows: 
1) Abt activities and GreenCom activities continued to be 
programmed and managed separately. 
2) The Abt and Green Project operation was relocated into the 
Ministry of Environment at the Despacho Ministerial as the 
National Environmental Protection and Natural Resources 
Management Improvement Project (ENREM) Unit. The Green 
Project name and logo was eliminated immediately and the 
national director of the Project reported directly to the 
Minister. Project administrative and logistic support 
staffing and cost were primarily supported from counterpart 
funds and not from Project funds. 
3) A common annual and LOP action plan for the policy reform and 
demonstration area components directed activities for both 
USAID-funded Abt advisors and counterpart-funded professional 
staff. 
4) Abt expatriates and local-hire administrative and logistic 
support was reduced substantially. 
V. ISSUES AND SUMMARY OF LESSONS LEARNED 
For the development of environmental and water projects, it is 
necessary to evaluate and strengthen the organizational 
capacity already existing in communities. This is the 
fundamental means for the project development and for the 
consolidation of activities for the supply of clean and 
sufficient water. 
@ Community leaders are the main allies for and during the 
implementation of water and sewage projects and for their 
sustainability. Because of this, it is important to involve 
these leaders from the beginning, and train them on the 
project's benefits and empower them to realize those benefits. 
Strengthening joint efforts of the government and NGOs allows 
the achievement of concrete results and impacts. 
Training women was key in achieving results in each stage of 
the water and environmental projects. 
Training on how to sustain the water projects is an ideal tool 
to strengthen the administration and management capacity of 
the water and sewage projects. 
The community's participation in the assessment of the water 
problems encourages them to take decisions and, more 
importantly, to take actions. 
It is very important in a community project to involve all the 
actors and/or social groups in the search for solutions to 
problems related to water and environmental quality. 
Political conflicts between different mayors and between 
mayors and their communities are an obstacle for the community 
and municipal development. 
Health promoters, inspectors and supervisors are recognized as 
ideal allies for the implementation of water projects. 
There is community acceptance of the application of low cost 
technologies for the management of sewage. 
Improved financial and legal management are concrete products 
of the municipal training program for mayors and community 
councils. 
There are no "recipes" for winning municipal and community 
commitment to water projects. 
Municipal plans are recognized as ideal instruments to 
encourage the protection and supply of the water resources. 
When working with water projects, an integrated approach is 
essential for successful results. 
VI. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE FOLLOW UP ACTIONS/PROJECTS: 
a Avoiding non-sustainable or isolated actions by including 
water activities in integrated municipal plans for the 
sustainability of water resources, and at the same time being 
part of integrated municipal environment plans. It is 
necessary to include the municipalities in the formulation of 
such plans, as a basis for the joint work on water resources. 
Encouragement of new community leaders it is very important 
for successful projects. 
Creation of strategic alliances and strengthen those already 
existing are crucial for the implementation of water projects. 
It is very important to include in the training plan of the 
rural promoters a conflict resolution training. 
Assessment and supervision of the municipal governments by 
COMURES, ISDEM, PDDH, etc., so that they allow and encourage 
the exercise of their rights, as is stated in the Constitution 
and the Municipal Code. 
The Formulation and implementation of municipal ordinances 
must be based on environmental priorities with the 
participation of their communities. 
Conducting epidemiological studies on a municipal level to 
measure the health impact achieved by water and sewage 
projects. 
* Promoting community actions to improve drainage, increase 
water quantity and quality, and reduce water-related illness. 
Preparation of letters of understanding with Ministry of 
Health officials where the new AGUA Project will be 
implemented, in order to coordinate activities. 
Incorporating the actions of the AGUA Project into the work 
plans of the national counterpart. 
Inaugurating mobile laboratories as a fundamental step for 
monitoring water quality at different sources. 
Strengthening the municipalities with technical assistance and 
qualified human resources who can respond to technical, 
administrative and legal demands involved in water projects. 
0 Continuing the municipal training program to sustain water 
projects. 
Creating an information unit for the follow up on the 
established indicators and obtain better evaluation and 
management for the AGUA Project. 
Urging the Ministry of Health to supply health promoters with 
the equipment and agents necessary to monitor the water 
quality. 
Providing financial and logistic support for the 
implementation of activities in the field. 
Recognizing and supporting the work of the Usulutan Municipal 
Development Association as a key ally in working with the 
municipalities. 
Employing the technical capacity that is already installed in 
the PROMESA Project for the new AGUA project. 
Initiating soon the activities under the new AGUA project to 
maintain continuity to the work that has already been started 
by the current technical teams. 
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