Project: MCC Lesotho WASH Evaluation-Based CBA

The analysis conducted under this project is part of a broader Evaluation-Based CBA consultancy with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).  

For this activity, Limestone was tasked with reviewing the most recent CBA and evaluation of MCC’s Lesotho Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Activity (2008-2013) and advising MCC on the possibility and utility of updating the CBA to reflect new findings from the evaluation. 

The Lesotho Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Activity (RWSSA) began in 2008 and was completed in 2013. MCC’s interventions were designed to provide safe drinking water close to households through the installation of boreholes with hand pumps, solar-powered pumping systems, gravity-fed spring catchment systems, and electric pumping systems in rural areas. The desired outcomes of the RWSSA were to increase the supply and quality of water and improve sanitation conditions among rural settlements, saving individuals time previously spent gathering water, treating ill family members, and reducing the incidence of water-related diseases. A Closeout CBA and an impact evaluation were conducted after the completion of the project.

Limestone reviewed the Closeout CBA (conducted by MCC) and the independent impact evaluation (conducted by NORC (University of Chicago)) and completed an Evaluation-Based CBA design report recommending conducting an Evaluation-Based CBA.   

Once the recommendations were approved by MCC, the Limestone team developed an ECBA model. Some of the key updates include: 

• Valuation of time-savings
• Valuation of averted under-5 mortality 
• Parameter updates using evaluation and implementation data
• Addition of government cost-sharing 
• Stakeholder analysis

An ECBA model is currently underway, along with a corresponding Evaluation-Based CBA Final Report (ECFR) documenting the changes.