An approach to measurement of the sustainability of sanitation marketing WASH programs

Since 2011, iDE’s sanitation marketing efforts in Cambodia have resulted in over 200,000 sales of improved pour-flush latrines in rural Cambodia through 329 businesses and 473 sales agents. iDE has tried to measure the sustainability of the businesses we engage. In doing so, we have tried to identify the business strategies and market factors driving or constraining profit and sales at scale. The team has also sought to answer whether or not the cost-effectiveness of iDE’s sanitation marketing programs is improving over time as we continually refine our approach and processes. In the first part of this paper, we analyze business data from the sanitation marketing program in Cambodia to identify business strategies that lead to sustainable sanitation businesses. In the second part, we present a model for understanding the cost effectiveness of iDE’s sanitation marketing programs, and identify some key takeaways for future financially sustainable WASH program implementation.