The main objective of the Madagascar Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project, with a credit of US17.3 million equivalent, was to improve the capacity of the government, communities and the private sector to expand sustainable and cost-effective coverage in water supply and sanitation. The project components were Policy and Legal Framework, WSS Sector Capacity Building and Institutional Development, and Community-based WSS Services. The last component had 2 sub-components, i.e. Community Needs Assessment, Education and Support, and Extension of RWSS Services. The project was implemented over the period 1998-2005. The project design built on successful experiences in the country and the region. For the gravity schemes, it replicated the experience of NGOs already active in the sector
for the hand pump schemes, it sourced the experience of a UNICEF project.