Critical Success Factors
Critical Success Factors
By Abe Jacob, WASH Ambassador

In the last four years, the Rotary Club of Sentosa, Singapore has completed Eleven Global Grants, nine of them related to WASH in Schools projects in the Siem Reap area, of Cambodia. Learn their Club's Guiding Principles and what they consider are the Critical Success Factors.
 

The Rotary Club of Sentosa established some Guiding Principles before embarking on obtaining a Global Grant.
  • Focus on projects to benefit those most in need (poorest of the poor)
  • Ensure the projects are sustainable 
  • Utilize the Global Grants in a responsible manner
  • Engage external individuals and corporate sponsors to find projects
  • Every club member is associated with at least one project
  • Obtain the mindset that the projects are club projects, not the Club President's project
The following are what the club considers the critical success factors of their Global Grants.
  • Develop a relationship with a reliable and trusted partner, in this case the Cambodia Community Dream Organization (CCDO)
  • Consistency of Grant Application
  • Importance of a Community Needs Assessment
  • Maintenance and upkeep of the toilets and washing stations is the responsibility of the students
  • Sourcing of donations and sponsors completed upfront
  • Keep projects small so they are more manageable
  • Ensure detailed reports on progress to keep things on track 
  • Use small pilot projects to assess and learn
  • Develop an ownership and maintenance agreement with the school
  • To ensure sustainability
    • Obtain a long-term water source
    • Provide training on the maintenance of infrastructure 
  • Provide accountability to The Rotary Foundation and Sponsors by
    • Setting up bank accounts for each project
    • Utilize the obtained funds (not more, not less)
    • Keep all receipts
    • Keep financial statements
    • Have evidence of sustainability
    • Submit required reports on time