Secondary Cities Project: USAID/Cairo

Initiated in 1994, the Secondary Cities Project (SCP) combines policy reform with infrastructure construction with the goal of providing a sustainable foundation for improved health and living conditions in smaller urban centers of Egypt. Using extensive criteria and after considering over 200 cities which needed new or improved water or wastewater services, USAID selected the following seven cities with a population of approximately 1.6 million: Mansura, Luxor, Sharm El sheikh, Nuweiba, and the Aswan Group - Kom Ombo, Daraw, and Nasr. The Secondary Cities Project purpose is to expand, develop and demonstrate sustainable, replicable water and wastewater facilities in selected urban population centers in different geographic areas and to strengthen institutional capabilities for supporting water and wastewater institutions in operating and maintaining the physical facilities.

DATEX fielded a six-member evaluation team composed of institutional development, management, financial and engineering specialists. DATEX's evaluation consisted of examining the effectiveness of the seven cities with regard to the policy recommendations and action plans developed by the project. DATEX assessed the improvements made in organization and staffing, finance and administration, operations and maintenance as well as management systems and training. DATEX also delineated the problems and constraints that have slowed or prevented the implementation of the recommended work plans presented and quantified the progress towards achieving the project outputs.