The main objective of the Madagascar Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project, with a credit of US$ 17.3 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.