Abstract
Evidence shows that despite having sewerage networks passing in front of their dwelling, a significant proportion of households in Latin America and the Caribbean remain unconnected to sanitation services (Sturzenegger et.al. 2020). In a context where countries are making considerable investment in expanding sanitation infrastructure, this lack of uptake results in inefficiencies, including missed health and environmental benefits, operational challenges, and reduced financial sustainability for service providers. To address this issue, governments and service providers are implementing initiatives to encourage household connections. However, evidence on effective strategies remains limited. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of a behaviorally informed communication intervention to incentivize sewerage connection in the city of Fernando de la Mora, Paraguay. The intervention targets capability and motivation barriers to connecting, such as limited knowledge of -and perceived difficulties in- the connection process. It comprises a) printed communication material delivered through household visits, and b) two rounds of follow-up SMS messages reinforcing communication messages. The first phase was implemented alongside the baseline survey between August and November of 2023. The second phase (SMS messages) is scheduled for June 2024. Using an RCT design, households were assigned to receive the intervention or not. Two follow-up surveys will be carried out over the evaluation sample (n=766 households) to assess the impact of the first phase and both phases combined. Our primary outcomes of interest include sewerage connection rates and knowledge/perceptions related to the connection process and benefits.