Manual Chapter 5 Hygiene Promotion PDF

Water, sanitation and hygiene
for populations at risk

Access to water and sanitation is one of the major challenges for the 21st century. According to WHO (2004),
1.1 billion people do not have access to safe water and 2.4 billion people do not have access to basic sanitation facilities. As a consequence around 4 million people, the majority of who are children, die every year
from water and sanitation related diseases.
ACTION CONTRE LA FAIM

Water-supply and sanitation conditions therefore directly affect health and food security and are key components in the fight against Hunger and Malnutrition.
For 25 years, in line with its vocation of fighting Hunger, the Action contre la Faim international network
has been implementing field programmes aimed at supporting populations in humanitarian situations, along
with research and technical development in order to optimise its interventions. This book is the result of this
experience and presents methods and techniques of intervention, not only to provide and ensure access to
water groundwater prospecting, drilling, well digging, constructing spring catchments and gravity supply
systems, treatment and distribution of surface water and collection of rainwater but also sanitary measures,
hygiene promotion, capacity building of communities and local partners, and much more.
This manual is the second edition of Alimentation en eau des populations menaces, by ric Drouart and
Jean-Michel Vouillamoz, published in 1999; it has been deeply reviewed, revised, updated and extended,
under the coordination of Hubert Smiond and Francesco Gonzlez, with more than 60% of new information.
It focuses on efficient and concrete action, as well as on context and needs analysis. It is intended for those
concerned by programmes involving water supply, sanitation, hygiene promotion and local capacity building.
ISBN 2 7056 6499 8
50
HERMANN
Water is not only an important factor of public health, but also of general livelihoods and development: crop
production, livestock production, industry, commerce and daily life depend on access to water.
HERMANN
V
Hygiene promotion
and community management
CHAPTER 15
Hygiene promotion
1
1.1
1.2
1.3
2
2.1
2.1.1
2.1.2
2.1.3
2.1.4
2.2
2.2.1
2.3.5
2.3.6
2.3.7
2.3.8
Introduction
What is hygiene promotion
Why is hygiene promotion important?
The hygiene-promotion project cycle
Needs assessment
Preliminary appraisal
Detecting a problem
Defining the target area
Appraisal techniques
Planning the in-depth assessment
In-depth assessment
What to look for
2.2.1.1 Identifying risk practices
2.2.1.2 Defining target audiences
2.2.1.3 Defining the communication
channels
2.2.1.4 Planning the in-depth
assessment
Research techniques
Health-walk
Structured observations
Key-informant interviewing
KAP survey
2.3.4.1 Types of KAP survey
2.3.4.2 Sample calculation
2.3.4.3 Examples
Focus-group discussion
Three-pile sorting
History line
Community mapping
Introduction
1.1
What is hygiene promotion?
1.2
Why is hygiene promotion important?
2.3
2.3.1
2.3.2
2.3.3
2.3.4
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2.3.9
2.3.10
2.3.11
2.4
2.4.1
2.4.2
2.5
3
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.5.1
3.5.2
3.5.3
3.5.4
3.5.5
3.5.6
3.6
3.6.1
3.6.2
3.7
3.8
4
4.1
4.2
5
Seasonal calendars
Gender roles/tasks analysis
Water analysis
Recruitment and training
of the assessment team
Choosing the assessment team
Training the assessment team
Analysis of results
Programme planning and design
Setting programme goals
Selection of target practices
Selecting the target audience
Designing the message
Communication channels
Pictures
Theatre/puppets
Storytelling
Songs
Video, slides etc.
Mass media
Selection of the communicators
Teachers as hygiene communicators
Community hygiene facilitators
Consolidation
of the communication plan
Distribution of hygiene kits
Monitoring and evaluation
Monitoring
Evaluation
Example: Laos
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Hygiene promotion includes all the activities aimed at increasing peoples health status
through the improvement of the hygienic practices in their day-to-day life.
Health is one of the main concerns of humanitarian programmes and is a full component of the
fight against vulnerability and malnutrition. Emergencies can cause an increase of water- and sanitationrelated diseases and in some cases can cause epidemic outbreaks, putting many peoples lives in danger.
15. Hygiene promotion
541
Figure 15.1: The three main components of public health engineering.
Improvement of health can be achieved by focusing on three fundamental areas: the healthcare system, water and sanitation infrastructure and the populations health-related behaviour. Figure
15.1 shows the three main components of public health engineering.
Water- and sanitation-related diseases are the main health problem within developing countries
and therefore the main cause of mortality. Their development and transmission depend directly on access
to facilities, vector-control measures and water-handling and hygiene habits. Clean water and sanitary
facilities are essential for improving the sanitary environment, but poor results will be achieved in terms
of public health if hygiene practices are not appropriate: the clean water provided by a protected source
can be contaminated if it is not correctly handled; the impact of a latrine will be reduced if people dont
use it properly and dont wash their hands after using it; and the stagnant water accumulated around a
badly-maintained water point can be a serious sanitary risk for its users and nearby inhabitants.
Hygiene promotion has a proven impact on the reduction of diarrhoeal diseases (Figure 15.2).
Hand-washing is reported to be almost twice as effective as improvements in water quality alone: a
safe water point will have little impact on health if water is not correctly handled. Figure 15.2 shows
the influence of different programmes on the reduction of diarrhoeal diseases, but special attention
has to be paid in interpreting these figures, considering for example that the availability of safe water
is a component of hand-washing.
The objective of many programmes is to reduce the risk of spreading water-and sanitationrelated diseases, through an integrated approach where water, sanitation and hygiene promotion are
closely connected.
Hygiene promotion focuses on reducing the main risks related to health and the use of watersupply and sanitation facilities though an improvement in peoples knowledge and behaviour. The
more frequent topics developed in Hygiene Promotion programmes are:
transmission of diseases, understanding of risks and solutions;
proper use of facilities;
proper water use: collection, transport, storage and consumption;
promotion of appropriate sanitation;
basic personal hygiene;
environmental hygiene;
food hygiene;
child hygiene.
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V. Hygiene promotion and community management
10 %
20 %
30 %
40 %
Excreta disposal
Hand washing
Water quantity
Water quality
Figure 15.2 : Estimated impact of different activities in the reduction of diarrhoeal diseases
(Esrey et al. 1991).
Hygiene depends on peoples habits, and these habits depend mainly on 5 factors:
Beliefs and taboos: some beliefs can be connected to health risks. Water has a holistic value
for many communities and it is very important to understand and to respect it. Programmes must be
adapted to the specificity and culture of communities.
Knowledge: many communities are not aware of the relation between the environment and
diseases, nor are they aware of paths of transmission and the measures to avoid them. Understandable
information is needed.
Behaviour and existing habits: some existing habits have a negative impact on health and
they are difficult to change, especially if they are connected to beliefs. Sometimes inappropriate habits
are due to lack of knowledge, but often they are a question of will. Hand-washing is an example:
people often know that it is necessary to do it before eating, but may not do it.
Perception of risk: during a disease outbreak people are more sensitive to the importance of
hygiene, and protective habits are easier to introduce. In normal situations, even if lack of hygiene has
a big impact on health, people are used to this situation and behaviour is more difficult to modify.
Table 15.I: Hygiene promotion in the short term and longer term.
Acute risk
Chronic risk
Beliefs
Short time to understand, easy to make

mistakes
Indispensable to take time to understand
Knowledge
Importance of spreading messages

Habits need changing even if the communities
do not have the knowledge: focus on marketing
Improvement of knowledge is indispensable

for a change in behaviour: focus on education
Existing habits Changes will not be long-term, but it is important It is important to analyse existing habits
to aim to change habits at least
before changing behaviour
for this period of time
Perception
of the risk
Easier to react if there is a major risk

due to a sudden change people will be
more proactive
It is more difficult for the communities

to perceive risk as they are used
to the situation
Facilities
Emergency response: quick and effective

solution
Construction and rehabilitation is normally
a priority in emergency programmes
Facilities must be appropriate to being

managed and maintained by the communities,
who must participate from the beginning
of the project
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Availability of facilities: clean water and sanitation facilities are necessary in order to facilitate and support basic hygiene habits, and allow their adoption.
The shape of a hygiene-promotion programme will depend basically on the identification of
the main health risks (magnitude and duration) and on the availability of time to develop the intervention. During major crises when an emergency response is needed, hygiene promotion must be a
priority, but seeking permanent changes in peoples behaviour is not realistic in this kind of intervention. Very often, risk continues after the emergency period, and the hygiene promotion programme
must be adapted through a long-term approach. See Table 15.I.
1.3
The hygiene-promotion project cycle
This chapter explains the main steps, methodologies and tools used for hygiene promotion, following the project cycle, from the identification of needs to the evaluation of a programme. Table
15.II shows the different steps in the project cycle of hygiene promotion.
Table 15.II: The project cycle of hygiene promotion.
Cycle
Phases
Outputs
Preliminary appraisal
Estimation of water & hygiene-related disease incidence

Analysis of the social and physical context
Detailed assessment
Identification of risk practices
Planning
Selection of target risk practices to modify

Selection of target audience
Definition of the message
Selection of communication channels
Transmission of the message

(Implementation)
The message must be

1) noticed
2) understood
3) accepted
4) acted on (risk practices are changed)
Monitoring
The question How is it working? is answered
Evaluation
The question Has it worked? is answered
Needs assessment
2.1
Preliminary Appraisal
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Every project starts with an assessment. Assessments are where qualitative and quantitative
information is collected and analysed. On the basis of this analysis, the programme objectives are set
and activities are planned.
Assessing peoples behaviour is complicated. A specific practice that involves a sanitary risk can
have its origin in a fact that we cannot explain at first glance. Before proposing a new practice to replace
a risky one, we have to be sure that it doesnt represent a problem for the people concerned in terms of
culture, economy, tradition, taboos etc. That is why the assessment requires enough time and means.
The assessment section is divided into three stages: Preliminary Appraisal, Detailed Assessment (specific information) and Analysis of Results.
Before assessing specific issues about hygiene practices, it is important to know who are the
target population. The preliminary appraisal is the process of detecting the problem and collecting
contextual information that will help carry out a deeper assessment. This part of the assessment has
to be adapted to the context and nature of the population concerned.
The assessment should respond to a previously-detected health problem. As every hygiene
promotion activity aims to reduce the incidence of water- and hygiene-related diseases though the
reduction of certain risk practices, the first information to look for is the incidence of this kind of
disease, to decide whether an intervention is necessary or not. Once this has been established, it
should be estimated to what extent the health problem is caused by human behaviour (see Chapter 2).
This preliminary medical and epidemiological information can be found in health institutions
(hospitals, health centres, health ministry etc.) or elsewhere (other agencies working on health, local
authorities, traditional healers etc.).
2.1.1 DETECTING A PROBLEM
The next step is to define the physical area and the population where the problem exists, and
where hygiene behaviours should be assessed.
The information that is needed for designing a hygiene education and promotion programme
is mainly related to social issues. Before doing in-depth research, some general information concerning the people living in the area that is going to be assessed is needed: languages spoken, ethnic
groups, religion, politics, taboos, previous contacts, coping mechanisms, markets, gender information, traditional authorities etc. It is useful to have information that is gender-specific (i.e. what is related to men, what to women and what to both).
This information provides a baseline that will be built on afterwards with in-depth assessment
and programme monitoring.
2.1.2 DEFINING THE TARGET AREA
Information can be gathered for the appraisal as follows:

Prior to presence in the field: information coming from the internet, media, other organisations working in the same area etc.
In the field: using some of the techniques used in the in-depth assessment, such as key informant interviews and health-walks (see Section 2.3).
2.1.3 APPRAISAL TECHNIQUES
The last step to be carried out in the preliminary appraisal is the planning of the in-depth
assessment to be done prior to implementation. This planning includes the timing, the budget and the
recruitment of the assessment team. The budget and time required for doing a good assessment is
higher, and the time needed to assess cultural and social issues is much longer, for this kind of programme than for a construction programme.
2.1.4 PLANNING THE IN-DEPTH ASSESSMENT
The in-depth assessment is the part of the assessment that investigates hygiene practices, using
a variety of techniques, such as focus group discussions and other participatory tools that can be used
over long periods, or directive surveys such as KPA surveys that are more one-off studies. The indepth assessment gives an idea of the key risk hygiene practices in a target area. Additionally, it could
highlight the need for better infrastructure or suggest modifications to an existing programme; in any
case, this study should identify interim solutions that allow better hygiene in the absence of improved
infrastructure.
2.2
In-depth assessment
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The main questions that should be addressed during the in-depth assessment are:
What are the main diseases affecting the population? What is the incidence of diarrhoeal
diseases?
What are the practices that involve a high risk?
Among these practices, which are the most common and easiest to replace by new ones (safe
practices)?
What are the perceived advantages of those safe practices to the community?
Who carries out the risk practices and who influences them?
What communication channels would be trusted for hygiene-promotion messages?
2.2.1 WHAT TO LOOK FOR
To decide what kind of programme is suitable for solving the problem, the disease-transmission routes that represent the main sanitary risks should be identified. For example, if the problem is
that there are no sanitation facilities and there are stools in the surroundings of the houses, the
construction of latrines can be a part of the solution. If the water point provides potable water that is
then contaminated in the home then correct water-handling practices should be promoted.
As an example, Figure 15.3 shows the various routes for the transmission of faecal-oral infections and where action can be taken to break transmission.
The main risk practices associated with water and environmental sanitation (including faecaloral disease transmission shown in Figure 15.3) can be classified as follows:
Excreta disposal: as faeces are the primary origin of diarrhoeal diseases, the most effective
solution is to separate excreta from the places where people live and work. If this is done properly and the contacts between excreta and the human environment are minimised, a big part
of the problem will be solved. The lack of toilets doesnt lead systematically to unhealthy
excreta management. In some places with a low density of population, there is enough space
to bury the excreta in the bush and prevent it from contaminating the human environment.
Hand-washing: if hands are not correctly washed with water and ashes or soap after contact
with faeces, they become an important route for the transmission of disease.
2.2.1.1 Identifying risk practices
Figure 15.3: Faecal-oral disease transmission routes (adapted from UNICEF, 2000).
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Safe water: hygiene is not possible without a sufficient quantity of safe water, but water becomes
a dangerous vehicle of contamination if it is not correctly handled. Even if the water is of good quality at the source, only safe behaviour in terms of water collection, transport and storage will allow
people to drink it without being exposed to a sanitary risk. If the quality at the water source cannot
be guaranteed, boiling or filtering it is a practice that can be used to protect health.
Vector control: flies are an important vector of transmission of pathogens from faeces to
food. The best way to reduce this transmission is to improve excreta disposal with latrines, or
other toilets, with a properly-covered pit or a septic tank. Mosquitoes, rodents and fleas are
other examples of vectors transmitting different diseases.
Food hygiene: bacterial pathogens can multiply in food, especially in humid and warm
conditions. This is one of the reasons why diarrhoeal peaks occur mainly during the rainy seasons in tropical countries. Poor handling of babies bottles, keeping food in warm conditions
or cooking with dirty hands are examples of risk practices with food that should be avoided.
Environmental and household hygiene: presence of solid waste, stagnant water, dust etc.
create conditions for the proliferation of different vectors. Stagnant water is favourable to mosquitoes, and thus promotes the transmission of malaria.
Target audiences are the groups of people who should be reached by the hygiene-promotion
programme. They can be viewed as three distinct groups: primary, secondary and tertiary target
audiences.
Primary target audiences are those who carry out the risk practices (e.g. mothers and children).
Secondary target audiences are the immediate contacts of the primary audience, who influence them
(e.g. fathers, mothers-in-law or school-mates). The important tertiary target audience is formed principally of opinion leaders (e.g. religious, political and traditional leaders, and elders). Other factors to
be considered when targeting groups include:
Vulnerability: some groups of people are more vulnerable to health risks (children, women etc.).
Acceptance and impact: children and women normally have more interest in hygiene issues
and it is easier to introduce changes in their behaviour than that of men.
Capacity and resources: introducing changes in behaviour involves working closely with the
people concerned. This can require a big effort, which is often not possible for all the population, and in this case the most vulnerable groups should be prioritised.
2.2.1.2 Defining target audiences
It is important to know what are the communication channels preferred by the target population and which ones can have the greatest impact for promoting the new safe practices. To find out,
some questions should be answered:
What is the most common communication channel among the target population?
What are the different forms of discussion, meetings, celebrations and religious practices?
Who listens to the radio and watches TV regularly? Do they read newspapers?
What proportion of the target population can read?
Which channels of communication do they trust?
Are there traditional ways of communicating such as music, theatre, dance etc. that can be
used to transmit a message?
2.2.1.3 Defining the communication channels
The research plan is a detailed plan for the in-depth assessment, based on the outline and
results of the preliminary appraisal. It includes a list of questions to be answered during the process,
2.2.1.4 Planning the in-depth assessment
547
that are formulated specifically to suit the population concerned. The research team that will carry out
the assessment needs to be selected.
Research question list

The list of questions to be answered by the assessment should be prepared. It is best to carry
out this process as a team exercise. The list should be limited to those questions that really relate to
hygiene promotion; otherwise, it will be difficult to manage information gathering. Once the list of
questions is prepared, the appropriate methods to answer them should be selected. Table 15.III shows
a typical list of questions.
Table 15.III: Example of question list for a detailed hygiene-promotion assessment.
Issue
Practices
What people do
Knowledge
What people know
Resources
What is available
Diseases
Incidence of diarrhoea
Main diseases (diarrhoeal
diseases, malaria, skin diseases etc.)
What are the causes

of the different diseases reported?
How to prevent and treat
different diseases
Hospitals, health centres etc.
Water
Origin of drinking water

Cleanliness of the water point
Containers used for collection,
transport and storage
Cleanliness
Do people treat the drinking
water? (boiling/filtering,
sedimentation etc.)
Person-water contact (do people
touch the water to be consumed?)
Quality of the water (taste, colour,
faecal contamination etc.)
Preferred type of water, why?

Relation between water and diseases
Water facilities
Resources for treating
water: wood, whistling kettle,
filters
Water containers for collection,
transport and storage
Cleaning products and tools
Food
Food conservation and protection

Food washing and handling
Where do people keep their food?

Is it protected from heat, flies etc.?
Cool places
Cupboards
Excreta disposal
Where do people defecate?

Presence of stools
in human habitat
State and use of latrines
Anal cleansing
Relation between faeces

and diseases
Advantages of using latrines
Latrines/ toilets
Availability of cleaning tools
Environmental hygiene
and sanitation
Cleanliness of environment,
presence of refuse
Stagnant water, disposal of wastewater
Where do people dispose of their
rubbish? (incineration, burying, nothing)
Diseases caused directly

or indirectly by stagnant water
Risks from the presence of rubbish
Drainage and sewerage systems

Refuse disposal system
Availability of cleaning tools
Personal hygiene
Do people wash their hands

Advantages of washing hands
before eating?
and general personal hygiene
after defecating?
before cooking?
after washing a child?
What do they use for washing hands?
(soap, ashes, water alone)
How often do people have a bath / shower?
Where do people hang out their clothes?
Soap
Clean water
Facilities: showers, laundries,
clotheslines
Nail clippers
Vector control
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Presence of flies, fleas, mosquitoes,

rodents etc. in the human environment
Danger created by different vectors
Mosquito nets
Poison or traps for rodents
It is not enough to describe existing hygiene practices, such as methods of excreta disposal or
refuse disposal, without finding out what physical, social, cultural or economic constraints might be
operating locally to cause people to do what they do. People in the study population should be involved
in the investigation, analysis and interpretation of their own situation. This is important, because they
will then have an interest in, and a sense of ownership of, the information gathered, and they will perhaps have an interest in making use of the assessment findings if they are presented in accessible forms.
One of the first things that has to be done when carrying out a survey is to define the scale of
the investigation. This depends on the size of the target area; the larger and more varied it is, the larger the study needed. One rule of thumb is to carry on with the investigation until no longer learning
anything new.
Another factor in the choice of sample size is the scale of the proposed programme. There
would be little point in spending so much time and using up so many resources in the research that
nothing is left for the intervention. But skimping on an in-depth assessment could lead to costly mistakes, wasted effort and demoralisation for all concerned.
Below follows a list of methods and techniques that can be used to carry out the in-depth
assessment. It is not necessary to use all the methods, however. The techniques chosen will depend
on the capacity of the study team to use them. The methods proposed in this chapter are complementary, and the use of several of them should enable crosschecking of the information obtained.
2.3
Research techniques
The aim of this method is to form a rapid understanding of the environment in which hygiene
behaviours take place. This method is in fact a structured a visit to a settlement without carrying out
formal research. It takes between 1 and 3 hours, during which two or three field workers will walk
around the settlement. They will observe the different hygiene practices and interactions between
people and discuss with some of those met during the walk.
It is better to conduct the health-walk at the hours when most of the hygiene practices occur
(first and last hours of the day). The health-walk takes in the main places where important hygiene
practices take place, such as water points, latrines, washing areas, markets, surroundings of the households, places where children play and public places.
During the visit a team member takes notes and the team holds a discussion afterwards
It is a method that allows us staff quickly to understand the people and their environment, but
the information collected should be treated with caution, as it is often the fruit of a first impression
that can be shallow or even wrong.
In order to improve the effectiveness of a health-walk, it is a good idea to decide on the main
places to visit and to organise structured observations of hygiene facilities and behaviours there.
2.3.1 HEALTH-WALK
This method is appropriate when the objectives of the research are clear and specific, and when
there is limited time for the study. The observations, which must be conducted after defining a list of
elements to observe, can be carried out during health-walks and interviews.
The focus of the observation can include the following:
Water points: location and state of the water supply facilities, hygiene practices around them:
cleanliness of the water point, is it well maintained? is there proper drainage of the water?
access of animals to the water point, presence of rubbish or stools in the surroundings;
water collection: system used (pump, rope & bucket, person-water point contact, is the
same bucket used for everybody, or does each person bring their own bucket? do people
clean the container before filling it?), cleanliness of collection system;
2.3.2 STRUCTURED OBSERVATIONS
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water handling: person-water contact during the process of collection/ transport/ storage;
water transport: container used and its state of cleanliness.
Sanitation facilities: where do the people defecate? state of latrines (if they exist), are they
used? availability of water close to the latrine.
People: appearance, apparent state of cleanliness of hands, bodies and clothes, is it possible
to perceive any skin disease? physical contacts between people.
Community environment and public places: general cleanliness, presence of stools near the
households, stagnant water, rubbish disposal, existence of flies and mosquitoes, presence of
animals, animal-person contacts etc.
Household: level of cleanliness, available space per person, container used for storing water,
is it the same as for transport? is it covered? can/do people put their hands in the stored water?
places where food is stored, are they cool, are they protected from filed and rodents? aeration,
smell, humidity in houses, existence of mosquito nets.
The list should be memorised to ensure that the observation passes as unnoticed as possible
and the risks of influencing peoples behaviour are minimised.
The observer takes notes that will be discussed with the other members of the team and the
information obtained must be cross-checked with that from other sources.
If the observer is rigorous and skilled enough, the data collected using this method is more
objective and reliable than secondary information coming from other peoples reports.
This method is appropriate for obtaining specific information on hygiene issues. It involves
interviewing people who are assumed to be knowledgeable about problems related to health, hygiene,
sanitation and water. Typical key informants for these issues can be:
health workers;
staff of other agencies working in the area;
traditional authorities and older members of the community;
staff of the ministries related to health and water.
In the interview, the interviewer raises the point of interest and then lets the interviewee
lead the discussion. If the person is really knowledgeable about the issue, she/he will become a key
informant.
This is a good method to research issues related to hygiene practices or the specifics of the
context, but researchers should be aware of possible bias that can influence the results of the assessment, particularly if the key informants interviewed are limited in number.
2.3.3 KEY-INFORMANT INTERVIEWING
The KAP (Knowledge, Attitude and Practice) survey is a method that allows an assessment of
needs and an evaluation of the impact of a hygiene-promotion programme. This method is carried out
through structured interviews, which allows quantitative results to be obtained which can then be statistically analysed.
2.3.4 KAP SURVEY
Exhaustive survey
This survey covers the whole population. It is the most accurate (100% of people interviewed),
but it is difficult to carry out if the population is large (> 500).
2.3.4.1 Types of KAP survey
Surveys by sampling
These surveys are carried out on a representative sample of the population.
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In simple random sampling, each family interviewed is chosen arbitrarily using a table of random numbers. This requires a list of the families and a plan of the settlement where these families live.
In systematic sampling, the first family to be interviewed is chosen at random using a table of
random numbers; the following families are designated using a sampling step which is added to the
previous number until the desired sample size is obtained.
The sampling step P depends on the size of the sample:
n
P =
N
where n is the number of families in the target population, and N the sample size. Systematic sampling also needs a list of the families and a plan of the settlement.
In cluster sampling, which is suitable for large populations (> 5 000), a list of villages in the
area, or sections of a settlement, and their population is needed. The principle consists of determining
the number of families that constitute a cluster by following a precise method, and then localising the
clusters to be sampled. A fixed number of families are interviewed within each cluster.
General case
2.3.4.2 Sample calculation
t2 (p x q)
N =
d2
where N is the sample size; t is the error risk parameter related to the confidence interval (for ACF
surveys, a confidence interval of 5%, which corresponds to t = 1.96, is assumed); p is the expected
prevalence (for ACF surveys, a value of p = 0.5. is chosen, i.e. 50%); q = 1 p, i.e. q = 0.5 for ACF
surveys; d is the degree of accuracy required, generally 5%, i.e. all the indicators studied are within
an accuracy range of 5%.
The accuracy level must be chosen depending on the objective: if the aim is to get an idea of population knowledge in order to adjust hygiene-education actions in the field, a 10% accuracy is sufficient. If
the aim is to highlight a statistically important change within the population, greater accuracy is essential,
but this requires an increase in sample size, and therefore in the time and resources required for the survey. The problem is to find a good compromise between operational feasibility and epidemiological rigour.
Particular cases
Cluster surveys can decrease the representativity of the sample. The families within each cluster are neighbours, and can therefore present similarities in the characteristics studied. This is called
the cluster effect, and the sample needs to be multiplied by 2 to counteract it.
A correction factor can be applied when the sample size reaches one tenth that of the target
population (large sample in relation to the population). In this case:
N
Nr =
1 + (N/n)
where Nr is the size of the corrected sample, N the size of the sample calculated using the general formula, and n the size of the target population (number of families in the target population).
Village with 80 families
The number of people is low, the houses are concentrated, and the village plan has been made.
In this case, an exhaustive survey can be carried out.
2.3.4.3 Examples
551
Village with 1 000 families

The number of people is too high for an exhaustive survey. Therefore, a survey of a simple
random sample is carried out:
stage 1: draw up a list of families, number them (from 1 to 1 000), and make a plan of the
village;
stage 2: size of the sample: N = 1.962 (0.5 x 0.5)/0.052 = 384.16 (an accuracy of 5%). The
size of the sample is large in relation to the number of target families (N > n/10); therefore it
can be corrected so that Nr = 384.16 / [1 + (384.16/1 000)] = 277.54, rounded to 278;
stage 3: draw 278 numbers from the table of random numbers, which correspond to families
to be interviewed (278 of the 1 000 families will therefore be surveyed).
To draw 278 numbers from the table of random numbers is quite a long process, so systematic random sampling is another possibility:
stage 1: draw up a list of families, number them (from 1 to 1 000), and make a plan of the
village;
stage 2: size of the sample: Nr = 278;
stage 3: calculate the sampling step: P = 1 000/278 = 3.60, rounded to 3;
stage 4: draw the sampling interval (a number between 1 and 1 000) at random, from the
table of random numbers - for example 25;
stage 5: determine the number corresponding to the families to be interviewed, as follows:
1st family = number 25;
2nd family = number 25 + 3 = 28;
3rd family = number 28 + 3 = 31 and so on, until 278 families are obtained.
Population of 8 000 families
This population is scattered throughout several sectors of the same town or throughout several villages. In this case the cluster sampling method is the most suitable:
stage 1: determine the number of target families, in this case 8 000;
stage 2: calculate the size of the sample: N = 2 x 1.962 x (0.5 x 0.5)/0.12 = 192, which is
rounded to 210 in order to work with 30 clusters of 7 people each (WHO model used for vaccination surveys);
stage 3: calculate the sampling step: P = 8 000/30 = 266.66, rounded to 266;
stage 4: calculate the cumulative population per village:
Number of families
Village 1
Village 2
Village 3
Village 4
TOTAL
500
300
350
1 000
8 000
Number of accumulated families

500
500 + 300 = 800
800 + 350 = 1 150
1 150 + 1 000 = 2 150 etc.
8 000
stage 5: draw the first cluster from the table of random numbers. This number must be between 1 and P, that is, between 1 and 266 - for example 150; this is the sampling interval. In
the example, the population of village 1 includes 150 (150 < 500), and gives the first cluster;
stage 6: determine the other clusters to be interviewed by adding the sampling step to 150:
150 + 266 = 416. The second cluster is also included in the population of village 1; continue
until 30 clusters are obtained:
552

Number
of families
Cumulative number
of families
Village 1
500
500
Village 2
300
500 + 300 = 800
Village 3
350
800 + 350 = 1150
Village 4
1 000
1 150 + 1 000 = 2 150
Numbering
of families
1 to 500
(150; 150 + 266 = 416)
501 to 800
(416 + 266 = 682)
801 to 1 150
(682 + 266 = 948)
1 151 to 2 1 50
(948 + 266 = 1 214
1 214 + 266 = 1 480
1 480 + 266 = 1 746
1 746 + 266 = 2 012) etc.
Number of clusters
selected per village
2
1
1
4
TOTAL
8 000
8 000
stage 7: select the families to be interviewed within the clusters. For each cluster, go to the
centre of the village (7 families per cluster, see stage 2). The direction to follow is determined
by spinning a bottle or pen then going in that direction and choosing the houses one after another: the first one is chosen at random, and the following are those with the nearest access door.
If a family is absent, it is necessary to try to find a family member somewhere else in the village, or return to their house at some other time.
If the end of the village is reached before completing the sample, the process should be started again from the centre, following a different direction.
The main strength of this kind of survey is the possibility of quantifying the results and analysing them statistically.
The main limitation is the lack of peoples participation in the survey and the directive way in
which the interviews have to be carried out. This means that results, although seemingly good from a
statistical point of view, have a risk of some bias in the responses, especially if the interviewer is not
skilled enough to avoid it. The staff in charge of the survey have to be well trained to get correct information and truthful responses for every question. As an example, if people know that the organisation
involved works on water projects, the people may report that they spend three hours per day fetching
low-quality water, even if this is not completely true.
It is always good to complement this survey with a participative method such as focus-group
discussion.
Focus-group discussions are discussions on a specific topic carried out with people from similar backgrounds. Homogeneous groups are chosen because mixing age, gender or social levels may
inhibit some people, especially women, from expressing their views.
This is not a stand-alone method, but can complement another one, a KAP survey for instance,
and can explain meanings that cannot be clarified statistically.
A key point of this technique is to listen to, and observe, the participants: the content of what
people say is as important as how it is said.
The number of people per discussion can be from 6 to 10, and the number of surveyors required is between two and three:
the animator: who leads the conversation and raises the topics of interest;
the note-taker: who writes whats being discussed;
the observer: who observes the discussion and take brief notes about what they see.
For the equipment needed, pictures can be used to introduce the topics, and a sound recording
can be made of the discussion (this is a good solution when there are not three surveyors available).
2.3.5 FOCUS-GROUP DISCUSSION
553
Box 15.1
Example of a questionnaire used in Ivory Coast.
Date (DD/MM):
Surveyors name:
Womans name:
Did you attend school?

If yes, what level did you reach?
Cluster no. :
Family no. :
q Yes
q Primary
q No
q Secondary
Where do you take your drinking water from?

during the dry season:
during the rainy season:
q traditional well
q traditional well
q renovated ACF well
q ACF pump
q ACF pump
q HV pump
q HV pump
q excavated spring
q excavated spring
q creeks
q creeks
q stored rain water
q stored rain water
q stream
q stream
If you do not use the water point provided by ACF:
Why do you prefer to take your drinking water where you do, instead of from the ACF water point? :
q there is no ACF water point
q the renovated spring is too far away
q the water from the pump tastes bad
q the waiting time at the improved water point is too long
q the renovated well is too far away
q the pump does not work
q other (specify):
Do you clean the place where you take your drinking water from?
q Yes
q No
If so, please describe how you clean it:
Do you keep your drinking water separated from the water used for other purposes?
q Yes
q No
In what kind of recipient do you keep the drinking water for your family?
q barrel
q barrel
q clay jar
q clay jar
q basin
q basin
q bucket
q bucket
q UNHCR jar
q UNHCR jar
q other, please specify:
q other, please specify:
Ask to see the drinking-water storage vessel: would it be possible to see it?
q Yes
q No
Does the recipient have a lid (which does not let in light)?
q Yes
554
q No
How long does it take to empty the water-storage container?

q more thane a day (please specify):
q 2 days
q 3 days
q one day
q more than 3 days (please specify):
Could you show us how you clean your drinking-water recipient (this one or another one)?
q Yes
q No
If so, please observe and note:

q rubs with their hands and rinses with water
q rubs with a brush and rinses with water
q rubs with soap and rinses with water
q rubs with sand or ashes and rinses with water
In your opinion, how should our drinking water be?

q it should have a good taste
q it should be clear
q it should be odourless
q it should not make you ill
q it should be cool
q other (please specify):
Where do you take the water you use for washing yourself from?
q traditional well
q traditional well
q ACF pump
q ACF pump
q HV pump
q HV pump
q excavated spring
q excavated spring
q renovated ACF spring
q creeks
q creeks
q stored rain water
q stored rain water
q stream
q stream
Do you use a traditional shower?
q Yes
q No
Where do you take the water you use for washing your clothes and kitchen utensils from?
q traditional well
q traditional well
q ACF pump
q ACF pump
q HV pump
q HV pump
q excavated spring
q excavated spring
q creeks
q creeks
q stored rain water
q stored rain water
q stream
q stream
Where do you leave your plates and bowls to dry?

q on the ground
q on a table/bench
q in a bowl/basin
Where do you leave your clothes to dry?

q on the ground
q other (please specify) :
q on a washing line/bamboo line
555
What are the most common diseases among the children of your village?
q 1.
q 2.
In your opinion, what are the causes of those diseases ?

q dont know
q 1.
q 2.
q 3.
Do you think that water can carry diseases ?
Is so, which ones?
q diarrhoea
q others (please specify) :
q Yes
q worms
q No
In your opinion, how can you avoid catching these diseases?

q dont know
q 1.
q 2.
What do you use as a toilet?

q the bushes
q traditional latrines
q concrete latrines (VIP, HCR)
q 3.
q I dont know
q 3.
If there are latrines in your village and you do not use them, why dont you use them?
q there are no latrines
q they are too far away
q they are dirty
q the door is broken
q they are smelly
q they are locked
q they are private property
If there are latrines in the village, do you help your younger children to use them?
q dont have children
q Yes
q No
Do you normally wash your hands after going to the toilet?

q Yes
q No
If so, why do you wash your hands after going to the toilet?
q to prevent diseases
q cleanliness
What do you do when your children suffer from diarrhoea?

q go to the medical centre / clinic
q give them traditional medicines
q give them oral rehydration solution made by yourself
q buy medicines in the market
How many children of five years or under do you have?

q none
q three
q one
q four
q two
How many of your children of 5 years or under have suffered from diarrhoea in the last 15 days?
q none
q three
q one
q four
q two
556
Table 15.IV: Various tools that can be used for focus-group discussions.
Tool
Information
Three-pile sorting
Peoples knowledge concerning hygiene issues

Risk practices and their causes
Possible safe target practices
Peoples perception about their hygiene behaviour
Community mapping
Contextual information
Resources, hygiene facilities
Seasonal calendar
Contextual information
Time availability of the people
Culture, habits
Task analysis
Target audience for the programme

Gender roles
A focus-group discussion can be used to introduce ideas or messages to the group, so it is also
a tool for the implementation phase.
There are many different ways to carry out a focus-group discussion. While in some cases it
can be simply a direct discussion between surveyors and participants, in others particular tools can be
used to facilitate the discussion as described below.
The objective of this method is to understand the populations point of view concerning different hygiene practices. First some drawings of different hygiene practices (defecation, hand-washing,
throwing the waste to the river etc.) are shown to groups of participants, who should then decide after
a discussion whether the practice shown in the picture is good or bad, and why. If the drawing is not
clear for them or if there is not a consensus at the end of the discussion, the picture will be classified
as in between.
When using this method, it is very important to take notes of the comments made and to attach
them to the corresponding pictures.
This method is good for starting the study because it breaks down initial barriers between the
assessment team and the population. It is also an opportunity to introduce sensitive subjects such as
defecation, latrines etc.
2.3.6 THREE-PILE SORTING
The objective of this method is to understand local history as told by the elders of a community. This experience will enable learning about different issues:
how local, national and international events are perceived by the population;
how people perceive themselves;
the history of specific issues that are of interest to the programme (water management etc.).
It is important to introduce the assessment team before starting the discussion and to tell the
participants what are the objectives of the study and explain that the information will not be used
against them. Then the participants use local materials to mark the events that have been important
for them, on a line that represents time.
This method also helps to establish good relations with the members of the community and
especially with the elders, who tend to be forgotten key informants.
2.3.7 HISTORY LINE
557
Figure 15.4: Community map

of a neighbourhood in Jakarta (Indonesia).
In this method the participants design a map of their local environment, showing places that
are important for them, and others that are interesting for the study: places where people collect water,
sites that are important for health and hygiene, sanitation facilities (where people throw their rubbish,
go to defecate, wash their clothes etc.)
While people are making the map, it is important to consider that what is happening in the
group (discussions, ideas raised, attitudes towards specific issues etc.) is as important as the map
itself. The map should provide information about physical places and about the attitudes of the people
towards them.
2.3.8 COMMUNITY MAPPING
This method is used to understand the timeframe regarding climate, diseases and the livelihood
activities of the population over the year. As with the methods described above, it requires skilled
surveyors.
When talking about disease outbreaks, a ranking system is also developed in order to highlight
what is high, medium or low incidence.
2.3.9 SEASONAL CALENDARS
The objective of this is to answer the question who does what? in terms of gender. After
having observed what are the local arrangements concerning tasks and resource management, researchers try to understand which tasks are done, and which resources are managed, by men, women
or children.
One of the most commonly used systems is to prepare several cards with a different task drawn
on each one. The group of participants look at each of the pictures and then reach a consensus on who
is performing each of the described tasks. The cards are classified in three piles (men, women and
both/not clear) and comments about each of the activities are noted.
2.3.10 GENDER ROLES/ TASKS ANALYSIS
558
Figure 15.5: Making a seasonal

calendar.
Water analysis is a complementary method that can provide objective information about the
sanitary risks caused by the bad quality of drinking water.
The difference between the quality of water at the point of consumption and at the collection
point provides information about how people handle the water, and the need for improving their practices in terms of water collection, transport, treatment, storage etc.
If the quality of the water collected from a safe water point is bad, it means that efforts have
to be made to improve water handling.
2.3.11 WATER ANALYSIS
2.4
Recruitment and training of the assessment team*
In general the assessment team should be chosen from the project staff and the local population, and should include:
Somebody who thoroughly knows the community where the study will be carried out.
Somebody with good writing skills.
Somebody who speaks and understands the language of the target community perfectly.
A senior staff member with knowledge of the target area and extensive experience of this
kind of project: this person can be useful when planning the assessment and for translating the outputs of the assessment into project aims.
Every member of the team should be:
Respectful of the population.
Able to stay in poorer areas than they may be used to living in.
Willing to learn about local people and their culture.
As distant as possible from political leaders in the areas.
Able to maintain a good team spirit with the other surveyors.
Preferably a native speaker of the target populations language.
Trusted by the population
If there is a conflict in the target population, team members should not belong to one of the
sides in conflict.
2.4.1 CHOOSING THE ASSESSMENT TEAM
* Adapted from Unicef 1999.
559
Once the study team is chosen, it is necessary to prepare them for the assessment with different training aspects:
Sensitisation for the assessment work and what it means for the interest of the community.
Acquiring the technical knowledge and skills required for this kind of investigation.
Improvement of interpersonal skills (presence, style of speech, greetings etc.) in order to
make people feel comfortable with the presence of the surveyor. The objective is to avoid the
observer effect where people react in a different way because of the presence of a stranger.
Involvement of the team in planning the assessment in order to increase their capacities to
lead the study by themselves.
2.4.2 TRAINING THE ASSESSMENT TEAM
Training contents
First of all the trainer will have to find out what are the existing skills and knowledge of the
team in order to orient the training to strengthen weak points and to benefit from the knowledge of
the more skilled team members in helping the others learn.
The training should be as participatory as possible and the approach should be to help the team
learn rather than to impose concepts.
The skills to be practiced during the training are:
Water, sanitation and hygiene issues: relationship between water use, sanitation, peoples
behaviour and diseases.
Observation skills: the trainee needs to learn to separate the trivial details from the important aspects and to write a systematic detailed description of what is observed, avoiding possible biases.
Interviewing skills: the members of the team need to be able to establish a good rapport with
the interviewed person and to listen keenly.
Moderating skills and discussion techniques: many of the assessment techniques consist of
a discussion with community members. The discussions will be moderated by the surveyors,
who need to be skilled in terms of discussion management and discussion techniques such as
focus groups, gender roles, seasonal calendars etc.
2.5
Analysis of results
Once the results of the assessment are analysed it should be possible to answer the questions
what is the problem? what are the causes of this problem? and what is the role of human behaviour?. The steps in the analysis of the assessment information are:
Preparation of a summary of the data in tables or graphs to facilitate the preparation of the
report and to allow a clear presentation of the information (see Figures 15.6 and 15.7).
Figure 15.6: Sanitary risk for

handpump water.
The results of a study carried out in
Myanmar show that water becomes
contaminated between collection
(at the handpump) and consumption
(in the house). It suggests bad
water-handling practices.
560
Figure 15.7: Use of G.I.S. for analysing the results of a hygiene assessment in Mozambique (1999).
Comparison of the information with the preliminary set of questions prepared when making
the detailed assessment plan. This will assist in interpreting the information and identify if something
was missed during the assessment process.
Distribution of the report. All potential partners should have copies of the report and it
should be translated into local languages in order to share the information with local institutions and
the community assessed.
Programme planning and design
3.1
Setting Programme Goals
The programme moves to the planning and design stage when the information from the assessment has been collected, analysed, and presented. The emphasis in this stage of the programme is to
set goals, if any at all, and to design the methods to accomplish these goals. Continued input from all
parties involved in the assessment is essential as decisions are made.
Now it is the time to answer the question What are we going to do and how?. Programme
goals are set based on the results of the assessment phase of the programme.
The following 6 myths of hygiene education identified by Unicef & LSHTM (1999) are common ingredients of failed hygiene-promotion programs. These ideas ought to be dismissed while setting the programme goals.
People are empty vessels into which new ideas can simply be poured.
Introducing new ideas and concepts can create confusion and incomprehension when a society
already has coherent explanations for diseases.
561
People will listen to me because Im medically trained.

Health personnel may believe that the fact they have been trained and are qualified will automatically mean that they will be listened to and believed by the community members. A health worker who is thought to be saying, its your fault your kids get sick and die, its because you are dirty
will gain little respect from the communities.
People learn germ theory in a few health-centre sessions
Even in the best of circumstances, helping people learn new ideas about hygiene and disease
(when this learning is necessary for hygiene-behaviour change) is a long, slow process.
Health education can reach large populations.

If a health-promotion programme were to reach all the mothers in an area it would require an
impracticably large number of hygiene-education sessions.
New ideas replace old ideas.
Hygiene promotion often just adds one more idea about disease without erasing the old ones.
Knowing means doing.

We cannot assume that education about germs and diarrhoea will lead directly to behaviour
change, or have a major impact on diarrhoeal diseases.
3.2
Selection of target practices
Programmes often take on too many goals. To be effective, the programme must focus on a
few practices selected among those identified during the assessment.
The criteria for targeting areas for change in practice are:
1) Importance of the new practice in terms of disease reduction.
2) Ability of the people to adopt this practice: do they have the means?
3) Willingness of the people: will they want to adopt the new practice?
4) The impact achieved for the effort required.
Although all the suggested practices mentioned in Table 15.V can be important, it is not possible to include all the safe practices on the list, and five were chosen because of their greater importance and feasibility in that context: hand-washing (impact on three different problems), use of
latrines and management of childrens excreta (complementary to the latrine programme being implemented), cleaning and maintaining the water point (complementary to the construction programme
being implemented), and refuse disposal (as it was one of the main problems identified).
Testing the practices chosen: behaviour trials

It is recommended to check that the practices chosen to replace the risk ones are feasible and
realistic. One method for testing this is the behaviour trial, in which a limited number of volunteers
are selected from among the target audience, after presenting them the results of the study in the community and the advantages of adopting the new practices.
The volunteers (women in general) adopt the safer behaviours during two weeks and a member of the team visits each volunteer at home every day in order to advise and to observe the progress.
At each visit, the observer will note every event which occurred in the process of adopting the new
practice and seek the answer to different questions:
Is the practice adopted?
What are the difficulties and how are they solved?
What can make it easier to adopt the new practice?
Does the volunteer like the practice? Why?
What were the costs and the benefits for the volunteer?
562
Table 15.V: Example of targeting safe practices to promote.
Problem
Risk behaviour
Safe practice to promote
Comments
Presence of stools in People dont use the latrines

People use the latrines
human environment Mothers throw the baby faeces Parents throw baby faeces
in the street
into the latrine pit
Latrines recently installed
Contaminated
drinking water
In this culture people must

touch the water
No wood available
for boiling water
Different buckets used

to collect water from the well
People touch the water
with dirty hands
Bad water-point maintenance
People dont clean water
containers
Water containers not covered
People dont boil the water
All the well users use

the same collection bucket
People dont touch the water
People wash their hands
People clean and maintain
the water point
People cover the water
containers
People boil the drinking water
Contaminated food
Food kept on the ground

People touch the food
with dirty hands
Food kept in a cupboard

Cupboards too expensive
Lack of personal
cleanliness
Dirty hands
People take a bath
once a month

People take a bath
once a day
Limited availability
of water
Dirty environment
Rubbish thrown in the street

Stagnant water
People burn or bury their rubbish

People clean and maintain drainages
At the end of the process the sequence of events are summarised in a table as in the following
example:
Practice
Percentage of people adopting this practice

Initial
Final
Washing hands after defecating

Burying or throwing childrens stools into the latrine
10%
5%
30%
18%
This technique will allow the new practices chosen for replacing the risky ones to be redefined or modified.
3.3
Selecting the target audience
3.4
Designing the message
The in-depth assessment should have identified which people carry out risky hygiene practices. But people do not act in isolation; they are members of family groups and of a wider society
that has a great influence on what they do. Communication to encourage behaviour change should be
directed at the people who make the key decisions in the family and the community.
It should also be considered at what stage of peoples life it is better to reach them with the
chosen message (pre-school, school, young, adult, elderly).
Now it is necessary to decide what is the best way to convince the population to replace the
risk practices by the safe target practices.
563
Figure 15.8: Enabling factors.
This means finding out from the primary target audience what they like about the safer
practices. Communication strategies are then built around these positive values.
The methods used to find out what people like about the safer practices (change in the risk
practice) can include behaviour trials, semi-structured interviews and focus-group discussions. With
the information obtained a positioning statement is produced that picks out a key advantage and a key
goal for each target practice.
Examples
I want to clean up stools and throw them in a latrine because ... then people wont step in them
and my neighbours will respect me.
I want to wash my hands with soap after contact with stools because it leaves my hands
smelling nice and I feel good when I feel clean.
It is not advisable to position the messages around the fear of disease and the death of children. For example, messages about diarrhoea dont always make sense to people, and tend to revolt
them because they are profoundly unattractive A message about having healthier children and fewer
medical costs is more positive and attractive.
A message will only be effective if the advice presented is relevant, appropriate, acceptable and
put across in an understandable way. In the configuration of the message it is necessary to play with the
understanding of health that people have and the existing influences on their behaviour (Figure 15.8).
Good advice should:
be defined according to the results of the previous assessments;
recommend a target practice previously identified;
respect the social environment and culture of the community;
consider the enabling factors: it should be affordable and realistic;
require a minimum of time and effort;
be felt as a need by the community;
imply a noticeable benefit;
be easily understood.
The level of communication should be chosen depending on the kind of message to be transmitted, the size of the target population and the capacities of the team. The channels used will depend
on the level chosen:
3.5
Communication channels
564
Individual/family level:
one-to-one advising;
patient education;
home visiting.
Community level:
community participation/discussion;
group teaching;
exhibitions;
demonstrations.
Regional/national level:
mass media;
social mobilisation.
On the basis of the assessment of the target audience, the team then decides which channels of
communication are likely to be most effective and within the programme budget. The communication
objectives need to be translated into activities and events designed to get the message across. These
are commonly known as communication supports. Communication supports use the senses of vision
and hearing to convey messages.
The various supports can be classified into:
Audio-visual: a support that is seen and heard; it can include theatre, video, film and teaching
with audio-visual materials.
Oral: a support that uses words alone to pass messages; this may be in the form of a story,
a song, a radio announcement or a visit from a health worker.
Written: includes leaflets, posters and articles in the press.
Visual: includes posters, stickers and flip-charts.
In choosing the supports for the communication plan there are various points that should be
kept in mind:
use of local idiom: so that people feel that it relates to them;
attractiveness: so that it pulls people in;
repetition: so that messages are retained;
easy to understand: so that nobody gets confused;
participatory: an exchange of views is most effective;
provocative: so that the messages are memorable and get discussed;
show by example: so that the new behaviours are seen to be possible.
When choosing the communication channel it should be remembered that:
we retain just 10% of what we hear;
we retain about 30% of what we hear and see;
we retain more than 60% of what we do.
Therefore actions are more effective than words in retaining information.
Sometimes there may be materials already developed and available for use in the programme.
These ready-made materials can save time and money, but it is important to consider who was supposed to be their original target audience. It is a common mistake, for example, to use a tool that was
designed for children for communicating with adults.
Below is a list of some of the tools more frequently used in ACF programmes.
3.5.1 PICTURES
Pictures and images can be used in different ways:

as a support for face-to face communication;
as a component of printed media (newspapers, t-shirts, stickers etc.).
565
Figure 15.9: Use of puppets for hygiene promotion in Laos.
The following points should be considered when using pictures:

make details accurate and objects familiar to the audience;
avoid distracting details;
be careful when using a sequence of pictures as it can create confusion;
use no more than one message per picture;
pre-test with samples of the intended audience.
Generally, this is a tool that has the advantage of being attractive for the audience. Experience
shows that the impact of this activity tends to be higher than using simple oral sessions.
Drama or popular theatre can also be used to promote community participation. Following the
show, people can be involved in discussing issues and suggesting solutions. Sometimes this can also
happen during the show.
Puppets are a form of drama with a lot of potential for hygiene promotion. In some countries,
such as Indonesia, puppets are a tradition. One advantage of puppets is that they can transmit sensitive messages that would not be possible for an actor in a play. There are messages that the population would not accept coming from a person but they will listen if it is just a puppet talking.
3.5.2 THEATRE/ PUPPETS
While some of the proposed methods require a certain level of formal education, storytelling
is closer to the way most people think. In addition, people remember things better explained in this
format than in a formal talk or conference.
The story should be such that people identify with the figures and the situations presented.
3.5.3 STORYTELLING
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In some countries, such as Sierra Leone, music combined with dance is used traditionally to
tell events and stories. The singers of the village are quite appreciated by the community and people
listen to what is said in their songs. This channel has a powerful effect on emotions and it was used
by the hygiene team in this country with good results.
Songs can be used as media (publication of CDs for example) or as a component of hygienepromotion sessions in villages or schools.
3.5.4 SONGS
These kinds of tools are also good because of their attractiveness, but they should be used with
care, because sometimes the tool itself takes more attention from the audience that the message it is
supposed to transmit, as it is such a novelty, given the standard of living of the people watching.
3.5.5 VIDEO, SLIDES ETC.
It is also possible to include messages as advertisements in newspapers, on the radio and the
television etc. In this case it is always good to present the message and discuss it with samples of the
target audience before publishing or broadcasting it.
These tools are mainly used to create an awareness about a topic, after which the teams carry
out a face-to face communication in order to reinforce the process of behaviour change.
3.5.6 MASS MEDIA
3.6
Selection of the communicators
The question now is who is going to be responsible for transmitting the message to the target
audience. The people chosen should be as close as possible to the target community and, if possible,
should belong to the community.
This can be achieved in several ways:
Recruitment of staff by the organisation to implement the programme directly. In this case it
is recommended that they are native to the region of the target communities. As an example, in
Mozambique, ACF developed the hygiene programme through a team of 6 promoters who originated
from the different areas targeted by the project. They knew their respective areas of work thoroughly
and they were also known and respected by the people in the different communities with which they
were working. Each one of them was based in their respective work area and only left their area for
a few days at the end of each month to meet the other fieldworkers in the district capital to discuss
progress and write a monthly activity report.
Working through a local NGO.
Working through groups of local people such as theatre troupes.
Training of trainers: in this case the agency staff is composed of trainers who will train members of the community, who in turn will be in charge of passing the message to the target
audience. In this case there are two options:
training of health or education staff: health workers, teachers, midwifes etc.;
training of one or more Community Hygiene Facilitators (CHFs), who are people from the
community, chosen by the members of their community.
In the planning phase it is important to remember the schools. Children are usually an important part of the target audience, and training teachers for health is a good way to increase the projects
impact and guarantee some sustainability.
3.6.1 TEACHERS AS HYGIENE COMMUNICATORS
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Working with schools and children has several advantages:

Most of the time, children belong to the target audience as they are more exposed to diarrhoeal diseases.
Children are more open than adults to receiving messages. The message gets across more
easily as they have fewer established habits, making it easier for them to adopt the new, safer
practices.
Sustainability: working with children is an investment for the future. If they adopt a new practice, it will be with them throughout their lives. Furthermore, if teachers are trained to include
hygiene in their programmes, this provides some continuity after the organisation leaves.
Children adopting safe practices in their homes can be a good seed to spread these practices
among parents and then the entire community.
There are good examples of this kind of activity in Myanmar, where children paint newlyconstructed latrines with drawings showing safe practices for excreta disposal (washing hands after
using the latrine, keep the latrine clean etc.) or East Timor, where a different range of activities, such
as role plays and songs, are organised with the teachers. In both cases the teachers are trained during
the first sessions implemented by the project team, and then carry out the activity by themselves afterwards with the help of an educational kit.
3.6.2 COMMUNITY HYGIENE FACILITATORS
In ACF programmes, it is becoming more usual to work with CHFs, who are members of the
community, trained by ACF staff to be a resource person for their village concerning hygiene issues.
Even though the old proverb says that nobody is a prophet in his own land, it is true that people
tend to understand somebody who belongs to the same community better than an outsider. Furthermore,
the fact of seeing what a member of their own community is able to do can be a stimulus for them.
The main advantages of working with members of the target audience as hygiene promoters are:
Local knowledge: they know the community well.
Logistics: as the sensitisation and the transmission of the message are done by a member of
the community, the volume of activity required of ACF staff is reduced.
Sustainability: the promotion of safe hygiene practices depends on a member of the community, so it becomes independent from the first intervention.
In order to encourage the sustainability of the hygiene facilitators activity, they are not given
a salary for their work. They can be given incentives such as tee-shirts or caps, or the opportunity to
do some training outside the village. In some cases, the fact of being a resource for health in the village makes the facilitators feel useful, respected and recognised by the rest of the community, and this
can be enough reward for them.
The roles of the Community Hygiene Facilitator:
Promotion of improved practices, through their own behaviours, discussions, and activities
such as home visiting. The CHF is should be someone who is respected in the community so
that their point of view will be listened to.
Monitoring and reporting: the CHF is a window for the agency during the implementation
phase and after. They can provide updates of the situation in the community in terms of diseases,
adoption of new practices etc. If they are well trained, they can provide regular and good firsthand information. They can be provided with a simple reporting sheet with a table to fill in periodically (on a weekly or monthly basis) to compile the information of interest (births, deaths,
number of diarrhoea cases, state of cleanliness of the water and sanitation infrastructure etc.)
Treatment of diarrhoea cases: in places such as Sierra Leone, the CHFs are consulted for
cases of diarrhoea. They may administer oral rehydration solution, and/or contact the closest
health centre if necessary.
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Choosing the Community Hygiene Facilitator

The CHFs must be chosen by the community members, but there are some points that should
be considered, to minimise the risk of failure:
The CHF should be a representative of the target audience, which often comprises the poorest people in the community. Sometimes the head of the village takes the decision and chooses
somebody from their family or circle of friends even if they dont have the capacity. This
should be avoided as far as possible.
In general, women are more suitable for the role of CHF. They are usually in the risk groups
concerned, and they are more involved in the day-to-day life of the community.
The CHF should be able to read and write, as in some cases they have to write a report.
The CHF should be somebody who will stay in the community and doesnt foresee leaving.
Young people with higher levels of education often aspire to leave their village looking for
new horizons, so older people are often more suitable.
The facilitator should have no link with political factions and should not be likely to take
part in a possible conflict. They should be respected by everybody in the village and their opinion should be listened to by a majority of the community.
The election of the CHF must not be done too quickly. Enough time should be allocated to
this process to avoid failures.
The most important point is that the CHF should be motivated, committed to social justice
and able to demonstrate solidarity with the most vulnerable.
Training of the Community Hygiene Facilitators

A workshop can be organised to train the elected CHFs from the communities targeted by the
project in order to train all of them at the same time and to allow them to exchange experiences and
points of view. Usually this training takes between one and two weeks (it depends on the subjects),
but this has to be adapted, depending of the availability of the trainees. After the workshop and during
the ongoing programme, the agency trainers visit them periodically to monitor their activities, answer
their questions, and give some advice for solving possible problems.
In some cases, when the CHFs acquire enough skills and experience, they become trainers or
members of the project team.
3.7
Consolidation of the communication plan
By this stage the participant groups addressed by the safe water and environmental sanitation
intervention have been chosen. The project team should know a lot about them through the research
they have conducted. They know the behaviours and practices to recommend and advocate.
They know the channels and media they want to use: interpersonal for developing behaviours
of most people; the mass and traditional media for modelling behaviours and giving some information; and asking influential people at all levels to give testimonials and give support for the intervention, thus establishing social norms and creating a climate for change.
It is important for the final communication plan to be a product of team effort. The process of
drawing up the plan will validate the various contributions that partners and other team members have
given in research, preparing plans or designing strategies. It is also a way for everyone to buy into the
communication programme and to assure its smooth operation.
Pilot, Testing, and Revision

Testing is very important because the communication materials will not be got right the first
time. The poster designed to show a mother washing her hands may look to the target audience like
she is taking a pill, or the radio ad produced may be so funny that it distracts from the message.
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Trial versions should be made of all of the material, which should then be tested. Prototype
posters can be taken to a school or a health centre and people can be asked what they see in them.
Small focus-group discussions with representatives of target groups can be held to evaluate tapes of
radio programmes. Some members of the audience can be interviewed after the first show of a play
to see what they retained. Health workers can try out materials and give feedback on their usefulness.
Once the material has been tested and revised, it is wise to start the programme on a small scale
and pilot the material. It should be monitored and then evaluated, and any procedures that may seem
inadequate should be revised. Then the main programme can be launched in all of the areas that have
been planned.
3.8
Distribution of hygiene kits
It is possible that the target practices chosen to replace the risky ones require certain resources
that are not available to the population. This is often the case in emergency situations and with highly
vulnerable populations. In this case, it may be necessary to distribute items that are needed by the
affected population to carry out the safe practices.
Some examples of items to be distributed are:
Soap: this should only be considered in case of an emergency (distributing soap is not normally sustainable).
Chlorine: it is distributed in case of cholera epidemics and diarrhoea outbreaks. It can be
used for disinfecting wells or treating drinking water. As it can be dangerous when it is incorrectly used, the people who are going to handle it should be well trained.
Cleaning tools: for water containers, households or water points.
Water containers: adapted to the habits and needs of the people in terms of collection, handling, transporting and storage of water. It is common to distribute one container for water
Box 15.2
Example of hygiene kits distribution in Laos.
In Laos, unsafe water handling practices were found in the assessment phase. To ensure good quality of
water at the household level, it was necessary for people to protect water during transport and storage and
to treat it by boiling. The problem was that people had no containers to transport and store the water and no
means to boil it. These elements were not available for the population at an affordable cost for them, and so
a distribution of hygiene kits was decided. Evaluations carried out years after the distributions demonstrate
that people started to boil their water and modified their risk practices, motivated by having the necessary
resources.
The family hygiene kit included the following items:

a nail clipper (people generally eat with their hands and share the food);
2 plastic buckets to fetch water to replace low capacity and unhygienic traditional gourds;
one 60-litre plastic water container with lid to store water at home, to reduce the frequency of water
collection;
one plastic scoop with handle to collect water from the container in a hygienic way;
one kettle to boil drinking water;
a set of 6 plastic glasses;
a thermos flask;
one bar of soap and one brush;
impregnated mosquito nets (the number of bed nets distributed per family was chosen after a household
visit to determine needs. One small bed net was given as a spare for members going out to work overnight
in rice fields etc.).
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collection and transport (between 5 and 20 litres), and another for storage (between 30 and
100 litres). It is also possible to include a water bottle in the kit to allow people to have clean
drinking water while they are working far from home.
Whistling kettles: whistling kettles enable people to disinfect water correctly by boiling.
Filters: if it is not possible to treat the water by boiling it due to cultural issues or lack of
cooking fuel at reasonable prices, other means such as clay or sand filters (with easy and affordable maintenance) can be distributed at household level.
Nail clippers: as dirty nails are an important transmission route for pathogens.
Monitoring and evaluation
4.1
Monitoring
The objective of monitoring is to review how the programme is being developed at all its
stages, in order to improve the results.
After each session of hygiene promotion, the hygiene promoter fills in a sheet with the information concerning the place, the date, the time, the audience at the beginning and at the end of the
session, their attitude (bored, participative etc.), the number of people sick with diarrhoea, the cleanliness of the water point etc. Each promoter has a sheet for the compilation of the data for one month.
Table 15 VI: Examples of monitoring different aspects of communication activities.
Poster
Session
Media
Visibility
The poster was placed

in the church and reached
almost all the population
The session was carried out

when the women were working
in the field, and few people came
The radio programme was broadcast

at lunch time, and nobody heard it
Interest
The poster was too small

to catch attention
The session was so boring

that half of the people left
before the end
The programme was a radio series

taught by a theatre group about real
and common stories happening
in the communities. As people
recognized their own life in the
stories, the audience was large
Understanding
People thought that the

mosquito in the poster
was the solution for malaria
The field worker used the local

language and the same words
and expressions used by
the community
The linkman used complicated

words and nobody understood
Acceptance
People think that malaria

is produced by witchcraft
and they dont believe the
message even though they
understood it
When the field worker said that

diarrhoea was transmitted by
faeces, people started laughing
The linkman was a very well known

and respected traditional leader
so the people trusted what he said
Behaviour
change
Some people dont have

money to buy a mosquito net
People wash their hands with

soap because they spend
less money on medicines
The women wanted to follow the

advice, but they did not have means
to put it into practice
Improvement
in health
The health centre started

distributing mosquito nets
at very low cost and malaria
decreased
People started washing their

hands, but the quality of the
drinking water was so bad
that no improvement in health
occurred
People understood the message,

believed it and followed the advice,
but health centres were not
functioning
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This information coming from the different members of the team or the CHFs feeds into a meeting
with the team at the end of the month, about the work that is being done, the problems encountered
and the positive points remarked.
The result of this discussion can be compiled in a table as shown in Table15.VI.
In common with all programme aspects, health-promotion activities need to be carefully
supervised and monitored. Periodic reviews will help ensure that activities are being carried out, that
they are reaching people, and that they are effective. The results will allow modification of the programme to make it more effective.
4.2
Evaluation
Example: Laos
Evaluation attempts to take an overview of the whole project and define to what extent it has
fulfilled its objectives, and how and why it has fallen short of them, if that is the case. Evaluation also
attempts to assess if there have been any unforeseen consequences of the project activities. While
monitoring should take place from the onset of the project, evaluation takes place only after enough
time has elapsed for changes to take place (see Chapter 2). This stage entails both the analysis of overall impact and the application of analysis for planning future activities.
The methods used for carrying out an assessment are also useful for evaluating the impact of
the programme.
Evaluation and monitoring may overlap. It is important to monitor whether a new behaviour
is being carried out and also to evaluate whether the new behaviour has changed the outcomes that
were the initial concern.
Changes in practices and improvements in health are longer to achieve than changes in knowledge. Short-term evaluations can be done during the programme (monitoring) and at its end. But longer-term evaluations, some time after the completion of the programme, can also be done in order to
evaluate the real impact of the activities.
Specific objectives and results to obtain for the hygiene education activities were:
Increased hygiene awareness and improved hygiene practices among communities in 20 villages, through village hygiene-education sessions (in the local language) and provision of
hygiene kits.
Increased malaria awareness and improved malaria-prevention practices in 52 villages
through: village malaria-education sessions (in the local language) and provision of impregnated mosquito nets.
In order to achieve the expected results, the general methodology established was the following:
Needs assessment
The first step, before starting the health-education programme itself was to assess needs through
a KAP survey related to hygiene or malaria-prevention knowledge and practices. The purpose of the survey was to establish villagers habits with regards to hygiene in order to design an appropriate hygieneeducation programme, responding to the particular needs of the population. Other qualitative surveys
were also conducted in parallel through focus-group discussions (occurrence of diseases etc.).
Results of the assessment

Diarrhoea and malaria were the most recurrent diseases in the villages. For instance, in 12 of the
target villages where focus-group discussions were held before the start of the health-education sessions, the most recurrent disease was said to be either malaria or diarrhoea. Only in 2 of those 12
villages was another disease (coughing) said to be more common than either diarrhoea or malaria.
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Box 3
Example of an evaluation in Laos.
Impact measurement of a part of a hygiene-promotion programme in Laos (2003). The results come from a
KAP survey carried out at the beginning and after the end of the programme. They demonstrate changes in
knowledge, practices and health outcomes.
Result
before
programme
Result one year

after the end
of the programme
Comments
Drinking water
Boiling drinking-water
Using a bucket for water transport
Using a gourd for water transport
Using an old drum for water transport
Washing water containers with soap
Collecting water more than once per day
Link between water and disease

Knowing that water can transmit diseases
Not knowing how to prevent diarrhoea
Doing nothing when a child in the family
has diarrhoea
Having at least one person in the family
affected by diarrhoea during the last month
22%
16%
58%
21%
18%
81%
98%
Distribution of kettles
94%
Distribution of buckets
1%
4%
67%
13%
Distribution of buckets and
water-storage containers
37%
83%
93%
15%
51%
74%
10%
36%
Villagers had very poor knowledge about the origin of those diseases, the means to protect
themselves and the basic treatments to take (in the case of diarrhoea in children for instance).
Even if the villagers were taught about the above-mentioned problems and their solutions
they did not have the financial resources to buy the necessary equipment. For instance, 53%
of people never boiled water because they could not afford a kettle, and none of the families
without a mosquito net could afford to buy one.
Therefore, to be able to have a positive impact on malaria and diarrhoea reduction, people
also needed to be helped through distribution of equipment.
Design of hygiene-promotion sessions

The syllabus of hygiene-education activities was then designed, based the results of surveys.
Four distinct sessions tackling different themes were to be carried out in each target village.
The themes of the four activities were:
1) General hygiene (hygiene when preparing meals and eating, personal hygiene, cleanliness
of the environment and what to do with rubbish etc.). Distribution of nail clippers and soap.
2) Diarrhoea (causes, related health hazards, actions to be undertaken and means of prevention). Preparation of oral re-hydration solution.
3) Clean water (hazards linked with contaminated water, means of prevention, safe hygienic
practices for water collection, transport, storage and consumption). Distribution of hygiene
kits. Collection of a small amount of money for each hygiene kit distributed, to create a small
revolving fund within the village.
4) Malaria (causes, related health hazards, means of prevention, actions to undertake in case
of illness). Distribution of mosquito nets after inventory of needs in each household. Distribution of insect-repellent soap bars. Impregnation of bed nets together with villagers.
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Educational tools and methods

As the results of health-education sessions depend mainly on the information being understood, special attention was given to the following parameters:
The vast majority of villagers, especially women, could not speak or understand the Lao language. Hence, it was of utmost importance that health-education sessions were carried out in
ethnic minority languages. This was taken into account from the very beginning of the project,
and ACF recruited Akkha speakers (most of them being native speakers). Therefore no translation was required in most target villages (16 villages out of 21). As far as Koui villages were
concerned, when potential translators were not available in the village, some were hired from
the target villages of the previous project (Phonsamphan village).
Most people were illiterate. As a result, educational tools needed to be mostly pictorial
and/or auditory. Hence, various educational tools including posters, game posters, card games,
videos (in Koui and Akkha ethnic languages) etc. were used.
Villagers were divided in three groups in each village (women, children and men). One distinct session was held for each group. To keep the participants attention and stimulate their involvement, small rewards such as sweets for children, soap bars and ECHO/ACF malaria-prevention tee
shirts were distributed to the most pro-active people. Moreover, educators called for testimonies and
experiences to get examples of real situations and make sessions livelier.
The evaluation of the programme was carried out through a KAP survey before starting the
programme and one year after its end. The analysis of the survey results was done with a simple calculation sheet. As an example, the proportion of people washing their hands with ashes or soap increased from 16% to 80% and the proportion of people boiling drinking-water rose from 22% to 98%.
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CHAPTER 16
Water-supply management
1
2
2.1
General objectives
Types of management
Actors in charge of water-supply
management
2.2
Context and management
2.2.1 Rural areas and isolated and dispersed
communities
2.2.2 Urban and peri-urban areas
2.2.3 Emergency water supply
2.3
Management by type of water-supply
system
2.3.1 Springs and streams
2.3.2 Open wells
2.3.3 Handpumps
2.3.4 Wind pumps
2.3.5 Motorised electrical pumps
2.3.6 Solar-powered pumping systems
2.3.7 Rainwater harvesting
2.3.8 Surface reservoirs (ponds)
2.3.9 Water-treatment and distribution
systems
2.3.10 Emergency situations
3
Community-based management
3.1
How does it work
3.2
Water committee
3.2.1 Functions of the water committee
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3.2.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.6
3.6.1
3.6.2
3.6.3
3.6.4
3.6.5
3.6.6
3.6.7
3.7
3.7.1
3.7.2
3.7.3
Committee members
3.2.2.1 President
3.2.2.2 Technician
3.2.2.3 Treasurer
3.2.2.4 Hygiene promoter
Repairer
Spare-parts network
Local authorities
Launching a community
management system
Water management in the assessment
phase
Establishment of the management
system and agreements with
the communities
Establishment and election
of the water committee
Community participation
during construction
Committee training
Handover of water supplies
Monitoring and follow-up
Cost recovery
Principles of contribution
Collection systems
User-fee estimation
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Water-supply management includes all the activities aimed at ensuring the sustainability, the
correct use and the rational exploitation of water resources and water-supply installations. It also
includes actions to ensure equal access for all the population to the water supply.
The long-term resolution of problems related to access to water will largely depend on the way
the water resource and installation are managed. Deficiencies in this management are responsible for
damage to the environment, contamination and overexploitation of aquifers, low food production, failure in existing water and sanitation systems, poor sanitary conditions and inequities in access to water
within communities. These problems are a consequence of stalled development and inappropriate
water use and demand.
Water management concerns not only drinking and domestic water, but also water for irrigation,
animals and industry. These uses require higher quantities of water than domestic consumption. Agriculture takes approximately 70% of the water used in the world, and many irrigation techniques involve
substantial losses (up to 60%) because they are not appropriate or because they are poorly managed.
16. Water-supply management
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In general, water availability and quality can be ensured through:

Rational exploitation of the water resources. The conservation of these resources should guarantee sustainable use.
A comprehensive strategy for the development of water demand in relation to water availability.
Good operation and maintenance of facilities in order to optimise the water supply (many
urban systems have losses of up to 30% of the water supplied) and preserve water quality.
Control of consumption to avoid wasting water.
Improving irrigation techniques and systems, as well as selecting environmentally appropriate crops to reduce water consumption significantly.
Appropriate management involves the integration of both water and sanitation components.
Wastewater is an extension of the water-supply system, and excreta disposal, refuse management,
drainage and other sanitation activities are a also a major concern because they have an important
influence on water sources and supplies, and they are complementary in their objectives to reduce
health risks.
The causes of poor water-supply management include lack of capacity and knowledge, poor
organisation, and absence of the habits and willingness required for appropriate management. Therefore, a big part of the solution must involve social aspects, developing awareness, training and
organisation.
This chapter will focus mainly on the scale of the community, and it is concerned with the
management of water and sanitation systems rather than the management of water resources, prioritising the importance of an equitable supply, the proper use of facilities and the sustainability of systems. Communities must be integrally involved in the management of their resources, and this implies
their participation in all the management mechanisms.
General objectives
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The key to good water-supply management is the choice of appropriate technology. It is essential that the technology is selected to match the needs, capacities and desires of the community. The
ability of the community to understand, operate and pay for maintenance is essential to the sustainability of the system. In many cases, low-cost solutions and existing local technologies will be the best
option. The initial cost of the system is an important factor for consideration as well, because it is
often directly related to operation and maintenance costs. Many projects fail because the technology
used is not appropriate to the capacities and needs of the communities.
There is no standard model for the management of water systems. There are many different
contexts, each with specific factors to consider: characteristics of the resource, technology of the
water system; needs, demands and development level of the community; community organisation;
social and political mechanisms; level of involvement of the people; technical capacities; availability
of equipment and materials; willingness to pay and to participate in management; community versus
private approaches; and others. Defining and setting up a management system requires a full assessment of the situation. Integral to that assessment is the participation of communities from the beginning of the process. This chapter presents recommendations and key elements to take into consideration when establishing a water-management system.
During a crisis, problems are not only related to the lack of facilities but also to a loss of social
organisation and capacities. The organisation of the communities to manage their water systems can
also have an impact in the recovery of the community, helping the strengthening of social ties.
Water and sanitation projects must promote active management by the community. When
determining an appropriate management regime, it is necessary to undertake the following steps:
Analyse the available water resources and determine appropriate exploitation.
Determine what is a sustainable water system, including an appropriate level of maintenance.
Guarantee enough quantity and proper quality of water, with equal access for every member
of the community.
Ensure access to water for vulnerable populations.
Establish a cost-recovery system to ensure consumers can pay for operation and maintenance.
Promote proper use and handling of water (integration in hygiene-promotion programmes,
see Chapter 15)
Promote safety in relation to the construction and use of the facilities.
Put mechanisms in place to sensitise communities through appropriate management and to
promote participation.
Use methods to empower women to participate in the design and construction of the water
supply as well as the management scheme.
Integrate regional and national water policies: those policies should promote the active role
of the communities in water management, providing the tools and proper methodologies to do
it. Systems must also be designed following those policies, and advocacy should be done to
encourage better policies that take communities into consideration.
ACF advocates for universal access to water as an important element in the fight against hunger.
Types of management
2.1
Actors in charge of water-supply management
Various management schemes exist and must be adapted to each specific context that is characterised by a certain set of needs and factors. Table 16.1 shows how different factors should be taken
into account when designing the key elements of a water-supply management system.
Management of the water resource and provision of water supply are two different tasks, each
involving specific requirements and responsibilities. Both areas of management must be established
and regulated according to the laws of the country.
Water-resource management should be under the control of governments and communities. In
cases where water resources are shared between different communities, it will be necessary to have a
clear agreement between them (sometimes this involves different countries), and procedures and rules
must be established in order to have fair distribution and avoid possible conflicts.
There are three main actors who may be in charge of the management of water-supply provision: the private sector, the public sector and civil society which can be the community itself and/or
NGOs. (NGOs and other organisations can participate in this process but normally they will not be in
charge of the direct management of the water supply in the long term.) In some cases there is joint
Table 16.1: Factors for consideration when designing a water-supply management system.
Issue
Factors
Key elements in the management
Water-supply system
Type of water supply (technology used)

Size of water system
Operation and maintenance requirements

Cost
Community
Number of users
Social structure and local organisation
Existing capacities
Coping mechanisms, economic situation
Water-point managers
Distribution of tasks
Cost-recovery system
Relationships between actors
Context
Emergency requirements
Role of public administration
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management of water services, through a steering committee that includes private companies, public
structures and community representatives.
This chapter will not enter in depth into the debate about public versus private services (see
Box 16.1). Each situation requires specific analysis to define the appropriate management system.
However, it is important to remember that the aim of a water-supply project is to ensure equitable and
sustainable water access for all the community. At all times, the existing management mechanisms
must be analysed and considered in the light of this aim.
Community management is a good solution for small-scale systems and it is probably the most
appropriate (or common) system in many humanitarian and development contexts. In areas with community-managed systems, operations must be determined and accepted by the beneficiaries in order
Box 16.1
Private and public management.
Private versus public management is an important issue for many organisations working in water and advocacy, and it is mainly related to urban water supply and the involvement of water companies. There are several levels of discussion that are important to clarify:
Provision of safe water normally involves costs, and so water consumption requires some form of payment,
whether for private or public services. Payment for private services includes a provision for profit.
Private management only concerns 10% of the water supply for the world as a whole, and between 2 and
5% in the developing countries. Globally, this is not the most important issue in relation to water-supply problems:
Rural areas are not normally concerned by this issue.
Privatisation is not generally an issue for the availability of water used for agriculture, which is the main
consumer of water.
Health problems related to water and sanitation are not only related to who manages the supply, but are
affected by many other factors, such as hygiene etc.
Much funding is provided to support the privatisation process, excluding other possible solutions that
maybe more appropriate in contexts with major needs. On the other hand, advocacy against privatisation is the
main issue for discussion in many forums and diverts activists from work on other important matters.
Many organisations criticise the strategy of big donors such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, that strongly support private management instead of providing more support to the public sector
and the development of water policies.
There have been some big cases of corruption concerning water companies, but corruption does not only
concern the private sector. Discussion regarding privatisation at this point is concerned more with actual practice than the efficiency of privatisation models as such, or general assumptions regarding rights. The water
companies involved in these cases have an important responsibility even when they do nothing strictly illegal.
There are divisions of opinions regarding the greater efficiency of private management compared with public
management (if the appropriate investment is made). A key difference is that private companies can normally
provide the substantial investment that is required for some situations. Efficiency is more related to the existence of competition and options for choice, whereas monopolies appear to be less efficient, though both
public and private structures may be monopolies.
There should be a clear policy in each country to regulate how public and private structures operate. This
policy must guarantee that service providers ensure equitable access, with special policies for poor and vulnerable groups, and that they limit environmental impacts. Even in the absence of legal or contractual obligations in this field (which is common in many countries where legal frameworks and/or regulatory capacity are
not strong), companies should be encouraged to act ethically in the areas of environmental protection and
social responsibility, rather than to take advantage of regulatory freedom to increase profits.
578
to reduce the risk of possible conflicts and misunderstandings. This type of management is broadly
developed in Section 3.
ACF programmes normally support community or public management, but there are also
experiences where private water-point owners are supported. Activities are focused on the strengthening of local organisational structures through the provision of resources and the training of personnel. It is important to involve the communities in the management, including vulnerable groups.
The main conclusion is that water-management mechanisms must be regulated by a clear and
effective policy which ensures that systems are efficient and that the needs of the public are met.
Organisations working with vulnerable communities should contribute to the development of these
policies in order for those communities concerns to be reflected.
In developing countries, large corporations tend to be interested in large cities, and their involvement can
range from the construction of infrastructure to contracted management of the water system. These international companies often create local subsidiaries or partnerships with local companies.
Systems managed by private companies do not necessarily mean higher prices for water. Some experiences
show that the poor generally pay more for water from the informal sector (water sellers etc.) than they do when
they have a formal system. Prices must be regulated by the local authorities and must be covered by a clear
policy.
Private companies that make big investments in the water-supply systems of many cities may negotiate longterm contracts for supplying water (up to 20 years in some cases). This is not a good option because if the
management is not well done or if it is not the most appropriate arrangement, it is complicated to change.
Private management also varies from large water companies to private owners for individual water points.
Regarding individual private water points, in many cases the owner of a water point (well, borehole or a
connection to a distribution system) delivers water to other people in the community. The owner may obtain
direct profits from delivering the water and normally has an incentive to maintain the water point.
It can be appropriate for projects to support the improvement of privately-operated water points when community access is guaranteed and there is no discrimination. Establishing rules with the owners, the community and the authorities is recommended: topics to address include the price of the water and how the price is
negotiated, and the promotion of equitable access.
Equitable access can require special arrangements for vulnerable populations (cheaper rates or reduced rates
in exchange for labour for example) and for public places (supplying a certain quantity of water free to schools
and hospitals). One argument for convincing the owners to provide these arrangements is to explain that the
improvements in their systems will increase water sales and consequently their profits.
Water-supply systems can also be managed by a regional body or local government. Some experience shows
low effectiveness of those systems due to the risk of corruption and lack of skills. Often decisions are made
politically. Interests can change when governments change, and people may be employed because of nepotism
rather than skill. Consequently, maintenance can be poor, which compromises the sustainability of the system.
Again, the existence of a policy to avoid these problems and placing the responsibility for certain duties in
professional hands, rather than depending on politicians, is the key to improving management.
In conclusion, there are several experiences (with public or private management) where vulnerable areas are
marginalized and receive either a poor quality service or no service at all. This can be due to a lack of capacities or an absence of political interest and, in the case of the private companies, a perception of a high risk
of non-payment. The authorities have a responsibility for developing pro-vulnerable water-supply policies.
Another problem is the absence of participation of the communities in management, which can create inequities and social conflicts as experience has shown.
579
Every system (private, public or community-based) should guarantee the following:

transparency in management (all the information must be available to everyone);
active participation of the community in management;
access to water for all, and especially for the most vulnerable (taking into consideration
affordable prices for all);
proper use of the system (maintenance and improvements guaranteed);
sustainability of the system;
protection of the environment.
2.2
Context and management
Isolated areas are often ignored by governments and can be extremely vulnerable. Advocacy
is an important part of project implementation and should aim to ensure that the needs of marginalized populations are heard and taken into account by decision makers.
Small isolated communities need low-cost solutions that can be managed with a minimum of
outside support. Access to spare parts and consumables can be a major concern and skilled people are
often difficult to find. Training the community in the management of water-supply systems and choosing a technology that ensures that operation and maintenance are appropriate to the human and financial resources available are essential for guaranteeing sustainability. The specific case of pastoral
communities is illustrated by Figure 16.1 and explained in Box 16.2.
2.2.1 RURAL AREAS AND ISOLATED AND DISPERSED COMMUNITIES
Figure 16.1: Management in nomadic and pastoral contexts.

580
Box 16.2
Management in nomadic and pastoral contexts.
People with a traditional nomadic lifestyle and can be affected by conflict or climatic changes in unique
ways. Water points for nomads and pastoralists are often characterised by temporary use, with adequate
water quantity for animals and people, rather than quality, as the main objective. The survival of nomadic
communities depends on their ability to provide for their animals basic water and pasture needs.
Any technology chosen must guarantee the provision of water. If a system fails it can put the whole community in danger. Experience shows that traditional systems are the best option because they require only
very basic maintenance and there is no need for spare parts or consumables. Water committees and a costrecovery system can easily fail, so the main guarantee of sustainability is the quality of construction of the
water points.
The most common types of water point are:

Open wells or combined wells (see Chapters 8A and 8D) where the water is drawn by traditional means
such as pulleys, animal traction, or a shaduf. Training must focus on well cleaning.
Ponds (in some places called birkads). Training must focus on drainage area and pond maintenance (see Chapter 19).
Surface water.
The management of water can be complicated and must be adapted to the existing social mechanisms
(nomadic habits, division of areas by social groups etc.). Water management also involves the location of
the water points. When locating new water points, social aspects need to be considered in order to prevent
conflicts between different pastoral clans or between pastoralists and cultivators. Local laws concerning
access to water points such as grazing rights and rights of way, especially for livestock in cultivated areas,
must be analysed before any water supply is constructed. In Afar, Ethiopia, when wells or boreholes, which
are considered both as water points and private assets, are constructed in public grazing land, this land
becomes private, thus overriding previous rules and traditional regulations.
Conflicts and changes in rainfall affect traditional nomadic routes, and new water points can be required. New
systems must be planned and designed taking into account many factors: the existence of water resource, pasture, possibilities of conflicts. When a new water point is constructed, often nomads bring more animals to the
area and create a situation where there is potential for an increase of animal diseases and overgrazing. In Mali,
ACFs programme used satellite images and geographical information systems (GIS), as decision-making
tools to locate wells while minimising overgrazing. Figure 16.1 shows an example of GIS analysis.
In sparsely populated areas, where the sense of community may not be strong, a household
approach can be the best option (family water points, household water-treatment, hygiene promotion).
The most common solution in rural areas is freestanding individual water points such as open
wells or handpumps or small-scale water piped systems. It is important to consider relevant national
and regional policies in order to choose the right technology and to define the appropriate management arrangements (make-up of committees etc.). Low-cost technology and construction with local
materials are a good ways to improve sustainability.
Rural-to-urban migration is an increasing problem, with 50% of the worlds population currently living in cities. Urban populations are increasing as people continue to move to cities in search
of better economic opportunity or security, in the case of conflict situations. More vulnerable people
concentrate in low-income suburbs where there are poor living conditions. Cities are melting pots
where various social, cultural, ethnic and religious groups come together. As living conditions can be
difficult, tensions may arise. This factor must be a strong consideration when choosing the location
of water points and deciding on management arrangements, in order to avoid conflicts or impeded
access to water.
2.2.2 URBAN AND PERI-URBAN AREAS
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Piped water systems are most common in cities. Due to the size and complexity of the systems,
management is normally the responsibility of the municipality. In some cases, the municipality
contracts the responsibility to a private company. Though not common, it is beneficial if the community has a formal role in the management of the system. NGOs can advocate for this. Ensuring that
the community has a voice in decision making is likely to ensure a better understanding of the needs
of the poor by senior management.
Of primary concern are the poor and marginal areas of large cities, including peri-urban areas.
Water services often do not reach these areas for a variety of reasons, including lack of political will,
unresolved land tenure issues and lack of financial resources to extend water-distribution networks.
Furthermore, peri-urban areas often lie outside the area of the municipalitys responsibility. These
areas are often densely populated and lack adequate sanitary infrastructure. Combined with lack of
water, these three factors create a high public health risk. When people do not have access to the formal water-supply network, they obtain water from a variety of informal private sources, such as from
private wells (e.g. in Monrovia, Beira, Kabul or Mogadishu), or buy water from water vendors who
supply water using water trucks, donkey carts etc. The water quality is usually poor and prices are
high and represent an important amount for many families (mainly during periods of scarcity, when
prices increase). An option for short-term intervention can be to improve water quality by working
with vendors. In Khartoum, ACF introduced washing areas for donkey carts in some peri-urban districts and made some improvements to the carts. ACF is also involved in negotiations with vendors
to have agreements on the price of water and on the management of the supply. However, ensuring
the quality of those systems is difficult in the long term and prices remain high for many people. Marginally improving small-scale provider service will not resolve the larger problems of unequal access
to a municipal system that should be providing water to the entire population.
Natural or man-made disasters cause loss of life and economic opportunity, and increase the
vulnerability of the poor. Both water infrastructure and a communitys social structure can be damaged or destroyed, affecting water management badly. Displaced populations can create refugee camps
and informal, unserved temporary settlements. As a consequence, peoples most essential needs may
be not be met and emergency response is required.
Emergency response must be rapid and effective. The population concerned must be involved
in the management of emergency water provision (see Section 2.3.10), though in displacement emergencies, external support is necessary. Peoples social networks and support systems are disrupted
along with their sources of income and food. Setting up independent water committees in situations
like this may not be the most appropriate solution. Beneficiary participation should be promoted to
the extent possible; however, it is important to understand that in some cases, particularly in the first
moments of a crisis, it is very possible that people are not prepared, either physically or psychologically, to be involved in any activity beyond their own personal survival.
When participation is possible, affected people can be involved in general camp management
in the case of refugee or displaced-peoples camps, through the creation of Water and Sanitation Committees. These committees can be used to develop management arrangements, in the post-emergency
phase, when the response requires more self-sufficient solutions. All actions should be coordinated
with the local authorities, even if they are overwhelmed and able to contribute little.
When the emergency response is focused on the rehabilitation of the existing infrastructure,
the best option for management is to reinforce the existing system through the involvement of the personnel normally responsible. Careful attention must be paid to the type of external assistance provided, because a surplus can lead to a dependency that will have negative effects in later phases.
2.2.2 EMERGENCY WATER SUPPLY
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2.3
Management by type of water-supply system
Not all water-supply systems require the same level of management. A handpump does not have
the same management requirements as a large urban water-supply system. Daily operations, maintenance
and service inputs are completely different and need a different organisational structure and resources.
Quality construction is always a first step to sustainability and it is essential, particularly in
cases where the community cannot ensure proper operation and maintenance.
Management organisations need to be adapted to the type of water-supply system and technologies. Examples are presented below.
Springs can be captured and protected at the source, and the water collected in a small tank
and distributed through a tap. Alternatively, several surface-water sources are collectively channelled
to small gravity-fed networks.
Routine operations do not require consumable materials and often do not require a regular operator. Maintenance depends on the quality of the construction and the exposure to natural or human
hazards. Protection of the natural environment surrounding the water source is key to maintain its
yield. Deforestation of the immediate area can lead to erosion, which causes a loss of soil and this can
cause deterioration of the constructed catchment.
Management tasks: the main issue is protection of the water source against erosion and
contamination, through regular cleaning and preservation of the vegetation in the catchment
area. Basic repair of the structures built will be needed, but not on a regular basis.
Cost-recovery: routine operations do not necessarily incur cost. Often, cleaning and basic
repairs can be performed through voluntary community work.
Actors involved in management and training: few people are required for operating and
maintaining a water supply: even one can be adequate. Training should focus on cleanliness
and protection of the water source.
2.3.1 SPRINGS AND STREAMS
Operation and maintenance requirements are low. Operation does not require consumables,
and repairs can be done mainly with local materials.
Management tasks: the main concern is keeping the water clean and using the well properly.
Maintaining the water-drawing system (ropes, pulleys etc.) is a primary task. Also, periodic
disinfection is necessary to maintain clean water and this can be organised by the community.
Eventually, basic repairs of the construction will be needed.
Cost-recovery: daily operations do not incur costs unless someone is paid to draw the water.
Cleanliness and basic repairs can be ensured through voluntary community work and do not
require a regular payment system.
Actors involved in management and training: direct management will not require many people and
even one may be adequate. Training should focus on well cleanliness and protection of the water.
2.3.2 OPEN WELLS
Operation inputs are low as there is no need for consumables and, depending on the pumps,
maintenance should require low to medium attention. Low-cost handpumps are relatively easy to
repair and the cost per repair is low, though they may need more frequent repairs. Repairing pumps
can require specific skills, tools and spare parts. It is important to be sure that spare parts are available. If a standard type of pump exists in the region, it is best to choose this technology as spare parts
and trained technicians are more likely to be available.
2.3.3 HANDPUMPS
583
Management tasks: the main issues are to ensure that the handpump is correctly used and
greased to ensure proper function; to maintain and clean the surface protection and the drainage; and to prevent and repair any breakdowns by replacing worn or broken pump parts.
Basic repairs of the well itself or the surface protection may also be needed, but not on a regular basis. The well or the borehole will also require cleaning.
Cost-recovery: operations will have a cost if a person is responsible for drawing the water.
The community can pay for the cost of the spare parts and repairs either by having regular payments (by quantity of water used or through monthly fees) or by raising funds when a problem
occurs. There are regular maintenance costs as parts will require regular replacement. It is
advisable that the community or the owner of the pump has the means to buy a new pump
when it is necessary to replace it. Pumps range in cost from 100 euros to 3 000 euros. There
is also a considerable range in the cost of spare parts, depending on the type of pump.
Actors involved in management and training:
caretaker (private, or someone chosen by the government or community): training focused
on proper use, basic maintenance and cost recovery;
repair and maintenance personnel (i.e. handpump mechanics): training on maintenance and
repair. Agreements with communities for costs;
spare-parts suppliers: ensuring the availability of spare parts and regulation of prices (in
agreement with communities and pump mechanics). Providing information on prices.
Management requirements are similar to handpumps and they do not require operators. Maintenance and repair can be a little more difficult than handpumps and depend on the local wind patterns. If these are not stable then the wind-pump mechanism can suffer more wear and possibly
damage, and requires more maintenance. Wind may not be adequate during parts of the year, which
can interrupt water supply. This can lead to a loss of interest from the community in maintaining this
system. The price range, depending on the models, is generally higher than for handpumps.
2.3.4 WIND PUMPS
Operations require skilled personnel and consumables such as electricity or fuel. Maintenance requires mechanical and electrical skills and a qualified person must be responsible for
the repairs. Spare parts may not be easily available and this factor should be considered when
choosing pumping equipment.
Management tasks:
control the operating hours per day (how many hours depends on the system) in order to
prevent the pump and generator from overheating and to avoid over-abstraction of water;
ensure the electrical system is working properly;
manage consumables (purchase, storage and proper use) and periodic maintenance (oils,
filters etc.);
manage the payment system;
repair damages.
Cost-recovery: the system is best based on regular payment (per quantity of water, per connection
or on a periodic basis). The total cost must include operation and maintenance. See Section 3.7.
private owner or committee: general management, training focused on cost recovery;
caretaker: training focused on operation and basic maintenance;
mechanics: training in mechanical and electrical repairs;
spares suppliers.
2.3.5 MOTORISED / ELECTRICAL PUMPS
584
Operation is automatic and does not require consumables. Most maintenance tasks are
simple, but some repairs will require a high degree of expertise. A specialised company must
be operating in the area to guarantee repairs. The pump will require the same maintenance as
a normal motorised system.
Management tasks:
keep the solar panels and system safe and clean;
ensure the electrical system is working properly;
manage the payment system. Because the system does not need consumables people may
be reluctant to pay on regular basis;
repair damages, generally by using a specialised company.
Cost-recovery: it is recommended that the system is based on regular payments (per quantity of
water, per connection or on a periodic basis) because repairs can have a significant cost. Promotion
of this type of payment system is important as people are not aware of potential costs since there are
no regular consumable purchases. Cost-recovery can be difficult for a solar system because it
appears to run at low cost. However, the cost of occasional repairs, along with regular operationspersonnel salaries and depreciation add up and cannot usually be raised in a short period of time.
private owner or committee for general management and cost recovery;
caretaker: training in operation and basic maintenance;
company or specialised organisation in charge of repairs.
2.3.6 SOLAR-POWERED PUMPING SYSTEMS
Rainwater harvesting systems capture rain from building roofs and other catchment areas.
They are often installed at the building level, collecting water from houses or public buildings
such as schools or hospitals. It is difficult to maintain the quality of rainwater, so it is often
used for other purposes when there is a suitable alternative supply of drinking water.
Operations do not require consumables and maintenance, and can be done mainly with local
materials.
Management tasks: the main concern is keeping the water clean by ensuring the cleanliness
of the roof, gutters and tank. Also, it is important to use the system properly. In some cases a
pre-treatment can be installed in the form of a small sedimentation tank or sand filter. This
addition requires special attention for maintenance. Basic repairs on the roof, gutter, tank and
taps will be needed, but not on a regular basis.
Cost-recovery: operations do not incur costs, and maintenance costs are low if the system is
well constructed.
Management responsibility: mainly private owners or staff in the institutions (schools,
hospitals etc.).
2.3.7 RAINWATER HARVESTING
There are two primary situations where the creation of surface reservoirs is appropriate. The
first is in dry areas with short and heavy rainfalls. Ponds can be constructed to collect runoff and are
used only during a period of the year. These types of runoff-collection ponds are common in pastoral
contexts and are used mainly for livestock. The second situation is in high-rainfall areas where ponds
collect rainwater directly, without runoff (they function as an impluvium). These systems are a
valuable water resource where springs and other groundwater sources are scarce. See Chapter 19.
Operation and maintenance is not complicated but require a high level of community involvement in order to maintain the runoff system (where present) and ponds, avoid losses and
2.3.8 SURFACE RESERVOIRS (PONDS)
585
ensure protection from major contamination. For runoff systems, water quality is difficult to
ensure. Efforts are more focused on ensuring quantity of water through dryer times.
Management tasks:
maintenance of the runoff system, fences and other protections to keep animals away from
the ponds;
cleanliness and repair of the pond; in some cases covering with branches to reduce
evaporation;
maintenance of the water-drawing systems, such as channels or access jetties, or pumps in
some cases; maintenance of filtration trenches.
Cost-recovery: cleanliness and basic repairs can be carried out through voluntary community work, and provision of tools may be required. Large pond repairs can be expensive if
machinery or a large amount of cement is needed. Except in private systems, periodic payment
is complicated and a cost-recovery system will be difficult. As high-cost repairs are difficult
for the community to cover, it is important to ensure periodic community-led maintenance
Management responsibility: whether a private or community supply, labour is needed for
maintenance.
2.3.9 WATER-TREATMENT AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS
A water-treatment and distribution system requires joint management of all its component parts
including the catchment system (borehole, spring, river etc.), pumping system (if it exists), treatment, storage, pipelines and distribution points. The system is more complex than an individual
water point and therefore requires a higher degree of management. The complexity of management and the skills required depend on the size of the system and the choice of technology.
It is necessary to define operations, maintenance and cost-recovery policies clearly. Participation of representatives from the community is required, to have an equitable supply.
If a sewerage system also exists, management should be co-ordinated with the water supply.
Before planning the design of a water-supply system which will serve different communities, where
there is a risk of conflict between them over the management of the supply (there are several examples
of one community sabotaging the system to prevent water reaching another community) it is better to
build separate systems or take measures to reduce risk (different pipelines in some places etc.).
The main tasks are:
control of all the actors involved in the management and use of the system, especially re
the supply (hours and quantity);
treatment of water (if needed): consumables, process, maintenance;
maintenance and repair of the supply system: construction works and plumbing, leakage control;
water-quality control;
payment system (contributions);
co-ordination of the different actors and involvement of the community in managing the
system.
Cost-recovery: the total costs recovered must include all operations and maintenance
expenses. See Section 3.7.
Management roles:
operation and maintenance staff, normally contracted, receiving a salary on a monthly basis;
fee-collection staff;
management committee, with representatives of the community, public authorities and, in
some cases, private companies. If the system is small, some of the committee members can
also carry out the maintenance;
spares suppliers.
586
The first priority in emergencies is to guarantee a minimum quantity of safe water. Common
techniques used in emergencies are water treatment (see Chapter 12) and water trucking (see Chapter
17B). Both activities require significant organisation and specific emergency materials and equipment
for treatment and distribution.
2.3.10 EMERGENCY SITUATIONS
Emergency water-supply systems

Operation and maintenance of the emergency water supply: motor pumps, flexible hoses,
transportable tanks etc. (for more details on emergency equipment, see Chapter17).
Water treatment and water-quality control: if required, flocculation and chlorination procedures, water-quality monitoring (turbidity, residual aluminium, if aluminium sulphate is used,
and residual chlorine).
Monitor consumption and ensure equitable distribution. This is necessary and can be difficult due
to the scarcity of safe water. Awareness among users is a starting point, but conflicts within the
community (or between communities) can occur. Measures can be taken to avoid these problems,
such as installing water-saving taps (such as Talbot taps) to reduce losses, and controlling the quantity supplied to each family with methods such as distributing tickets or registering containers.
Water trucking
Bringing water to a population by trucks requires a great deal of organisation. The water
should be delivered to water tanks at central points, rather than directly to people. Delivery
must avoid direct distribution, and instead focus on transporting water to central points.
Water distribution is done at specially constructed points, such as a tank with tapstands.
Water is chlorinated and its quality is monitored. The community should be involved in the
preparation and installation of the systems, including activities such as making the platform
for the tank, surface preparation for the tapstand and controlling the supply. A committee can
be set up within the community to be responsible for the chlorination of the water (one or two
people in charge) and distributing it (one or two people).
General management of the system: primary actors include the water-truck operator, communities, and authorities. Main tasks are:
informing the community and other actors of the planned system, and obtaining
agreements;
organising transport, including the creation of a movement schedule for the trucks, overseeing payments for the drivers, renting the trucks, cleaning truck tanks, and ensuring maintenance of the trucks;
setting up a committee responsible for the emergency distribution points, to involve the
community in construction, control of the supply, chlorination (training may be required)
and water-quality monitoring (residual free chlorine). If involvement of the community is
difficult, salaries may need to be paid;
authorities must be involved in supervision of the system.
Community-based management
Community participation is important in any management system. However, in the case of

small-scale water supply systems it is the main priority, particularly in rural and peri-urban areas of
developing countries and vulnerable zones affected by conflicts or disasters.
When public authorities do not have the capacity to manage a water-supply system, community-managed infrastructure is the best option for ensuring sustainability.
587
In community-based management, the community is responsible for the water system. Water
management requires that adequate technical skills, labour and funds are available within the community.
Figure 16.2 illustrates the different actors involved and the relationships between them.
There must be clear policies and rules defining the roles of all actors involved and guaranteeing all necessary inputs required to sustain the system:
The water committee is a group of people elected by the community, and is responsible for the
direct management of the system (cleaning, maintenance, minor repairs, operation etc.) and the
collection of funds for operation and maintenance. The relationship between the committee and
the rest of the community has to be clear and transparent. The committee organises and mobilises people to collaborate, contribute and respect the rules for correct use of the water system.
Water committees are responsible for hiring technicians and other professionals to repair the
system in the case of a breakdown in service. Prices and rules must be agreed between water
committees and mechanics and depend on the type of labour needed. Programmes are focused
on mechanic selection, training and strengthening of their capacities.
Spare-parts availability should be guaranteed through local structures or local retailers. Market access and supply must also be arranged involving the water committees.
Local authorities should play a supervisory role in supporting the system and be involved in
the definition of rules. It is useful if they encourage the establishment of new organisations or
businesses if these are necessary (i.e. water committees, mechanics or spare-parts retailers).
Water committees should be recognised by local authorities and establish a solid working relationship. Local authorities can be a training resource for water committees and should take an
active role in ensuring they continue to function. This role can initially be played by the implementing agency but it must be handed over to the local authorities at the end of the programme.
3.1
How does it work
PUBLIC AUTHORITIES
Registration
Supervision
Repairers
& professionals
Repairing
WATER SYSTEM
Maintenance
Running
Hiring
Supporting
Training
Purchasing
Sensitisation
Mobilisation
Listening
COMMUNITY
Figure 16.2: The actors and activities of a community-managed water supply.

588
Consumables
Spare-parts network
Access regulation
Cleaning
WATER MANAGEMENT
COMMITTEE
Election
Participation
Financial
contribution
Providing
3.2
Water committee
The water committee is the group of people chosen by and from the water-supply users, and
will act on their behalf to organise the management of the water service in a community.
There are no fixed rules about how the committee is organised, how many people must sit on
it and other such basics. The committee has to be designed in an appropriate way for each specific
context and within existing structures (sometimes a water committee already exists when a project
starts). Nevertheless, the model below has been used as the basis for water-committee design in many
communities involved in ACF programmes.
The main tasks of a water committee are:
Guaranteeing equitable access to the water supply for the entire population.
Collection of fees from the users and transparent use of funds.
Daily maintenance (purchase of consumables, turning on/of the pump, opening/closure of
valves, chlorination etc.) and repairing of the system in the event of simple breakdowns.
Organising the cleaning of the water system and its environs by the community of users.
Purchase of spare parts or tools if necessary.
Hiring professionals to repair the system in the event of a complex breakdown.
Training the community to encourage the correct use of the water supply and safe hygiene
behaviours.
Co-ordination with, and reporting to, local authorities and appropriate agencies.
These tasks should be carried out following a few basic rules:
All members must be volunteers, elected by the community.
They must work for the general interest of the community.
It is important to have sufficient representation of various interests on the committee, including meaningful representation of both women and men.
The committee should report regularly to the rest of the community and the local authorities
on their activities and finances.
3.2.1 FUNCTIONS OF THE WATER COMMITTEE
3.2.2 COMMITTEE MEMBERS
The president is the facilitator and co-ordinator of the group. Through their authority, they
facilitate the decision-making process and are responsible that the committee functions. They also
ensure the links between the different members of the water committee and organise regular meetings
with the population.
A good president must be:
motivated;
able to read and write;
available: its preferably to live in the village in order to carry out the role;
respected and trusted by the community.
The main functions are:
to organise regular meetings with the other members of the committee in order to explain
what has been done and also to discuss the problems encountered;
to make decisions in consensus with the water-committee members;
to mediate between the population and the other water stakeholders;
to mobilise the population around the water system, sensitising people about the importance
of good use and maintenance of the system;
3.2.2.1 President
589
to assist the others members of the water committee in their tasks;

to collect information about the community concerned;
to regulate the use of water by following basic rules.
The technician is responsible for operation and maintenance of the water system. The population should assist the technician in carrying out the necessary activities.
As this role is completely technical, it will depend on the type of water supply constructed.
Table 16.II lists possible tasks for a technician maintaining a handpump and a small gravityfed system.
3.2.2.2 Technician
Table 16.II: Role of the technician.
Gravity-fed distribution system
Handpump
Regular cleaning of the catchment and reservoirs

Valve management
Servicing pipelines
Repairing leaks
Installing new connections upon authorisation
from the president
Reporting the state of the system to the other
members of the committee
Regular servicing of pump: cylinder, piston, seals,

rising main etc.
Replacing worn-out parts of the pump
Repairing simple breakdowns
Reporting the state of the pump to the other members
of the committee
The treasurer is responsible for collecting user fees and managing the budget of the committee. It is a key position and it is important for the treasurer to work transparently in order to be trusted by the community.
The treasurer is responsible for:
collection of the fees;
administration of the accounts;
purchase of materials needed for maintenance and operation;
maintenance the accounts book;
attending committee meetings.
In order to be able to fulfil these duties, the treasurer must know how to read, write and count
without difficulty. They must also be organised, reliable and honest. It is better if the treasurer lives
in the community and is thus available to community members. In some countries, this work is done
better by women than men as they are viewed as more trustworthy holders of money.
The money, documents and books have to be kept in a safe place. It may be possible to open
a bank account or have access to a safe location in the local administration in order to improve safety.
It is safer to have a stock of spare parts than to hold cash.
3.2.2.3 Treasurer
Fee collection
To keep track of the payment of user fees, the treasurer should keep one record sheet per
family with the name of the family, the number of people in the family and an entry for each monthly
payment.
The treasurer should also create a balance book and start a new page each month, as shown in
Table 16.III.
590
Table 16.III: Example of an accounts book.
Date
Type of operation
In
01/02/04
05/02/04
13/02/04
20/02/04
01/03/04
Balance at end of January

Total monthly collection
Purchase of a new piston
Fence construction
Balance at end of February
Out
6 000
3 600
1 200
Remaining
Signature
22 000
28 000
24 400
23 200
23 200
At the end of the month, the accounts sheet must be closed and the amount of money remaining in the cashbox must be checked against the one written on the book it should be identical.
ACF provides a book, calculator and office materials to the treasurers of the committees at the
end of their training.
Purchase control
The decision to make a significant purchase must be taken among the members of the committee. The population should also be informed about these purchases. The committee should always
keep a small reserve of cash, in order to be prepared for unforeseen problems.
A purchase must always be justified by a receipt. On this receipt must be written:
date of purchase;
detail of purchased items;
amount of money spent;
name and signature of seller and purchaser;
the receipts are to be kept in a safe place and classified by chronological order.
Every water user has the right to view the expenses and check the accounts. The treasurer must
report to the committee and the population each month regarding the accounts.
Monthly report
After having closed the monthly accounts, the treasurer must make a detailed report of
expenses and income, and the money remaining in the cashbox. Table 16.IV shows an example from
East Timor.
Table 16.IV: Example of a monthly accounting report in Salau, a village in East Timor.
Type of operation
July 2001
Balance at the end of June
5.00 $
July taxes collected

75 families
7.50 $
0.80 $
0.90 $
July expenses
1 tap for tapstand N13
1 wire brush
Balance at the end of July
10.80 $
The hygiene promoter is responsible for the cleanliness of the water point and the surrounding
environment, as well as providing education to the population on good hygiene and avoiding water-related diseases. The role is similar to the one described for the community hygiene facilitators in Chapter 15.
3.2.2.4 Hygiene promoter
591
In gravity-fed water systems, the conservation of the forest and vegetation around the spring
is important for maintaining the yield of the water source. Therefore, it may be useful for the committee to include a person responsible for protecting the surrounding forest and to plant trees where
deforestation is a problem. This person can be trained in forestry, agriculture and environmental
issues.
3.2.2.5 Reforestation person
3.3
Repairer
Repairers (plumbers, mechanics, masons etc.) can be trained in maintenance and equipped
with tools and other resources (e.g. bicycles) to repair the system when the work required is beyond
the capacity of the committee technician. These people will receive a payment for the work done.
Fixed rates should be established for foreseeable tasks. These rates can also be used as a guide
for unforeseeable tasks. The contract between the community and the repairer should be clear and
accessible for all users. Box 16.1 contains the main points to consider for the selection and training
of repairers.
The demand in the area covered by a repairer has to be large enough to make this job reliable.
Selection
Existing professionals who are interested in the job.
Long-term residents in the area.
Technical skills.
The area is not covered by other repairers.
Special attention must be paid to selecting women where possible.
Training
Spare-parts identification and system mechanics.
Detection of problems and repairs.
System maintenance.
Contacts and contracts with water committees.
Repair reports.
Tools/spare parts management policy.
3.4
Spare-parts network
Supply of spare parts can be provided by the government or by NGOs, but this system is not
sustainable in the long term. The most sustainable option is to involve local retailers who sell the parts
to the water committees or repairers as needed. Local retailers will get involved if they see a possibility for profit so it is very important to create a real demand for spare parts for this system to work.
The main concern of the vendors is the risk of losing money. Some programmes in Mozambique and
Northern Uganda have supported this sector through a loan of spare parts on a sale-or-return basis
to minimise the vendors risk until a more regular trade is established. Price of the parts must consider the item cost, the cost of transport and the profit for the sellers. Communities must be informed
of where spare parts are available.
Training of spares suppliers
Spare parts identification.
Stocking procedures and stock-record management (stock cards etc.).
Unit prices and retail profits.
Stock replenishment.
592
The local authorities are responsible for supporting the entire management system in the long
term. If a NGO is playing this role for some time, then the local authorities must be involved from the
beginning in order to be able to hand over these duties.
3.5
Local authorities
Role of local authorities in community-based water management

Regulation and policy on community-based management.
Co-ordination of different stakeholders (external agencies, private companies etc.).
Mobilisation of communities and establishment of water committees. When local authorities
do not have the capacity to do this, an external agency can play this role.
Legal registration of the committee and the water system, as well as management of a data
base with all the information concerning water infrastructure, communities etc.
Monitoring and training of water committees.
Monitoring and training of repairers. Supply and renewal of tools.
Co-ordination between the principle actors: water committees, repairers and spares suppliers.
Agreements on price rates for works and spares.
Repairing major breakdowns: in some countries the government takes responsibility for
repairing the water system if the cost of repair cannot be borne by the community.
3.6
Launching a community management system
Programmes must be focused on community organisation in order to set up a management system. The first step is the mobilisation of the community in order to define the management system.
Communities must be involved from the beginning of the project (identification of needs) to the end
(when they must manage independently).
As mentioned in Chapter 15, the involvement of the community and the use of participatory
techniques in the needs assessment is a key point for achieving sustainable systems. The following
points should be considered in order to define an action plan for launching an effective water-supply
management system:
Priority needs and requests of the community.
Social structure, who is currently managing the water resources, and who will be managing
the new/rehabilitated system. Explore possible conflicts.
Economic situation of the families (for example, their ability to pay the maintenance costs
of the system).
Existing payment structures and/or peoples willingness to pay for water.
Motivation and ability of the people to contribute labour or money to the construction, operation and maintenance of the water system.
Current management of their existing water-supply structures.
Existing groups whose activities are related to health, water and the environment (health
workers, water committees etc.).
Standard materials and equipment used for water supplies in the region (type of pumps, pipes
etc.).
Local availability of spare parts.
Technical skills of the people: availability of personnel able to maintain and repair the water
system or with the capacity to learn through training.
A participatory baseline survey enables the communitys needs to be identified and prioritised.
After this, a meeting is organised with community members. With the help of participatory rural
3.6.1 WATER MANAGEMENT IN THE ASSESSMENT PHASE
593
appraisal (PRA) tools, a discussion is carried out with the community about the problems identified
(water availability, distance to a water source, primary diseases and their causes etc.) and possible
solutions. At this point, some suggestions for solving these problems are made, with an explanation
of how the community can be helped to reach the objectives set.
3.6.2 ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND AGREEMENTS
WITH THE COMMUNITIES
Once needs and capacities are identified, it is necessary to define the participation of the community in the implementation and management of the system. An agreement including the main rules
and regulations is signed between ACF and the community. Local authorities witness all project
agreements.
Next, ACF and the community discuss how the work will be carried out and how the system
will be managed. The ACF model (as described above) can be suggested and adapted to the particular community. The community will develop their model, choose the committee members and set up
the management system in relation to their needs and perspective.
Regular meetings with the community on the progress of the project will allow for easier identification of problems encountered during implementation and provide a co-operative structure to find
the required solutions. The involvement of all the community members in the implementation process
can instil a sense of ownership and is a primary factor in the sustainability of water-supply management.
During the initial meetings with the community, people generally voice a problem with waterpoint maintenance. The idea of a water-supply management committee is presented and discussed as
a solution. The community then decides on a set of selection criteria that is used to help people elect
trustworthy and hardworking people to the committee. The gender issue is also discussed as both
women and men must be involved, considering womens major role in water collection and management. When all relevant issues are agreed upon, a date is set for the election of the committee.
Another concept that can be introduced is a system of periodic elections in order to guarantee
the possibility of committee-member turnover. It is worth considering that sometimes the management system does not work because of certain people and not because of the system itself.
3.6.3 ESTABLISHMENT AND ELECTION OF THE WATER COMMITTEE
As the water-supply installation will belong to the users, they should contribute to construction by providing manpower and materials locally available or by paying for part of the implementation activities.
Through the committee and the head of the village (or some other appropriate leader), the community arranges the distribution of the work needed for construction. Some examples include:
Well digging: this work is done by community members supervised by ACF technicians. In
the agreement between ACF and the community, the head of the village commits to provide 2
to 4 people per day, usually men, for doing this work.
Drilling: community members clear the way to the place chosen for the borehole, dig the
settling pits and help to offload the materials from the truck. They do not participate directly
in the drilling operation, which is managed by the ACF drilling team.
Pipe laying: one of the heaviest tasks in the construction of a water-distribution system is the
excavation of trenches for burying the pipe. The total length of pipe to be buried will be divided
by the number of participants and they will dig the trenches. The installation of the pipes will be
done by skilled plumbers (employed by ACF), often together with community members.
3.6.4 COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION DURING CONSTRUCTION
594
Masonry works: some communities have masons able to construct water tanks, tapstands, aprons
etc. The work of the mason is usually paid because of the volume of work and the skills required.
However, assistance and materials, such as sand, gravel or water, are provided by the community.
When the volume of work required per person is very high, the idea of cash or food-for-work
can be considered.
In some cases, such as Indonesia, ACF just distributes the materials, works out the technical
design and advises as the construction works are carried out by the communities.
As the implementation of the work can sometimes involve risks, community members should
be aware of these risks, and safety has to be managed by the representatives of the community.
The community contribution can be also financial. For example, in Bolivia, a financial value
is established for a day of manpower. After calculating the hours of work per person that are necessary to finish the construction, people can contribute with their work or with the equivalent amount
of money or other resources. The money collected is used for paying the people working extra hours,
for buying tools and organising activities, or can be kept for future expenses.
In order to make the water-system management more sustainable it is important to train the
committee members to carry out their functions appropriately. Participation in the construction phase
also serves as a short technical training for the technical members of the water committee. Combined
training courses for committees from several communities allow the sharing of different experiences
and points of view, and also increases the status of the committee members.
The following list is an example of a four-day committee training course carried out by ACF
in Moyo (Uganda).
Introduction and opening remarks.
Participants expectations, fears and dislikes.
Participants concerns.
Course objectives (broad and specific).
Composition and roles of the water committee.
Water (its importance, cycle, sources, uses, qualities of each source, contamination, simple
purification methods).
Water-related diseases, prevention, and control.
The safe-water chain.
Guidelines for keeping water source, and water from the source, clean.
Environmental sanitation.
Hygiene (personal, family, food, and community).
Communication and mobilisation skills.
Leadership skills.
Co-operation and self-help.
Water-fee management and proposed guidelines for water-supply sustainability.
Community-based management system.
Participants action points and the way forward.
3.6.5 COMMITTEE TRAINING
It is recommended to organise an official event in which a handover document is signed by the

implementing organisation, the members of the committee, the head of the community and a representative of the public authorities if possible (Water Department, Health Ministry or District Authority etc.).
This document should mention that the owner of the water-supply system is the community,
which has responsibility for maintenance from the moment of signature on. Sometimes the handover
3.6.6 HANDOVER OF WATER SUPPLIES
595
is preceded by a test or guarantee period during which the community uses the facilities, in order to
ascertain that they are fully prepared.
It can also be positive to provide a set of tools (for cleaning, maintaining or repairing the water
system) and spare parts to the committee to start their activities. These are handed over together with
the water-supply system.
This is one of the most important steps in a programme that aims to support the community
management of a water-supply system. Regular visits and advice are usually required before the committee becomes a self-sufficient institution able to manage the water system independently.
Issues to be monitored by the field worker in a follow-up visit are:
general state of cleanliness of the water-supply facilities and surroundings;
if the water system is in good condition and working properly;
quality of the water;
accounting: money collected, expenses, money in reserve;
breakdowns occurred and solutions implemented, parts replaced;
frequency of system maintenance;
stock of spare parts.
3.6.7 MONITORING AND FOLLOW-UP
Frequency of committee meetings.

The most frequent reasons for community-based management failure are presented in Box 16.3.
Activities supporting the committees can be organised after the completion of the construction
phase to reinforce either water-committee capacities or their motivation. In Uganda, competitions were
organised between different committees, with points awarded for water-point condition, the stock of spare
parts and other indicators of good management. The prize was a kit of cleaning tools, spare parts etc. These
competitions promoted competence and gave the opportunity to share ideas among the participants.
In some villages in Guatemala, the water festival has become an important date that almost
everybody celebrates. Plays and music related to water topics are prepared each year by villages and
they compete in a festive environment.
3.7
Cost recovery
Cost recovery is one of the most difficult issues in a community-managed water system, as people
are often not prepared to pay for water. As the users are responsible for the service, it is important that
they pay the operations and maintenance costs. This must be discussed, understood and accepted by the
users and outlined in the first agreement signed between the community and the implementing partner.
Normally users periodically contribute an amount established by the whole community (yearly, monthly
or at another agreed time interval see Section 3.7.2). The person responsible for the collection is the
committee treasurer, who maintains a complete and exact record of expenses and fees paid.
There are a few ways to promote fee payment at the beginning of a project. One is to offer a
small amount of money to the committee, once they themselves have collected a certain amount, as
an incentive.
A point to consider is that it is easier to establish a payment culture in systems that r e q u i r e
consumables and regular maintenance than in systems where the results of the payment are not evident, such as systems with solar pumps or handpumps.
The total amount of money collected has to cover the operation and maintenance of the water
system delivering the necessary quantity and quality of water for its users.
3.7.1 PRINCIPLES OF CONTRIBUTION
596
Box 16.3
Main community-based management failures.
Community-based management needs time to become self-reliant and programmes must ensure a long period of follow-up and support. Short programmes must address this point and try to ensure that a local structure follows up with the water committee. Short programmes must manage long-term needs with short timelines. If the system fails because the water committee was not properly prepared, a loss of community trust
can occur.
Main system failures include:

Management requirements are not achievable by the community because the water-supply system is not
appropriate (in this case it is necessary to change the system).
The community does not trust the water committee and stops payment of fees.
Water-committee members are not fulfilling their duties.
There is no transparency in the accounting and money is missing.
Part of the community stops paying and then others stop also because they dont want to be among the
few paying when others are not.
Repairers are no longer available.
No spare parts are available.
Once these problems arise, it is necessary to work closely with the communities to resolve them. This
involves promotion and sensitisation within the community, with a focus on strengthening the capacity and
performance of the committee. Suggesting the possibility of changing some members of the committee may
be appropriate in some cases.
The most difficult problem to solve is when some water users are not contributing, and in these cases it is
important to avoid conflicts within the community. There may be severe repercussions for non-payers and
the lack of payment could be due to a lack of funds rather than a lack of cooperation. Ensuring that vulnerable people still have access to water is most important.
In more complex water-supply systems, the rates can differ from one user to another depending on:
the type of connection: the contribution may be different depending on where the water is
delivered:
. water points in public places such as schools, hospitals, places of worship, municipalities etc.;
. household connections;
. businesses, particularly where water is a raw material (extra charge);
the level of water consumption: measured by a meter at each connection, the number of
buckets filled at the hand pump etc.
Exemptions: as water has to be accessible for everyone, nobody should be excluded from the
water service due to inability to pay the fee. Extremely poor families could be exempted and
other solutions such as an equivalent labour contribution can be substituted.
New connections: if users are added to the system after construction, they should pay an initial contribution equivalent to the work done by others during the construction or rehabilitation of the system, in addition to the cost of the connection.
If non-payment is not justified, it is important that an agreed system of recourse is in place.
A supplementary charge, or cutting the service until payment is made, are possible options.
This issue should be addressed during the formulation of the management arrangements with
the community in order to ensure that all non-payers are treated equally and reasonably. If such
a system is not in place, payers will see that non-payers receive the benefit of water without
contributing, and there will be little incentive for them to continue paying fees.
597
There is no fixed rule concerning how often people should contribute and how. It depends on
several factors such as the type of system, the economic status of the users, agricultural cycles etc.
3.7.2 COLLECTION SYSTEMS
Fixed periodic contribution

This method enables a certain amount of money to be set aside to pay for repairs that otherwise would not be affordable. It can be made at an agreed time interval such as monthly, yearly or just
after a harvest (when cash is available). This contribution is made by household, family or connection and is sometimes different depending on the type of connection.
Occasional contribution
People pay when there is a problem to resolve or a part to replace. This system may be more
desirable when there are no regular costs such as consumables or hired staff. Also, if maintenance
costs are low, such as for handpumps (e.g. suction pumps or rope-and-washer pumps) or for open
wells, this may be the appropriate system. Activities such as parties, games, competitions, local lotteries etc. can be used to encourage people to contribute.
According to consumption
People pay for the amount of water consumed. This is a more common payment system when
there are regular operational costs. Ways of measuring the quantity of water consumed will vary.
Examples include measurement by container, by flow meter or by hours of use of the connection.
Normal operation and maintenance costs have to be covered by the communitys financial
contribution. If the system has been properly designed and the technology chosen is appropriate, the
amount should be affordable for all the users. The right level of payment may not be easy to establish
and it is recommended that the expected expenses across the life of the system installed are considered.
The total cost of system operation and maintenance should be calculated and communicated to the
community. It is then the responsibility of the community to decide the user fees. The total costs include:
Operations costs: expenses for daily operations (fuel, oil, electricity, chlorine, aluminium
sulphate, salary of operators etc.)
Maintenance costs: expenses incurred to prevent or to repair damages in the water-supply
system (replacement of a joint, servicing of a pump, repair of a leak etc.). To determine this
cost it is necessary to know:
type of maintenance (preventive and corrective);
anticipated frequency of maintenance;
materials and equipment required;
lifespan of the different parts of the water system and maintenance equipment;
water analysis and frequency of testing;
environmental services: aimed at preserving the water resources (reforestation, maintenance of protective fences etc.).
Administrative costs: expenses for maintaining the physical and human support structure
(trainings, stationery etc.).
Depreciation costs: the objective here is to create a fund, through periodic contributions, so
the community can afford to replace/rebuild the system at the end of its lifespan.
Once these costs are established, the community will decide on the type of contribution and
the amount to pay by user or family.
The boxes 16.4 and 16.5 contain examples from Ivory Coast and Honduras showing different
ways of calculating the contributions necessary for maintaining a Vergnet handpump and a gravityfed system.
3.7.3 USER-FEE ESTIMATION
598
Box 16.4
Example of user-fee estimation: Vergnet handpump in Ivory Coast.
Costs to be covered by the users:

Operations costs: none, no consumables and every user is responsible for fetching their water.
Maintenance costs: depend on the intensity of use and the type of the pump. Mechanics report that during
the first year the costs are minimal. However, costs increase over time, reaching a maximum between the
7th and 10th year (replacement of the balloon, the cylinder and the treadle).
Figure 16.3 shows the trend of the V4C pump maintenance cost over time (sources: craftsman-repairers
interviews and data of SAHER the replacement parts supplier, based on long experience). It shows clearly
that regular contributions must be made from the moment the pump is installed in order to cover the costs
that are incurred after several years of handpump use.
To ensure longevity of the pump, the committee must collect 60 /year from the beginning so as to ensure
there is not a large, unaffordable payment after seven years. According to lHydraulique villageoise (the
public water department), the committee collects at least 90 /year.
ACF field workers surveyed the number of families using each pump. The number varied from about 30 to
100 families per pump. In the most unfavourable case (contribution of 90 /year for 30 paying families),
the sum paid per family per month for drinking water is 0.26 . In comparison, 1 kg of rice in Ivory Coast
costs 0.38 .
Figure 16.3: Maintenance costs versus years of use for the V4C handpump.
599
Box 16.5
Example of user-fee estimation: water network in Yusguare (Honduras).
The water supply in Yusguare is a urban system fed by four pumping stations installed on wells and one surface-water source. The system delivers water to 438 families through private household connections. The storage capacity of the four water tanks is 350 000 litres. The calculated costs are indicated in the following tables.
OPERATIONS COSTS
Nb. Description
1
2
3
4
per month
Operators salary
Pumping costs (electricity)
Chlorine
Miscellaneous
120
227
80
5
TOTAL
432
MAINTENANCE COSTS
Nb. Description
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Tools
Machete
Hoe
Shovel
Iron bar
Pickaxe
Saw
Materials
Anticorrosion solution
Sandpaper
Spanner 36
Gate valve 3
Gate valve 1 1/2
PVC pipe - 1 1/2
PVC pipe - 1
PVC pipe - 3
Cement
PVC glue
Water analysis
Environmental services
Cost in
Quantity per year
Monthly cost in
7
4.5
3
11.5
7
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
0.58
0.38
0.25
0.96
0.58
0.17
4
0.5
35
19
5
4
2
14
3.5
5.7
18
22.7
1
1
0.2
0.5
0.5
4
4
3
3
0.25
4
12
0.33
0.04
0.58
0.79
0.21
1.33
0.67
3.50
0.88
0.12
6.00
22.70
TOTAL
600
40.1

Access to water and sanitation is one of the major challenges for the 21st century. According to WHO (2004),
1.1 billion people do not have access to safe water and 2.4 billion people do not have access to basic sanitation facilities. As a consequence around 4 million people, the majority of who are children, die every year
from water and sanitation related diseases.

Water-supply and sanitation conditions therefore directly affect health and food security and are key components in the fight against Hunger and Malnutrition.
For 25 years, in line with its vocation of fighting Hunger, the Action contre la Faim international network
has been implementing field programmes aimed at supporting populations in humanitarian situations, along
with research and technical development in order to optimise its interventions. This book is the result of this
experience and presents methods and techniques of intervention, not only to provide and ensure access to
water groundwater prospecting, drilling, well digging, constructing spring catchments and gravity supply
systems, treatment and distribution of surface water and collection of rainwater but also sanitary measures,
hygiene promotion, capacity building of communities and local partners, and much more.
This manual is the second edition of Alimentation en eau des populations menaces, by ric Drouart and
Jean-Michel Vouillamoz, published in 1999; it has been deeply reviewed, revised, updated and extended,
under the coordination of Hubert Smiond and Francesco Gonzlez, with more than 60% of new information.
It focuses on efficient and concrete action, as well as on context and needs analysis. It is intended for those
concerned by programmes involving water supply, sanitation, hygiene promotion and local capacity building.
ISBN 2 7056 6499 8
50
HERMANN
Water is not only an important factor of public health, but also of general livelihoods and development: crop
production, livestock production, industry, commerce and daily life depend on access to water.
HERMANN
ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS
Nb. Description
1
2
3
4
Unit cost in
Stationery
Per diems
Training
Technical support
Quantity per month
Monthly cost in
1
3
1
1
22.00
12.00
3.50
4.00
22.00
4.00
3.50
4.00
TOTAL
41.5
DEPRECIATION
Description
Cost ()
Quantity
Lifespan
(years)
Yearly
depreciation
Monthly
depreciation
1360.54
1723.36
544.22
1587.30
1350.00
4.45
16.33
4
4
1
1
3
1800
167
10
30
25
25
35
30
40
544.22
229.78
21.77
63.49
115.71
267.00
68.18
45.35
19.15
1.81
5.29
9.64
22.25
5.68
Electrical pumping equipment

Wells
Surface-water intake
Elevated concrete tanks
Simple concrete tanks
PVC pipeline
GI pipe
TOTAL
109.18
CALCULATION OF THE CONTRIBUTION
Description
Monthly operations costs

Monthly maintenance costs
Monthly administrative costs
Monthly depreciation costs
Cost in
432.00
40.10
41.50
109.18
TOTAL COST
622.78
Number of families: 450

Number of families paying: 405
Cost per user = total cost / number of contributors = 1.40 / month
This rate is adjusted each year for inflation. For the year of this example (2002), the inflation rate was 7.70%.
601

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Water, sanitation and hygiene

for populations at risk

Water, sanitation and hygiene

ACTION CONTRE LA FAIM

ACTION CONTRE LA FAIM

Water, sanitation and hygiene

ACTION CONTRE LA FAIM

What is hygiene promotion?

Why is hygiene promotion important?

Figure 15.1: The three main components of public health engineering.

V. Hygiene promotion and community management

Short time to understand, easy to make

Indispensable to take time to understand

Importance of spreading messages

Improvement of knowledge is indispensable

Easier to react if there is a major risk

It is more difficult for the communities

Emergency response: quick and effective

Facilities must be appropriate to being

15. Hygiene promotion

The hygiene-promotion project cycle

Estimation of water & hygiene-related disease incidence

Identification of risk practices

Selection of target risk practices to modify

Transmission of the message

The message must be

The question How is it working? is answered

The question Has it worked? is answered

V. Hygiene promotion and community management

2.1.2 DEFINING THE TARGET AREA

Information can be gathered for the appraisal as follows:

2.1.3 APPRAISAL TECHNIQUES

15. Hygiene promotion

2.2.1 WHAT TO LOOK FOR

V. Hygiene promotion and community management

2.2.1.2 Defining target audiences

15. Hygiene promotion

Research question list

Table 15.III: Example of question list for a detailed hygiene-promotion assessment.

What are the causes

Hospitals, health centres etc.

Origin of drinking water

Preferred type of water, why?

Food conservation and protection

Where do people keep their food?

Where do people defecate?

Relation between faeces

Diseases caused directly

Drainage and sewerage systems

Do people wash their hands

Presence of flies, fleas, mosquitoes,

Danger created by different vectors

V. Hygiene promotion and community management

15. Hygiene promotion

2.3.3 KEY-INFORMANT INTERVIEWING

V. Hygiene promotion and community management

2.3.4.2 Sample calculation

15. Hygiene promotion

Village with 1 000 families