Project start and launch of the planning process

Sub step 3: Formation of the sanitation planning team

To properly carry out the planning process, there is need for the formation of a sanitation planning team which will be responsible for organising, planning and scheduling the entire participatory planning process and all the individual steps involved. This sanitation team should be made up of the facilitator of the project, sanitation experts and representatives from the identified key stakeholders, as well as the agency responsible for sanitation within the locality. It is necessary to involve the already existing local structure that has the mandate to implement sanitation, if any. This is to take advantage of the knowledge and experience already acquired by these agencies, as well as to gain the trust of the community, given the involvement of well-known and influential individuals.

The participants should agree on the planning framework to be used, and assign initial roles and responsibilities for future planning steps. The sanitation team will change and evolve with time, as the demand creation step develops and new active persons and organisations get continuously engaged in the project.

How do I put together a sanitation planning team?

  1. Identification of team members. This step shall clarify the question “Which skills are required for the project? Which human resources are needed?” It is also important to clarify which team members are needed as permanent staff and which activities can be sub-contracted.
  2. Recruitment of team members. There are different possibilities to recruit the staff needed to carry out the project. For instance, announcements could be published in local, national or international newspapers, as well as on the internet, which is a powerful tool for communication. Another option could be to take action at local level, like putting up flyers within the project area and getting in touch with local experts through start-up meetings.
  3. Sign a contract. Every team member shall receive his / her personal contract.
  4. Provide basic orientation and training for the team. Basic orientation and training for members of the sanitation planning team should be provided as early as possible. It is necessary to lay down the functions of each team and also describing clearly the decision making structure of the team. Furthermore, a manual of internal procedures will allow the day-to-day activities of the process to be defined. This may include: purchasing, business trips, reporting of hours, etc.
  5. Additional factors:
    • Not all team members must be available right from the beginning. An important member who must be presented right from the beginning is the coordinator.
    • A proactive and loyal coordinator is in many cases key to a successful project.
    • Team members can identify themselves with the project and are proud about the activities.
    • Fair payment and contracts are always good for motivation of the team.

The roles of the members of this sanitation planning team vary and could include:

The facilitator

The main role of the facilitators is the formation and organisation of the planning team, as well as the activities to be undertaken. The facilitators are responsible for the initiation of the project and should gather adequate information regarding the problems, as well as the possible solutions. The facilitators are responsible for “selling” the idea of the need for change in the sanitation situation of the locality to other members of the sanitation planning team, as well as facilitating the assignment of roles and activities to be performed by other members of the team.

Sanitation experts and agricultural extensionists

It is of great importance to involve selected sanitation experts as well as agricultural extensionists in the planning team, as they will be responsible for the survey of the conditions of the locality and proposing the possible sustainable sanitation systems that will be appropriate to the affected community, taking into consideration the desires and needs of the citizens. It is important to involve from the start agricultural extensionists to evaluate the potential for the use of fertiliser and to plan for safe nutrients reuse resulting from the sanitation intervention. The extensionists are able to integrate the reuse concept in their activities.

Representatives of key stakeholders

The representatives of key stakeholders are needed in the team as they play an important role of representing the desires and needs of the members of the community, given that all of them cannot be expected to fully participate in the discussion. These key stakeholders will thus act as a bridge between the sanitation planning team and the community, providing the views and demands of the end users to the planners and the requests of the planners to the community.


Health workers

Health workers are persons whose main activities are aimed at enhancing health. They include the people who provide health services -such as doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory technicians  and management- and support workers, such as financial officers, cooks, drivers and cleaners. These health workers should be involved in the planning team, as they can help educate stakeholders and the community as a whole of the risks involved in improper hygiene methods and of benefits of improved nutritional status through improved diet.


Local activists/ NGOs / CBOs / FBOs

Local activists and representatives from local NGOs (Non-Governmental Organisations), CBOs (Community-Based Organisations) and FBOs (Faith-Based Organisations) should be included in the team, as they would prove useful due to their experience in organising and coordinating activities and events within the particular locality. These local groups also tend to have genuine interests in the community and will therefore seek to ensure a successful planning of any project concerning their locality.






Show me an example of a sanitation planning team