That is how villagers in Afghanistan get ‘motivated’ to build their own latrines!
Community-Led Total Sanitation, or CLTS as it is called is apparently quite successful and needs to be scaled up in order to achieve Open Defecation Free Afghanistan by the year 2025. However, its success depends mainly on the quality of the facilitators who manages the process at the community level and lead the villagers into this rather confrontational process. “The walk of shame” being one of the key activities is literally a tour together with the community members around the village to identify places where open defecation is practised. It is even customary to trace the persons who ‘committed this crime’. Learning the implications through embarrassment seems to motivate people to change their behaviour and build their own latrine without the subsidy as is common in many other programmes.
Yes, an LFA workshop (Logical Framework Analysis) on sanitation in Afghanistan. Not often I facilitated a workshop under such extreme and difficult circumstances and at the same time everybody got so much satisfied. Running the workshop for 5 days with 25 enthusiastic and engaged representatives of Afghan public and private organisations in the bunker of UNICEF is not a joke. I felt like walking on a film set and actually the workshop should have been filmed, as it was unique and worth sharing in all its aspects. I will try to ‘picture’ the main achievements and experiences using words and some pictures though. The main achievements however are – contrary to the expectations – probably more at the emotional level triggered by very lively group dynamics and openness of sharing.
The context was the need for scaling up the highly successful CLTS (Community-Led Total Sanitation) programme aiming at an Open Defecation-Free Afghanistan by the year of 2025. UNICEF is taking the lead in providing financial and methodological (WASH) support to the various Ministries and NGOs. Apparently OD is a major root cause for a massive national health problems triggering, among other, diarrhoea and water-born diseases, food and nutritional deficiencies, stunting and polio cases all seriously affecting development in general.
The challenge is to train sufficient good quality local facilitators, male and female particularly, who apply the same methodology, are knowledgeable and practice an effective diplomacy to get accepted by the communities and local and regional leaders. And above all to get all the involved Ministries, Agencies and NGO’s backing this programme and approach.
Objectives
As such, this LFA workshop had the following purpose: Agreement is reached among the participants (key stakeholders) on the context, its problematics and the design of the project in terms of different level objectives and Results / Outcomes with corresponding Activities and methodology and associated Assumptions (risks) – the “WHAT should happen“ matrix.
In addition, clarity is reached on HOW the project will have to be implemented (methodology, staff development (HRM/HRD), mandates, policy support, management structures, decision making procedures, monitoring and quality control, means and financial management, reporting). Moreover Project Management will have to be clear including the Monitoring and reporting plan.
Through mutual clarifications by the stakeholders on their understanding of concepts, approaches, methodologies, actors, roles and responsibilities, procedures, obstacles, and opportunities, the workshop harmonized each other’s understanding on these elements.
Secondary benefits were harvested like a mutual friendly relationship between the stakeholders and understanding of each other’s backgrounds and therefore becoming more flexible, cooperative and less tough in negotiations. Other collaborations may be triggered from such a workshop.
Indirect benefits may be the perceived benefits of participatory processes to create ownership and a real change among people, which will affect the way ‘leadership‘ is being interpreted.
Who participated?
The participants were senior representatives of the two key involved 
Ministries, namely the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development and Ministry of Public Health and participants originated also from a number of experienced and well respected NGOs operating in this field.
In spite of a special request in advance it appeared very difficult to identify and invite female participants. This was certainly unfortunate as women mainly influence the sanitation practices in the households, the education of the children and the food preparation. Their opinion can be crucial.
Against all odds, participation was overwhelming by everybody for the full 5 days, and in particular participants were highly involved and committed. Sharing of experiences, concerns and ideas was quite open and constructive. That created a fantastic ground for mutual learning.
By means of mixing individuals in the sub-groups and allowing them to converse in their own language we further stimulated an environment of building friendships and cooperation.
The atmosphere among the participants was remarkably warm and extremely welcoming.
What we did to develop the plan
We started by identifying the benefit or ‘Entity’ the project will have to be focussing at and concluded this would be the ‘Changed Behaviour in Hygiene and Sanitation Practices’.
‘End-users’ and ‘Suppliers / Promoters’ related to that ‘Entity’ were identified, quantified, qualified and the focus and key actors established. Even potential saboteurs were identified and a strategy on how to involve them agreed.
The Project (WHAT should happen)
The Purpose of the project that was identified became: “Changed Behaviour in sanitary and hygienic practices”.
This would contribute to the following Overall Objectives (IMPACT):
- Open Defecation Free Afghanistan, Improved use of latrines, Clean water resources and villages.
- Higher school attendance and particularly by girls
- Safe food, better nutrition and healthier children (Polio and WASH-related diseases reduced, like diarrheal)
- Wellbeing and lifestyles of people in society improved
- Increased productivity and Economic growth.
The identified Results or Outcomes aiming at “Changed Behaviour” were as follows:
- The community has accepted the project (WASH)
- Trust exists between the first line service providers and the end-users
- People realised and are concerned about their sanitary problems (Shock, Shame & Disgust)
- Role models followed / copied
- Good examples of sanitation in other villages observed
- Sense of pride / dignity raised about sanitary norms
- People have a better sense of privacy (latrines)
- Trained / educated mothers on hygiene
- Sanitation knowledge increased
- Increased ownership and people with self-confidence (we can do it).
Once we agreed on the 10 Results, each of the 5 Sub-groups defined Objectively Verifiable Indicators (OVIs) for a Result of their choice, which, after having presented and agreed upon by all participants, were guiding the generation of required Activities (IN – by the project) and corresponding Assumptions (OUT – by other stakeholders).
The Capacity Building and Management (HOW will it happen) Matrix
In order to build the capacity that is required to assure the implementation capacity for this rather ambitious project a capacity building or “HOW will is happen” Matrix was developed showing the Organisational Results and corresponding Activities as were developed by independent and differently composed sub-groups.
APPRECIATION OF THE WORKSHOP
Through the workshop participants shared their appreciation on specific aspects of this workshop:
- Great participation,
- No agenda,
- No Power Point presentation
- No hand-out
- Happy facilitation
- ‘Chair’ simulation
- Open discussions
- 1st workshop ever where nobody has been asleep
- no jargon but concrete practical language
- New way of formulating ‘objectives’ (after 15 years)
- The topic of identifying ‘Saboteurs’
- Great Results defined
- The relationship and logic between all the components
- Logic leads the process
- The way everything is being explained
- Sharing of knowledge and experiences
- Formulating Indicators
- Focus
- The possibility to choose ones own topic and sub-group
- Really focus on ‘Behavioural Change’
Final reflection
I like to express my outstanding gratitude for UNICEF and in particular Rolf Luyendijk, Head of WASH, who, as trained facilitator, understood the power and potentials of such a facilitated consultation process, and had the courage and took the initiative to launch such a 5-day LFA workshop involving all the key persons in Afghanistan and in particular under those extreme security conditions. Indeed someone has to stick out his or her neck in order to effectively change the way people communicate with each other. It was indeed amazing how the Afghan participants representing their own organisations opened up and shared their experiences, thoughts and ideas. The room was buzzing with positive energy, a new experience for many in Afghanistan.