WASH in

Schools

Implementation
Guidelines

A reference for Live & Learn Environmental Education

This document was produced through “The New Times, New Targets Project” - which aims to improve
sustainable and inclusive access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services and facilities with
schools, clinics and communities in rural Solomon Islands. The project is an Australian aid initiative
implemented by Plan International Australia in partnership with Live & Learn Environmental Education
on behalf of the Australian Government.

Written by: Michelle Abel

Contributors: Betty Amos, David Boas, Mathew Johnston, Jessica Jota, Josephine Kombul,
Iva Koroisamanunu, Jessica Pungmat, Jack Purai, Clement Nusama, Tom Rankin, Brendon Teava
and Cecilia Tohiam
Thank you to Declan Hearne from International WaterCentre for starting Live & Learn on this journey.

Design and Layout: Wilani van Wyk-Smit

Illustration: Nick Mattiske

Printed on 100% recycled paper.

This manual is available online at:

[Link]

Copyright © Live & Learn Environmental Education

All rights for the commercial/for profit reproduction or translation, in any form, are reserved. Live & Learn authorises the
partial reproduction of this material for scientific, educational or research purposes, provided that Live & Learn and the
source document are properly acknowledged. Permission to reproduce the document and/or translate in whole, in any form,
whether for commercial or non-profit purposes, must be requested in writing.

Live & Learn Environmental Education

Ross House, Level 4, 247-251 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Victoria 3000 Australia
Tel: (+613) 96501291 Email: enquiries@[Link]
[Link]

Wildeye [Link]
Graphic design by Wildeye
 Wildeye [Link]
Graphic design by Wildeye

WASH in
Schools

Implementation
Guidelines
 CONTENTS

The importance of WASH in Schools 6

A capacity development approach to WASH in Schools 8

Design Frameworks and Principles 10

Strengthening the Enabling Environment 12

Strengthening Local School Level 13

5 Key WASH Messages 14

Assess, Plan, Act & Monitor Cycle 15

WASH in Schools Activity Cycle 16

ASSESS 25

National and sub-national consultations 26

Initiation meetings or workshop 27
Introduction to schools 28
Baseline Surveys and Analysis 29

PLAN 39

WASH in Schools Planning Workshop 40

WASH Plans endorsed by schools 47
Strengthening school WASH teams 48
Communications & Engagement 52

Wildeye [Link]
4 WASH in Schools Guide
Graphic design by Wildeye
 ACT 55

Training of Trainers Facilitation Guides 56

Building Teacher Leadership 57
Water, Hygiene & Sanitation Inservice in Schools 65
Hygiene & Sanitation Education is delivered in classrooms 65
Building Student Leadership 66
Establishing WASH Clubs 71
Students leading an Arts for Advocacy campaign 72
Students support and present at Global WASH days 72
Improved WASH Access 73
Wash Committee, Teachers and Students Support
Improved Wash Access 86
Strengthening Gender & Social Inclusion 87
Sharing of Gender and Social Inclusion information and
ongoing support 106
Ongoing follow up and support 107

MONITOR 109

Bottlenecks are reviewed and school-based theory of

change revised 110
Benchmarking against Three Star Framework 111
Action Plan for next year 114
Annual Reflection in the School 114
Engagement of Education Authorities 115

Information Sources & Key Resources 116

Wildeye [Link]
5
Graphic design by Wildeye WASH in Schools Guide
 The importance of
WASH in Schools

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

is important for good health.
What is Schools take simple, inexpensive steps
WASH in to improve WASH facilities at their

Schools? school, and healthy hygiene habits are

taught, practised and integrated into
daily school routines.

Safe water, toilets and improved hygiene behaviours are essential in schools to provide a clean and
safe learning environment. Although we have made progress, the sustainability of school water,
sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services and hygiene behaviour change remains a huge challenge
in many countries. Safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) are essential in schools to provide
children with a clean, safe learning environment and teach them how to live healthy, happy adult lives.

In low and middle-income countries, almost half1 of schools do not have safe drinking water and 55%
lack sanitation facilities. School hygiene is a particular challenge; based on the limited data available,
only 21% of schools in developing countries have handwashing facilities. This lack of basic water
and sanitation services and improved hygiene behaviours is holding back students’ potential and
preventing them from escaping poverty.

In the South Pacific self-reported data collected on WASH in Schools from Ministries of Education in
the region demonstrate that school children in Kiribati, Marshall Islands and Solomon Islands have
extremely low access levels. In Kiribati a meagre 4% of schools have access to sanitation and only
3% to water. A baseline study in the Solomon Islands revealed that 46% of schools in rural areas lack
access to water, 65% lack access to sanitation and 66% lack handwashing facilities.

In addition, girls and children with disabilities are denied access to education due to stigma and when
WASH facilities are unavailable or inadequate2. Girls miss school each month because of stigma
concerning menstruation and because sanitary pads are unaffordable for many families, and toilets in
schools are not equipped with menstrual hygiene facilities, or are not properly maintained.

1 [Link]/wash/schools/ les/WASHinSchools_Post2015_ consultation_Summary.pdf

2 UNICEF Pacific WASH Strategy Note – 2018-2022

6 WASH in Schools Guide

 An efficiently and effectively implemented WASH in Schools program
will lead to students who3:

Are healthier
Increase attendance and perform better in school
Positively influence water safety and hygiene practices in their homes, among family
members and in the wider community
Learn to observe, communicate, cooperate, listen and carry out decisions about hygienic
conditions and practices for themselves, their friends and younger siblings whose
hygiene they may care for (skills they may apply in other aspects of life)
Change their current hygiene behaviour and continue better hygiene practices in the
future
Personal hygiene is improved for boys and girls, and boys and girls learn about
menstrual hygiene and physical and emotional changes during puberty
Practice gender-neutral division of hygiene-related tasks, such as cleaning toilets,
fetching and boiling water, and taking care of the sick

3 Data on the benefits of school WASH is currently limited. These benefits are based on existing data and anecdotal evidence.

WASH in Schools Guide 7

 A capacity development approach
to WASH in Schools

Effective WASH in Schools improves health, boosts attendance and promotes gender equity and
equality4. Stereotypes are challenged through engaging boys and girls in WASH activities in schools,
and through providing leadership opportunities for girls in student WASH clubs. Access to gender
segregated, private and girl-friendly WASH facilities, paired with improved knowledge on sexual and
reproductive health, breaks down stigma and taboos related to menstrual hygiene, and establishes an
enabling environment for good menstrual hygiene management. Engaging with boys also promotes
positive masculinities related to WASH roles in schools5.

Live & Learn works with schools to improve WASH through a bottom-up capacity-building approach
and risk-based tools based in an ‘Assess-Plan-Act-Monitor’ cycle. Our enabling approach focuses
on what the schools can learn and be able to do themselves, rather than just on supplying facilities
and services. It provides the schools the opportunity to be active actors in the improvement of their
WASH infrastructure and services. We also work with government education authorities to strengthen
implementation of WASH in Schools standards and policy.

The program implements capacity building activities to establish and strengthen the school
leadership so that they will be able to address the water supply and sanitation needs in their school in
the long term. The program also generates demand for improved water safety, hygiene and sanitation
in the school through empowering student WASH Clubs to conduct targeted advocacy campaigns to
improve water, hygiene and sanitation in the school.

A pilot project implemented in partnership with International Water Centre and supported by
the Australian Government through the Civil Society WASH Fund was implemented with school
administration and teachers in 43 schools in peri-urban locations in four countries - Papua New
Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Fiji. Some 18,800 students benefited from the project, and
improvements in WASH in Schools policy and service funding was made by education authorities at
district and national level.

This guide provides an overview of the Live & Learn WASH in Schools approach, and serves as a
guide for the larger WASH in Schools programs now being implemented by Live & Learn with other
partners in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and elsewhere.

This publication is made possible through the WASH in Schools activities of the New Times, New
Targets Project - which aims to improve sustainable and inclusive access to water, sanitation and
hygiene (WASH) services and facilities with schools, clinics and communities in rural Solomon Islands.
The project is an Australian aid initiative implemented by Plan International Australia in partnership
with Live & Learn Environmental Education on behalf of the Australian Government.

4 UNICEF Call to Action – WASH in Schools

5 UNICEF WASH Strategy Note – Pacific Multi-country Programme (2018-2022)

8 WASH in Schools Guide

 How we work with schools to improve WASH
How we work with schools to improve WASH

Live & Learn Project Start

Initiation Meeting

Measure changes
against 3 Stars
Handover to Education
Authorities
Bottleneck Analysis
(BNA)

Bottleneck
Analysis
Coaching WASH in Report
Schools WinS Planning
Share BNA Report
Cycle School Theory of
Change
School WASH
Improvement Plan

Training of Teachers
Sessions 1 – 5
Set up WASH
Committee

Set up WASH
Clubs

WASH in Schools Guide 9

 Design Frameworks
and Principles

WASH in Schools works at different areas to promote bottom-up change

Enabling
Schools Teachers Students
environment

Live & Learn’s approach to WASH in Schools is based on UNICEF’s Three Star Schools approach6.
The Three Star Approach for WASH in Schools is designed to advance the effectiveness of hygiene
behaviour change programmes, while ensuring that schools meet the essential criteria for providing
a healthy environment for children. The approach was developed in response to bottleneck analyses
of WASH in Schools programmes worldwide and is modelled on other successful school-based
behaviour change programmes.

In the Three Star Approach, schools are encouraged to take simple steps to make sure that all students
wash their hands with soap, have access to drinking water, and are provided with clean, gender-
segregated and child-friendly toilets at school every day. The Three Star Approach involves changing
the way WASH in Schools programming is perceived by schools, communities, and decision makers
in government and support agencies. By prioritizing the most essential actions for achieving goals,
the Three Star Approach helps schools focus on meeting children’s needs through key interventions.
At the same time, it provides a clear pathway for all schools throughout a country to meet national
standards, and for all children to have hygiene-promoting and healthy schools. It encourages local
action and support from communities and does not depend on expensive hardware inputs from
the education system or external support agencies. ‘Keep it simple, scalable and sustainable’ is the
guiding concept for interventions at all stages, so that the approach can be sustainably expanded
countrywide at low cost.

‘Keep it simple, scalable and sustainable’ is the guiding concept for

interventions at all stages, so that the approach can be sustainably
expanded countrywide at low cost.

6 Field Guide: Three Star Approach for WASH in Schools, UNICEF and GIZ, August 2013

10 WASH in Schools Guide

Three Star School Framework

WASH in Schools Guide 11

 Strengthening the
Enabling Environment

Live & Learn supports the fundamental idea behind the Three Star Approach that schools and their
host communities can and should create the minimum conditions for healthy, hygiene-promoting
schools using local resources. The One Star stage is specifically designed to be so low-cost that even
the poorest communities should be able to achieve its three milestones for hygiene, sanitation and
water using their own resources.

While recognizing government responsibility to ensure that minimum WASH standards are met in
publicly-funded schools, in this approach government responsibility lies less in funding hardware and
more in creating a supportive policy environment, programme design and institutionalization of daily
hygiene activities – which involves training for teachers in hygiene promotion, setting and monitoring
standards and certification.

Live & Learn works to both support government education policy setting and implementation, and at
the level of local school leadership to help schools meet the government WASH in Schools standards.
National governments in the South Pacific are currently supported by UNICEF to define standards,
roles and responsibilities for WASH in Schools. Each country is at a different stage in this process.

It is important to note that all tools used for WASH in Schools activities by Live & Learn must
be contextualised to reference and support the WASH in Schools national standards, roles and
responsibilities set by national governments.

12 WASH in Schools Guide

Strengthening Local
School Level

Live & Learn’s WASH in Schools activities focus on four areas:

1
Engagement
with enabling
environment actors

2
Improved institutional
capacity to plan and
deliver WASH in schools

3
Teacher-led
WASH promotion
in classes

4
Peer-to-peer
advocacy amongst
students

WASH in Schools Guide 13

 5 Key WASH Messages

Handwashing
Be a WASH
with soap is a
Champion
habit

Safe Water
Healthy School

WASH Menstruation
Services is not a
for All sickness

14 WASH in Schools Guide

 Assess, Plan, Act & Monitor Cycle

Monitor Assess

Live & Learn’s WASH in Schools (WinS) WinS

activities follow the management cycle Management
of Assess, Plan, Act and Monitor. Cycle

Act Plan

The WASH in Schools Activity Cycle (given in a table on the following pages) is targeted on assisting
schools to improve safe and inclusive santiation and hygiene outcomes for students, but recognizes
that to achieve this an effective WASH in Schools program needs to be built on a foundation of three
key pillars:

Building on existing initiatives:

Strength based approaches encourage building on what programs, skills and resources
already exist. A validated situation analysis should be used to inform new initiatives.

Working with stakeholders:

Collaboration with key stakeholders will be important to gain support and legitimacy for
any new activities. Identifying and engage with key stakeholders will increase ownership
of findings and the follow up actions. Multiple actors need to be involve for a successful
and sustained WASH in Schools program. We also need to ensure strategic support from
educational agencies by building on existing educational policy’s, mandates. We also
build local capacity at school level for ownership and sustainability of interventions.

Evidenced based:
Generating and sharing evidence will provide a foundation for smarter more targeted
actions and provide WASH in Schools advocates with a powerful tool to lobby support
for the program. The Bottleneck Analysis is an evidence-based approach that will help
ensure limited resources can be targeted to ensure best return.

This WASH in Schools Guide is structured to provide details of activities conducted by

a community development organisation and school in each step of the cycle. The final
section provides details on examples, templates and national standards.

WASH in Schools Guide 15

 WASH in Schools Activity Cycle
Process step

ASSESS What success looks like

Role of Live &
Learn Team
Role of
schools
National and •• National and regional stakeholders have Conduct informal consultations
sub-national been consulted with national and regional
consultations •• Roles of national and regional education stakeholders
stakeholders, and program officers have
been discussed and agreed
•• Program staff are aware of other WinS
initiatives led by government and other
stakeholders. Links with other initiative
are established (e.g. alignment with
UNICEF Three star approach)

Initiation •• Understanding of importance of WinS Ensure program for supporting Target

meetings or •• Roles and responsibilities of national and WinS is aligned with national schools
workshop regional stakeholders and Live & Learn approaches to WinS have been
program officers have been mapped, contacted
discussed and agreed.
•• Orientation from department or ministry
•• Agreement on provisional school WASH
team
•• Agreement on criteria for selection of
schools
•• Strategies for coordination with schools
has been agreed
•• Guidelines on school engagement agreed

Introduction to •• Orientation on WinS with key school Conduct informal consultations Schools have
schools leaders with school leaders and expressed
•• Secure agreement on participation from teachers interest to
school leadership participate.

Baseline •• Through participatory Bottleneck Field officers and Community School

surveys and Analysis process school stakeholders Facilitators work with school supports and
analysis have an understanding of current status leadership and (where possible) participate
of WASH services in school and their with Education agencies to in baseline
impact on gender equality and inclusion conduct baseline activities activities
•• Program staff have used baseline date to to produce first Bottleneck
inform current bottleneck at the school Analysis assessment in target
level schools.

Collaborative •• Program staff facilitate school Field officers and Community School
analysis and stakeholders to conduct review of Facilitators leads the participates
action planning Bottleneck Analysis findings of WASH collaborative analysis and in analysis
and Gender & Social Inclusion needs and action planning and planning
priorities processes
•• School stakeholders have shared
understand of priority actions

16 WASH in Schools Guide

Process step

PLAN What success looks like

Role of Live &
Learn Team
Role of
schools
•• Results of school bottleneck analysis Project team provides School
WASH in
presented and agreed on by school Bottleneck Analysis Report to have been
Schools
leaders schools, and facilitates a school supported
Planning
•• Participatory planning workshop to WASH in Schools Planning to take a
Workshop
produce school draft Theory of Change Workshop that provides leading
and WASH Improvement Plan, aligned guidance and templates for role in the
to national policy (where national school Theory of Change and development
policy exists) WASH Improvement Plan school-
•• Clarifies roles of key school-based based plans
actors (school leaders, committee, Where national policy
teachers, students) and institutional exists project team ensures
structures (School Council, School awareness and understanding
WASH Committee, WASH clubs) of key policy requirements.

WASH plans •• Theory of Change and WASH Project team support school in School allocated
endorsed by Improvement Plans formally adopted draft of budget using existing inclusive
the school by school. government format WASH budget
•• WASH in Schools budget has been requirement in
created/reviewed and is aligned with formal school
school budgeting process budgeting
•• WinS budget includes inclusive process.
water and sanitation infrastructure
improvements (incremental, based in
3-Star school standards)

Strengthening •• School leaders have been orientated Project team have facilitated School has
School WASH on leadership, gender and social coordination visits between clarified
teams inclusion, etc school and government roles and
•• School WASH Committee is education authorities responsibilities
established with a clear Terms of for school
Reference, and have had orientation If appropriate, skills needs WASH
with appropriate education office (if assessment has been conducted Committee
available) with school WASH Committee
•• School WASH Committee includes School WASH
school manager/chairman and head Committee has
teacher reviewed and
adopted the
plans from the
Asses phase

Communication •• School is prioritising WASH in Project team facilitates Timeline for

and planning WASH Committee and delivery of
engagement •• Bottleneck analysis and action plans school leadership sharing of interventions
are communicated with all students Bottleneck Analysis Report and in schools has
and staff WASH Improvement Plan to been agreed
•• School adopts school-based action wider school body with school
plans principal and
board chair

WASH in Schools Guide 17

Process step Building teacher leadership
ACT What success looks like
Role of Live &
Learn Team
Role of
schools
Building
teacher
leadership
ToT #1: •• Teachers understand difference Project team provides a 1-day School
Water, between health knowledge and (or 4 afternoon) session based ensure full
Hygiene & behavior change communication. on Hands Up for Hygiene attendance
Sanitation •• Key hygiene messages and channels for Teacher Guide and Germ- and actively
communicating in classrooms agreed. busters Student Book participate
•• Steps to improve ‘opportunity’ to in trainings
wash hands explored (Hand washing
facilities, soap and water supplies)
•• Role of student in keeping toilets clean
and functional explored.
•• Concept of WASH Clubs discussed as
an inclusive mechanism to enable girls
and boys to take a proactive role in
inclusive water, hygiene and sanitation
– including identification of support
teachers
•• Hygiene and Sanitation activities are
mapped against school calendar and
integrated with key school subjects at
classroom level.
•• Introduction to Water Safety
information

Hygiene and •• All teachers have been oriented on Project team completes follow School-led
sanitation Hygiene and sanitation modules and up visit to assess that inservice
inservice in have the tools to deliver messages in has been conducted and to
schools classrooms. see progress and challenges
•• Teachers trained in Training of Trainers for delivering hygiene and
have conducted inservice with other sanitation messages in
teachers at the schools classrooms

Hygiene and •• Hygiene messages are delivered in Project team monitors the School-led
sanitation every classroom implementation of Safe
education is •• Sanitation messages are delivered in Sanitation activities.
delivered in every classroom
classrooms Project team identifies and helps
to troubleshoots challenges

18 WASH in Schools Guide

Process step Building student leadership
ACT What success looks like
Role of Live &
Learn Team
Role of
schools
Building
student
leadership
ToT #2: •• Teachers have been trained in the Project team provides a 1-day Schools
Arts for use of Arts for Advocacy approach (or 4 afternoon) session based schedule
Advocacy for engaging and capacity building on Arts for Advocacy Teacher times and
of students for leadership and action and Student Guides to guide engage with
on WASH in Schools – especially engagement and capacity- Arts for
leadership opportunities for girls building of students for Advocacy
leadership in WASH in Schools activities

Establish WASH •• WASH Clubs (or similar) provides Project team monitors the School use
Clubs opportunities for students to establishment of WASH Clubs learning from
be engaged – and leadership and student-led activities A4A training
opportunities, especially for girls to Establish
•• WASH Clubs take active role in WASH Clubs
promoting/ policing hygiene and (or similar)
sanitation behaviors
•• Annual plan agreed

Students lead •• WASH Clubs plan and deliver Arts for Monitoring and trouble Teachers
an Arts for Advocacy campaigns in schools shooting support
Advocacy •• Students have support from school
campaign management and teachers

Students •• Calendar of Global WASH and Inclusive Coordination with regional and School leads
support and days is shared with school national level stakeholders the hosting
present at Global •• WASH Clubs have an active role in and delivery
WASH days preparing and presenting at Global Coordination with schools for of the Global
WASH days regional events WASH days
•• Fundraising activities, where
appropriate, are integrated with Global
days

WASH in Schools Guide 19

Process step Improved WASH Access
ACT What success looks like
Role of Live &
Learn Team
Role of
schools
Improved
WASH
Access
Incremental •• Hand-washing facilities planned and Support WASH Committee School WASH
water and some constructed in line with Three coordination with government Committee
sanitation Star standards education authorities and leads process
infrastructure •• Sanitation facilities planned and some service delivery partners to of improved
improvements constructed in line with Three Star build infrastructure, discuss WASH
(based on standards seed funding or other funding infrastructure
3-Star school options school can access construction
standards) management

ToT #3: •• School leadership is aware of national Project team completes School
Water Safety water safety standards for schools follow up to see progress and WASH
Training •• Understand requirements for resilient challenges for delivering safe Committee,
and safe water supplies water supply and storage in Teachers
•• Practical experience and knowledge of schools, and to link school and student
doing a water safety audit and water water safety planning with WASH Clubs
testing community water safety are taking
•• Develop and use risk assessments to planning. responsibility
inform control measures mitigating for school
contamination and improving reliability water quality
of water supplies

ToT #4: •• Operations & Maintenance training Project team use Operations School has
Operations & conducted with WASH Committee & Maintenance tools to guide drafted
Maintenance •• Operations & Maintenance plan in place capacity building of WASH a simple
with schedule and costs included Committee in Operations & Operations &
Maintenance, including writing Maintenance
a costed plan Action Plan
and allocated
budget re-
quirement in
formal school
budgeting
process

WASH •• Soap, toilet paper and sanitary pad Project team identifies and School leads
Committee, supplies are ensured (school budget helps WASH Committee and the imple-
Teachers and allocation, fundraising, etc) WASH Clubs to troubleshoot mentation of
Students •• Roles of WASH club to track and Operations & Maintenance safe hygiene
support report toilets and hand-washing challenges and sanitation
improved facilities use and status activities
WASH Access •• Operations and maintenance
implemented, including waste
disposal management

20 WASH in Schools Guide

Process step Strengthening Gender & Social Inclusion
ACT What success looks like
Role of Live &
Learn Team
Role of
schools
Strengthening
Gender & Social
Inclusion
ToT #5: •• Gender & Social Inclusion training, Project team and/or Gender & Schools
Gender including Menstrual Hygiene Management Social Inclusion training partner schedule
and Social and disability WASH access with teachers conduct training of teachers and times and
Inclusion and and WASH Committee WASH Committee in Gender engage
Menstruation •• School-based WASH goals and plans & Social Inclusion & Safe with Gender
ensure safe and inclusive sanitation is Sanitation & Social
Hygiene
provided in the school Inclusion
Management
•• Supply of sanitary pads secured for the & Safe
school, and appropriate waste disposal Sanitation
system in place activities
•• Incremental plans to improve accessibility
of WASH facilities based on Three Star
standards

Sharing of •• One day school wide orientation on Project team and/or Gender & All teachers
Gender and Gender & Social Inclusion, including Social Inclusion training partner receivetraining
social inclusion Menstrual Hygiene Management and monitor the re-echoing of Gender in Gender &
disability WASH access & Social Inclusion and Menstrual Social Inclusion
information and & Safe
ongoing support •• Menstrual Hygiene Management Focus Hygiene Management training
Group Discussions held with boys and Sanitation
girls ages (11-13) Project team
•• Participation in relevant Global Days (eg and/or Gender
3 December) and Social
Inclusion
training partner
monitor
the sharing
of gender
and social
inclusion and
menstruation
hygiene
management
training

Ongoing follow •• WASH in Schools is strengthened in Informal monitoring by Schools are

up and support schools project team on the following: available
•• High level of awareness of WASH in Implementation of plan to talk with
Schools progress, teachers are including project team
•• Increased motivation and activities of WASH in lessons, activities and willing
teachers and students of WASH Clubs (especially to allow staff
•• Increased participation of the whole Arts for Advocacy), WASH development
school community including parents Committee is active, key WASH time to be
•• Infrastructure is well managed and global events are celebrated, allocated to
operating correctly overall environment and WASH WASH follow-
•• Increased knowledge and services provided by the school up. Schools
understanding by all teachers is improving, community is also keep
supportive project team
updated on
successes and
challenges

WASH in Schools Guide 21

Process step
Role of Live & Role of
MONITOR What success looks like
Learn Team schools
Bottleneck are •• Bottleneck Analysis is reviewed and Project team facilities review School
reviewed and changes/ progress is mapped of progress at each school support and
school-based •• Theory of Change is reviewed and used (initially) and then follow-ups participate
Theory of to guide WASH Action Plan for next in Year 3 and 4 with groups of in review
Change revised school year schools activities

Benchmarking •• Benched marked against the Three Project team facilitates review School report
against Three Star approach where it has been with education authorities on progress
Star approach adapted nationally against government standards against
and Three Star framework Three Star
indicators

Action Plan for •• Action planning for next school year is Project team facilities review School
next year complete of next 12-month action plan leads the
•• Budget includes WinS items and budgets development
of next year
plans and
budgets

Annual •• Progress in Hygiene and Sanitation is In coordination with education School

Reflection in the celebrated agencies Project team provides celebrates
School •• Progress in water, hygiene and token of acknowledge to achievements
sanitation goals and Three Star schools (e.g. certification of
standards is shared in the school and progress in WinS)
with government education authorities,
and celebrated.

Engagement •• Local government education officers Project team consults Education

of Education are making support and monitoring with Education Authority authorities
Authorities visits to schools leadership, informs other continue
•• Schools understand and are able to relevant government support and
satisfactorily complete government departments (such as health or engagement
processes and forms for financial and infrastructure) as needed, and in the
monitoring support hosts knowledge and learning program,
•• Education Authorities are aware of events for stakeholders and commit
successes and learning of program to eventual
overall
supervision of
the program
as part of the
exit for the
project team

22 WASH in Schools Guide

WASH in Schools Guide 23
24 WASH in Schools Guide
ASSESS

The “Assess” stage in the WASH in Schools cycle is where

information on WASH in Schools strengths, needs, approaches,
policies, standards, etc are gathered. A key tool is the
participatory Bottleneck Analysis conducted at school level.

Diagram of steps

National and sub-national consultations

Initiation meetings/workshop

Introduction to schools

Baseline surveys and analysis

Collaborative analysis and action planning

WASH in Schools Guide 25

 National and sub-national consultations

These consultations provide an opportunity to engage and listen to national and regional education
stakeholders, such as government education department, health department, asset management
department, organisations such as UNICEF and other organisations working with schools. This
provides the opportunity to understand government priorities for WASH in Schools and outline the
support which your organization can provide. A summary of key points from your project situation
analysis should be discussed and validated with the educational stakeholders.

Key protocols for informal consultations include:

•• Prepare a stakeholder mapping before informal consultations (see Section 6 for an example of a
Stakeholder Map)
•• If you are familiar with them, conduct some informal political economy analysis activities
concerning key stakeholders
•• Be flexible to meet at time a place that best suits your target stakeholder
•• Have a short summary of your project to present
•• Have a short summary of your situation analysis that can easily be shared with the stakeholder.
Express that you are keen to validate your assumptions with their input
•• Be open to listen to concerns with your findings, be flexible to find common ground and adapt your
strategies to improve alignment with government processes
•• Outline your next steps and seek support and advice as to how best to progress and who else to
engage
•• Agree a time share your validate situation analysis based on inputs from different stakeholders.
•• Seek a time for a more formal consultation or workshop

What success looks like:

•• National and regional stakeholders have been consulted

•• Roles of national and regional stakeholders, and program officers have been discussed and agreed
•• Program staff are aware of other WinS initiatives led by government and other stakeholders. Links
with other initiative are established (e.g. alignment with UNICEF Three star approach)

26 WASH in Schools Guide

Initiation meetings or workshop
The Initiation workshop is an opportunity to explore agreement on strategies for collectively
strengthening WASH in Schools. Such forums can be effective for creating a shared understanding of
importance of WASH in Schools, and identify opportunities for collaboration. Common agenda points
in an Initiation workshop include:

•• Orientation on organisations work relating to the policies and plans

•• A discussion on the importance of WASH in Schools with time for dialogue on the proposed
approaches, including consideration of:
o Strategies, theory and approaches for guiding WASH in Schools (eg. A focus on
building local capacity, evidence-based decision making and using the Three
Star Approach for benchmarking progress)
o Contact list for all stakeholders
o Identification of key focal points to contact for updates on activities
o Review of collective capacities, knowledge and resources for strengthening WASH in
Schools, including existing government standards (formalised and/or drafted)
o Overview of how baseline, monitoring and reporting data will be shared between
partners and reported to or integrated into government monitoring systems
o Criteria for selection of participating schools / regions
•• Identification of coordination and feedback processes to government, or steering group for directing
the process of working with schools and clarification of roles. If forming a steering group then it is
best to work with existing government groups.

What success looks like:

•• Understanding of importance of WinS

•• Roles and responsibilities of national and regional stakeholders and Live & Learn program officers
have been mapped, discussed and agreed
•• Orientation from department or ministry
•• Agreement on provisional school WASH team
•• Agreement on criteria for selection of schools
•• Strategies for coordination with schools has been agreed
•• Guidelines on school engagement agreed

Selection criteria is based on government programs, priorities, and activities of other

organisations. Selection criteria for schools can include things like:

•• Schools in a particular district or area

•• Schools with some existing assets (like water supply)
•• Only primary schools,
•• Etc

WASH in Schools Guide 27

 Introduction to schools
Informal consultations are held with school leadership to achieve the following:

•• Introduce WASH in Schools, including sharing information about any relevant national standards,
Three Star Schools program, etc
•• Introduce the project and implementing partners
•• Obtain a copy of the annual school operational calendar
•• Secure agreement on participation from school leadership
•• Establish a time to return to the school to conduct the participatory Bottleneck Analysis

What success looks like:

•• Orientation on WinS with key school leaders

•• Secure agreement on participation from school leadership

28 WASH in Schools Guide

Baseline Surveys and Analysis

WASH in Schools programs must address many

activities, including construction of water, sanitation
and hygiene facilities, hygiene education and promotion,
operations and maintenance support, and advocacy at
the local, regional and national level. Each component
of programming is required for the effective coverage
needed for health and education impacts, and a
bottleneck in one area can limit effectiveness of the
whole program. These components can be divided into
four categories: Enabling Environment, Supply, Quality
and Demand. The national WASH in Schools standards
in each country can be slightly different, but all will set
minimum or maximum standards for the aspects of
WASH in these categories. These categories have sub-
categories and indicators – which are shown in the tables
on the following pages.

The Bottleneck Analysis is the foundation tool that

Live & Learn uses with school stakeholders to identify
the barriers (bottlenecks) to accessing WASH services
and school and good WASH practice. The first time a
Bottleneck Analysis is conducted forms the baseline for
WASH services and practice in the school. Identifying
these bottlenecks can help to focus improvement
strategies. The Bottleneck Analysis is also used as the
monitoring tool (annually or every six months) to assess
the effectiveness of intervention strategies.

The tool presented below can easily be contextualised

to the context of a specific country, and then be used by
Live & Learn officers, government education inspectors,
and school WASH Committees.

Examples of bottleneck analysis graphs

from data collected using mWater

WASH in Schools Guide 29

 Bottleneck Analysis Indicators linked to Assessment Tools

The Bottleneck Analysis Survey looks at a series of indicators divided into four categories:
Enabling Environment, Supply, Quality and Demand.

Each of these categories is linked to assessment tools that use a combination of interviews, surveys
and observations to gather information against the indicators. An overview of indicators is given in
the following tables. The indicators for a bottleneck analysis should be contextualised to the Three
Star Approach standards or national WASH in Schools standards for the country.

Enabling Environment
Category Indicators Assessment Tool

Enabling Awareness School management and leaders Enabling Environment:

Environment of WASH are aware of national standards Principal Survey
in Schools for WASH in Schools and the Teachers/Parents Focus
standards Three Star standards, and are Group Discussion
referring to them in WASH
planning and service provision

School WASH Membership of WASH Committee Enabling Environment:

Committee (school reps, parent reps, etc) Principal Survey
including # of females and males Teachers/Parents Focus
Group Discussion
Copy of WASH Com Terms of
Reference

School has a current action plan Enabling Environment:

for improving WASH (developed Principal Survey
and approved within last 12 Teachers/Parents Focus
months) Group Discussion

Copy of Action Plan

Budget/ Evidence of annual budget for Enabling Environment:

expenditure WASH capital improvements Principal Survey
and Operations & Maintenance, Teachers/Parents Focus
including evidence of expenditure Group Discussion
on WASH Operations &
Maintenance

30 WASH in Schools Guide

Supply
Category Indicators Assessment Tool

Supply Functional Basic: School has drinking Infrastructure Spot Check

water supply water from an improved source
and adequate available at the school
number of Advanced: Defined by national
water points standards

Access toilets Basic: School has improved Infrastructure Spot Check

that comply sanitation facilities at the school,
with national which are single-sex and usable.
standards Minimum student:toilet ratio of
XX
Advanced: Defined by national
standards

Functional Basic: XX Hand washing facilities Infrastructure Spot Check

access to are functional, with water and
handwashing soap
facilities Advanced: Defined by national
standards

Availability # Teachers received training in Teachers/Parents Focus

of Human HP and applying HP in lessons Group Discussion
resources (report # of females and males)
for hygiene
promotion
Mechanisms Examples of school actions Enabling Environment:
for WASH that are leading to improved Principal Survey
Operations & Operations & Maintenance (e.g. Teachers/Parents Focus
Maintenance system for repairing toilets or Group Discussion
accessing soap)

Availability # of teachers, maintenance staff Enabling Environment:

of Human or volunteers trained in operations Principal Survey Teachers/
Resources for and maintenance Parents Focus Group
Operations & Discussion
Maintenance

WASH in Schools Guide 31

 Quality
Category Indicators Assessment Tool

Quality Environmental Safe rubbish disposal, including Infrastructure Spot Check

sanitation used sanitary pads
No drainage issues around water
points, toilets and hand washing
facilities

Toilet facilities % Toilets are clean (no evidence of Infrastructure Spot Check
are clean and faecal matter outside bowls,
safe % Toilets are safe to use and
doors can lock for privacy
Menstrual Change room and shower for girls Infrastructure Spot Check
Hygiene Supply of sanitary pads Principal Survey
Management
Inclusive Appropriate modifications in Infrastructure Spot Check
toilet and designs are in place to enable Principal Survey
hand washing inclusive access and use to toilets
facilities and hand washing facilities

Human rights Boys and Girls demonstrate Student KAP

and inclusion awareness of human rights and
understanding of marginalisation/
inclusion

32 WASH in Schools Guide

Demand
Category Indicators Assessment Tool

Demand Children % of children who demonstrate Structured Behaviour

demonstrating after toilet use Observation
independent
hand-washing % of children who demonstrate Structured Behaviour
with soap before eating Observation

Children % of children reporting use of Teachers/Parent Focus

demonstrating toilets over open defecation Group Discussion
good toilet use Student KAP

Hygiene # Students in WASH Clubs Teachers/Parent Focus

promotion Group Discussion
activities Student KAP

# Student-led WASH advocacy Teachers/Parent Focus

activities Group Discussion
Student KAP

Daily group hand-washing Teachers/Parent Focus

activities Group Discussion
Student KAP

WASH in Schools Guide 33

 Conducting a Bottleneck Analysis

Live & Learn works in a participatory way with each school to conduct the
Bottleneck Analysis. This then informs the development by the school of a
contextualized school Theory of Change and Action Plan (implemented in the
“Plan” stage of the cycle).

Five tools are used to collect and compare data from different sources to increase
understanding and gather information on the current status of WASH in a school.

The assessment tools are:

1 An Interview with the principal or head teacher concerning the

management of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, hygiene
education and promotion activities, ability to meet the needs of
diverse students (especially girls), and the water safety, sanitation
and hygiene behaviour of children in schools.

2 A Focus Group Discussions with Teachers and Parents to explore

different perspectives from the head teacher, and generates
information on the management of water, sanitation and hygiene
facilities, hygiene education and promotion, and the water safety,
sanitation and hygiene behaviour of children in schools.

3 An Infrastructure Spot Check Survey is used to monitor water

storage, the number of clean, working and accessible/inclusive
water points, toilet and handwashing facilities for teachers, boys
and girls in schools.

4 A Knowledge Attitude & Practice Survey is conducted with 10%

of the students in the schools (equal number of boys and girls) to
assess knowledge and practice concerning water safety, hygiene,
awareness of hygiene and health taught through the curriculum,
opinions of the water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in the
school, ability to manage menstruation, and attitudes towards and
experience of discrimination.

A Structured Behavioural Observation Survey is used to verify

5 handwashing behaviours at critical times (after eating and going to
the toilet).

6 A School Water Safety Audit is used to monitor how the school

manages water use and storage.

34 WASH in Schools Guide

 Each tool can be used via paper forms or through a customised survey in a cloud-based data
collection application such as mWater. As at publication, Live & Learn uses mWater for the
collection and analysis of the Bottleneck data. Schools should use simplified paper forms.
Examples of surveys are available on Live & Learn’s website, or from Live & Learn offices
implementing WinS programs. See links in the Information Sources and Key Resources section.

A minimum of two people need at least one day to conduct a all the Bottleneck Analysis surveys
in a school, with participation from the school leadership, teachers, parents and students. You
must observe hand washing behaviour at break time and at lunch time, as we are looking for
washing hands with soap after using the toilet and before eating. It helps to be organised to get
all the surveys done. It is important to be familiar with all the survey tools and questions before
getting to the school.

Suggested Bottleneck survey logistics plan for two people

Person 1 Person 2
Interview with the Head Teacher Infrastructure Spot Check/ School Water Safety Audit
Morning Break Structured Behaviour Observation
(hand washing after using the toilet)

Student Knowledge & Practice Survey Student Knowledge & Practice Survey

Lunch Break Structured Behaviour Student Knowledge & Practice Survey – continued if
Observation (hand washing before eating) needed

Teacher/Parent Focus Group Discussion - Teacher/Parent Focus Group Discussion - Recorder

Facilitator

How do you feel about the school toilets?

Happy to use the toilet at school

21.1% 43.0% Feel toilets are ok at school but need repairs
Try not to use the toilets at school
No school toilet available

25.5% Example of bottleneck analysis graph from data

collected using mWater

What success looks like:

•• Through participatory Bottleneck Analysis process school stakeholders have an understanding of

current status of WASH services in school and their impact on gender equality and inclusion
•• Program staff have used baseline date to inform current bottleneck at the school level

WASH in Schools Guide 35

 Collaborative Analysis and Action Planning

Live & Learn produces a Bottleneck Analysis Report for each school. Each of the four assessment
tools is comprised of a mixture of qualitative and quantitative questions. As the time of publication
Live & Learn uses M-Water cloud-based software to automatically analyse the quantitative data, and
then add in relevant qualitative observations.

The core of the school report is the Bottleneck Analysis ‘traffic-light’ coding system for each of
the WASH in Schools indicators – with red meaning an urgent unmet area, orange meaning some
progress, and green signaling significant progress or achievement of WASH standard. An example
from a school in Solomon Islands is pictured below. The Bottleneck Analysis ratings also corresponds
to the Three Star school standards (Red – No Star, Orange – 1 Star, Yellow – 2 Stars, and Green –
Three Stars)

If the Three Star School standards are being implemented in the country the indicators are also used
to assess the level achieved by the school.

The School Bottleneck Analysis Report also includes narrative sections that discuss relevant findings
on school governance, assets that could be leveraged to quickly improve WASH, and a detailed
overview of the knowledge, attitude and practice of students concerning inclusive WASH. The School
Bottleneck Analysis Report is shared with school leadership – either at a debrief meeting at the school
itself or through a combined feedback workshop with a cluster of schools.

STANDARD 4:
Water Facilities & Access – Sufficient water collection points and water use facilities are
available in the school to allow convenient access to, and use of water for drinking, food
preparation, personal hygiene, cleaning and laundry.

Indicators Colour Rating & Analysis from

Survey Data

Water Access point ratios meet National Water access points are below
Standards* (day schools) minimum standards and there
are no hand washing facilities.
Red - No water access points or hand
According to the FSC, accessible
washing facilities
water points stand at 1:72 for boys
Orange - Water access points or hand
and 1:67 for girls and these ratios
washing facilities in place but below
are well below the standard ratio for
national minimum standard ratios
water point access. There are also
Green - 1:50 tap stands for drinkingwater.
Water no inclusive water points for people
1:100 hand washing facilities,
Facilities with disability.
separated by sex, minimum 1 per
Access toilet cluster, inside or right outside
toilet, and just outside any kitchen
area. Water should be running water.

Provision of soap at hand washing facilities No provision of soap at the hand

washing facilities.
Red - No soap provided
Orange - Soap provided sometimes
Green - Hand washing facilities have a
proper place for soap, and there is
always soap available

36 WASH in Schools Guide

An example template for a School Bottleneck Analysis Report is available on the Live & Learn website,
see the link in the Information Sources and Key Resources section. The example is contextualised
to the National WinS standards in Papua New Guinea. Each Live & Learn office implementing WinS
projects have a contextualised template.

What success looks like:

•• Program staff facilitate school stakeholders to conduct review of Bottleneck Analysis findings of
WASH and Gender & Social Inclusion needs and priorities
•• School stakeholders have shared understand of priority actions

WASH in Schools Guide 37

38 WASH in Schools Guide
PLAN

The “Plan” stage in the WASH in Schools cycle is where we work

with the school to analyse and use the information learned through
the Bottleneck Analysis. The Plan stage is where we help the schools
strengthen their leadership for WASH, and identify strategies
and actions to improve school WASH services. The participatory
Bottleneck Analysis conducted in the previous step is the foundation
for the “Plan” stage.

Diagram of steps

Conduct WASH in Schools Planning Workshop

WASH plans endorsed by schools

Strengthening school WASH teams

Communication and engagement

WASH in Schools Guide 39

 WASH in Schools Planning Workshop

Conduct WASH in Schools Planning Workshop to produce:

•• Summary of key bottlenecks

•• Write school WASH goals and expected changes
•• Write school WASH Improvement Plan
•• Establish school WASH Committees

Option 1 Option 2

Bring key representatives from Visit individual schools to work

a cluster of schools in an area with the leadership for a
together for a one-day workshop one-day workshop

Both options have pros and cons.

Option 1 allows you to work Option 2 restricts you to working

with multiple schools at the with a single school at a time,
one time, but limits the amount but has no venue hire, transport
of participants. It gives school or accommodation costs. It
leadership a sense of being also allows you to build greater
part of something bigger, and ownership of the process as there
develops relations between are no limits to who can participate
schools. It also provides (school board, teachers, parents,
the opportunity to engage senior students, etc).
government stakeholders
to attend and engage in the
process. It has greater logistics
requirements and costs more due
to venue hire, catering, transport
and possibly accommodation.

40 WASH in Schools Guide

 WASH in Schools Planning Workshop Facilitation Guide

The process followed is similar, whether the workshop participants are a group of representatives
from multiple schools, or key stakeholders from a single school:

1 EXPLAIN: Discuss the Three Star School indicators for the country (or the general UNICEF ones
if the country has yet to finalise their own Three Star School indicators).

2 EXPLAIN: Discuss the purpose and function of the school-based bottleneck analysis, and share
the national WinS standards for the country (or the general UNICEF ones if the country has
yet to finalise their own standards). Also share the Joint Monitoring Program WASH Service
Ladders (given in Section 6: Templates & Examples). Distribute copies of the national standards
to be sure all participants are familiar with them.

Three Star School Ratings – Example from Solomon Islands

WASH: Three Star Schools

Tick all the boxes that apply to your school.

School WASH Student WASH

Water Sanitation Hygiene
Committee Club

Three Volume of available Number of Hygiene education School is open WASH Clubs are
Stars water meets National functional toilets is taught as part defecation free leading WASH
Standard (Water meets National of curriculum and activities
Supply NI1) Standard (Sanitation school activities
NI 1) (Sanitation NI 13,
Risks to water supply Technology Hygiene NI 1)
contamination are requirement meets
addressed (Water National Standard
Supply NI6) (Sanitation NI 2)

Number of water
access points meets
National Standard
(Water Supply NI8)

Two Low cost water At least one Hygiene promotion School WASH WASH Clubs are
Stars treatment is in use functional toilet for activities take Plan is being implementing duty
(Water Supply NI4) every 100 girls and place, including implemented rosters (Hygiene
one for every 100 Menstrual Hygiene (Management NI 6) NI 2)
boys Management
Toilets are hygienic
(Sanitation NI 5)

One Children bring At least one Daily supervised A School WASH Student WASH
Star individual water bottle functional toilet for group hand washing Plan has been Club has been
to school girls, one for boys developed formed, and
and one for teachers and displayed members trained
Water and soap is
(Management NI 3) (Management NI 5)
available near toilets
(Water Supply NI9)

No No water No toilet No hygiene activities No School WASH No WASH Club

Star Plan

WASH in Schools Guide 41

 3 EXPLAIN: Read through the Bottleneck categories and the indicators - explaining any terms
that your workshop participants might not be familiar with.

4 GROUP WORK: Explain how the Bottleneck Analysis data was collected and together with the
school stakeholders review the Bottleneck Analysis Report. If you are in an individual school this
can be done in a larger group. If you are facilitating a workshop with multiple schools then break
into smaller school-based groups and then ask the school stakeholders to briefly present their
findings. Each school should create the following table on flip chart paper to summarise the key
bottlenecks for their school.

SCHOOL CAPACITY
WinS STANDARD BOTTLENECKS IDENTIFIED
TO ADDRESS

STANDARD 1: •• No WASH Committee Easy

School WASH •• No Student WASH Club Easy
Management •• No WASH budget Medium

STANDARD 2: •• Number of toilets does not meet the Easy

Sanitation - Toilets student toilet ratio
•• Toilet does not meet the National Medium
Standard (currently using bush toilet)

•• Toilet not suitably design to meet the

Menstrual Hygiene needs of menstruating girls and female Medium
Management teachers
•• No provision of sanitary pads
Easy
•• Poor drainage system
Waste Management •• No proper septic tank for the current
toilet Difficult
Difficult

STANDARD 3: •• Low water pressure Difficult

Water Supply •• No history on the quality of water Easy

STANDARD 4: •• No soap available for handwashing Easy

Water Facility Access •• Not enough water points for
handwashing and drinking Medium

STANDARD 5: •• No cleaning system in place (duty Easy

Operations and rooster)
Maintenance •• Lack of formal hygiene education and Easy
awareness
•• No sign of inclusive design in the Medium
infrastructure

42 WASH in Schools Guide

5 DISCUSS: How do the school stakeholders feel about the evidence-based findings from the
surveys? Are there any surprises? Does the school leadership disagree with any of the findings?
Discuss why there might be differences. Discuss the strengths and assets that schools already
have. How can these be used or built upon to quickly make improvements?

6 GROUP WORK: The first step is for each school to set some goals for improvements in WASH
in the next one to three years. Schools should discuss setting the following types of goals:

o A community-commitment goal – what knowledge, skills, tools and time the

wider community will make available to the school. How will the school and
community collaborate on WASH planning and implementation in a way that
benefits both the school and community (for example, shared maintenance
skills and tools, access to funds, and access to WASH facilities during times of
emergency).

o User preference goal – the types of WASH facilities and behaviours the school
community wants, including accessibility for all (for examples, women and girls
managing menstruation at school, staff or children with disabilities or injuries).

o A health goal – what improvements in student health are expected, for example
reduced absenteeism for school by teachers and students.

o An environmental goal – what improvements in environmental quality are

expected, for example expressed as improved water quality results or reduced
number of open defecation areas.

o An affordability goal – what level of on-going financial support can the school
community add to the available MEHRD budget.

Encourage the schools to be realistic in their goals, what can they achieve themselves with
minimum external inputs? The goals will be reviewed every year, so they can be changed if the
school leadership wants to update them in the future. Get each school group represented to
write their goals on the left-hand side of a piece of flip chart paper, or on templates provided.

WASH in Schools Guide 43

7 DISCUSS: Talk about the different types of changes, referring to the table below

Type of Change Some examples

The presence of something o Access to sex-separated toilets

o Information service for children about Menstrual Hygiene

Management

o Waste management incinerator for Menstrual Hygiene

Management

o Access to safe water in the school

The type of access to an o A visitor or child with a disability can access a suitable toilet
innovation or new service
o Girls have toilets that meet their needs for managing
Menstrual Hygiene Management

o Young children can access toilets at correct design for safe

The level of use o The frequency of student hand washing with soap after going
to the toilet and before eating food

o The frequency of students using school toilets

The extent of an activity or o Number of students participating in WASH Clubs

coverage
o Number of schools with teachers committed to
discrimination-free schools

o Number of schools with teachers committed to general

hygiene (eg. oral health)

o Soap is always available at all hand washing stations

The relevance of the o WASH Clubs help children make positive health behaviour
innovation choices at home

o Teachers are trained and feel confident to integrate WASH

into classes, and comfortable talking about menstruation
hygiene management

The quality of an innovation o Group hand-washing stations are strong and don’t break with
regular use by students

o Improved toilets meet accessibility standards and are safe for

all

The effort required to o The distance students have to walk to wash their hands with
achieve a change soap after using a toilet or before eating

o The time commitment required by the community to support

WASH improvements and operations and maintenance in the
school

o Distance from classrooms to toilets

44 WASH in Schools Guide

 8 GROUP WORK: The schools are going to work on their Theory of Change. To make
this as easy as possible we use a simple table.

IMPACT/SCHOOL NATIONAL WASH EXPECTED CHANGES ACTIVITIES

GOALS STANDARD

9 GROUP WORK: Each school should now work together to

write down the changes they need to see in their school to Encourage the school
achieve their goals. Remind them to be realistic about what representatives to be
can be achieved in the next 1 to 3 years, and to start with make SMART goals
changes they think they can make happen if the school and and planned changes:
community works together.
S = Specific
10 GROUP WORK: After each school has set some goals and
M = Measurable
identified the types of change they need to see to reach the
goals it is time to list the activities that need to be done to A = Achievable
achieve each change. These activities can include design, R = Realistic
building, meetings with government and community,
discussion with students, assistance from NGOs like Live & T = Timebound
Learn, using sub-contractors for construction, etc.

11 PRESENT: It should now be easy for the school representatives to see the links between their
goals, changes and activities. This is the school WASH Theory of Change, and it should clearly
show the WASH priorities for each school. It does not need to be long or complicated. We have
provided an example of a finalised Theory of Change for a school in Section 6 Templates &
Examples – but remind the participants that a Theory of Change is just as powerful even if it is
simply written on paper with a pen!

12 GROUP WORK: The next step is the development of a school WASH Improvement Plan (or
Action Plan). The WASH Improvement Plan takes the information that is in the Theory of
Change and creates a work plan everyone in the school can follow.

Give each school a template (provided below) that they can copy onto flip chart paper, and get each
school group to discuss the following questions:

o Put the changes from your Theory of Change into the second column
o Put your activities from the Theory of Change into the third column
o Write down the roles – who will do what activities?
o Write do the resources you need – what money, skills etc?
o Write down opportunities to get resources – school grants, fundraising, etc?
o What date will the school complete the each activity?

WASH in Schools Guide 45

 Template for developing a school based WASH Improvement Plan:

School WASH Changes Activities Roles Resources Resourcing

Goals Changes What we will Who will do What money, opportunities
we want to do… it? skills, etc. are Where can
achieve… required resources be
sourced?

What success looks like:

•• Results of school bottleneck analysis presented and agreed on by school leaders

•• Participator planning workshop to produce school draft Theory of Change and WASH Improvement
Plan, aligned to national policy (where national policy exists)
•• Clarifies roles of key school-based actors (school leaders, committee, teachers, students) and
institution structures (School Council, School WASH Committee, WASH clubs)

46 WASH in Schools Guide

WASH Plans endorsed by schools

The Theory of Change and WASH Improvement Plan

developed by the school representatives in the workshop
should be submitted to the School Principal for inclusion
in the School Improvement Plan (or other formal planning
and budgeting processes that is submitted to the
Education Authorities). If you are facilitating this process
with an individual school then the School Principal and
representatives of the School Board should be part of this
process and can ensure the formal endorsement of the Theory
of Change and WASH Improvement Plan by the school.

FOLLOW UP: After the Planning Workshop you should be schedule times to provide further
consultations and support to the school leadership on implementation of their WASH Improvement
Plan, specifically the activities they have planned that can’t be resourced through the school budget.

You must also brief the appropriate Education Authorities on the completion of the school WASH
Improvement Plan to ensure the government formal planning and budgeting processes can best
support implementation of the school WASH Improvement Plans.

What success looks like:

•• Theory of Change and WASH Improvement Plans formally adopted by school.

•• WASH in Schools budget has been created/reviewed and is aligned with school budgeting process
•• WinS budget includes inclusive water and sanitation infrastructure improvements (incremental,
based in 3-Star school standards)

WASH in Schools Guide 47

 Strengthening school WASH teams
Following the Planning Workshop with school stakeholders your role moves to one of a WASH in
Schools “coach” – where you encourage and help each school implement their WASH Improvement
Plan.

Many schools start with WASH governance, as it is important to get this established at school level
to enable policies and procedures to be put into place, and decisions such as allocating school budget
and implementing fundraising for WASH activities.

In WASH in Schools who is responsible for what?

This section lists the different groups of people or agencies within the school community, assigns
roles and outlines responsibilities of each role. This list is not exhaustive and can be added to, or
changed to suit each specific school situation. You can share this information with the schools during
the Planning Workshop, or during follow-up coaching to establish school WASH Committees

WASH in Schools Roles & Responsibilities

Roles are the positions people or agencies take responsibility for in WASH in Schools. Roles
essentially describe “who” is responsible for what.

Responsibilities are the specific tasks that people or agencies are expected to complete as a
function of their assigned roles. They will be held accountable to these responsibilities when
they take on the role.

The whole school community (students, teachers, Principal, school committee, parents, wider
community, and sub-national and national government) has a role in discussing and deciding on
the WASH goals, issues and solutions. Participatory approaches are encouraged because different
groups of people within the school community will have different experiences, views, knowledge
and skills, and authorities in decision-making. The table below shows a summary of the roles and
responsibilities. It is based on documents from Solomon Islands.

48 WASH in Schools Guide

Forming a School WASH Committee

The most common group of people involved in leading school WASH improvements are the School
WASH Committee. The School WASH Committee can also be part of a School Health Committee that
is already in place. The school community decides who will be on the School WASH Committee, and
how it wants to be organised. The information below should be shared with each school – either at the
Planning Workshop, or through follow-up coaching at the school.

The School WASH committee needs to be able to solve problems and plan for action. The committee
needs to consult, inspire, and report progress to the school community and Education Authorities.
The school WASH Committee should have balanced representation of men and women, equal
decision-making power, and be advocates for improved gender and social inclusion in the school.
One member of the committee will be given the role of committee Chairperson. Other appointments
to specific roles may also be made, for example the Deputy Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer.

When selecting the School WASH Committee, the following should be considered:

•• Who in the school community knows about the WASH system?

•• Who has the ability and authority to make decisions about making changes, spending money,
assigning roles and responsibilities?

•• Who will use the WASH system and so has an interest in its design and maintenance?

•• Who has technical expertise that would be useful in the WASH system design and
maintenance?

•• What mixes of men and women, and teachers and students are appropriate? How will the
voices of marginalised groups be heard in the committee?

•• Who are strong advocates for good WASH practices and habits, and good communicators?

•• Who has strong connections with the wider school community?

•• Is there someone who is good at keeping written records (like meeting minutes) and writing
applications for support?

•• Who has the time to commit to the committee?

A School WASH Committee needs to set its own rules about how it will function. This will include
what it is responsible for as a committee (Terms of Reference), and what working rules and
procedures it will use (for example, meeting rules). A template for writing a Terms of Reference for
the School WASH Committee is provided on the next page.

WASH in Schools Guide 49

 School WASH Committee Terms of Reference Template

School WASH Goals

•• Write school WASH Goals

•• DRAW a diagram that shows where the WASH committee fits in the school hierarchy, and other
school and community committees.

Process

Each school to:

•• State how the members of the school committee will be selected, how many members, and duration
of service on the committee.
•• Record the planned frequency of meetings and how the committee will be notified of the date, time,
place of the meeting, and the agenda.

Roles and responsibilities

The role of the School WASH Committee is to:

•• Advocate for good WASH practices and facilities in the school.

•• Provide oversight of the state of the school WASH facilities and improvements, and support the
Principal implement the school WASH plan.
•• Support the Principal to report on regulatory requirements.

1. Leading in advocating for WASH in schools.

•• Show good WASH practices, e.g. toilets, hand washing.

•• Work with the School Health committee to make plans on how to promote WASH behaviour
change, particularly sanitation and hygiene promotion, through structured lessons and support
of the Student WASH Club.
•• Coordinate fundraising for improvements and provisions of consumables such as soap.
•• Support the Principal in preparing the long-term school WASH plan.

2. Oversight and support to implementation of the school WASH plan.

•• Approve the long-term school WASH plan.

•• Support the Principal to implement the school WASH plan.
•• Make plans on how to support construction, operation and maintenance plans.
•• Provide support for the construction of WASH facilities for all students.
•• Develop a WASH training program for the committee and caretaker.

3. Support adherence to regulatory requirements.

•• Assist the Principal to meet the reporting requirements of the National Standards, by carrying
out inspections and providing information.

50 WASH in Schools Guide

Duty bearers within School WASH Committee

Chairperson:
Call, plan and chair meetings. Assign tasks and check that they are done.
Check on records. Keep community leaders informed.

Secretary:
Help plan and run meetings. Tell members about meetings. Take minutes and record decisions.
Help treasurer record money.

Treasurer:
Organise collection of money. Receive money and issue receipts. Keep money safe. Pay
expenses. Keep records and receipts for payments. Report to school WASH committee.

Caretaker:
Inspect water facilities (eg pump) regularly. Carry out preventative maintenance. Report major
faults to school WASH committee.

WASH Volunteer Members:

Show good WASH practices, e.g. toilets, hand washing. Assist caretaker. Meet regularly with
other WASH Volunteers. Organise group discussions.

Signature:

Committee members to sign and their contacts

What success looks like:

•• Schools is prioritising WASH in planning

•• Bottleneck analysis and action plans are communicated with all students and staff
•• School adopts school-based action plans

WASH in Schools Guide 51

 Communications & Engagement
The school now has everything they need to make incremental improvements in WASH. They have
the information from the Bottleneck Analysis Report, they have their WASH Committee and WASH
Improvement Plan. When the school has all these things in place it should be clear that the school
leadership is prioritising WASH in their planning. They are ready to move into the next step of the
cycle – ready for the training in the ACT part of the WinS cycle.

What success looks like:

•• School is prioritising WASH in planning

•• Bottleneck analysis and action plans are communicated with all students and staff
•• School adopts school-based action plans

52 WASH in Schools Guide

WASH in Schools Guide 53
54 WASH in Schools Guide
 ACT

The “Act” stage in the WASH in Schools cycle is where we work with the
school to get things done to improve water, sanitation hygiene facilities and
practice! This stage has a mixture of formal and informal events. The formal
events are five Training of Trainer modules that address practical aspects
of improved knowledge, attitudes and practice. The informal events are
coaching visits by Live & Learn to follow up on the implementation of the
WASH Improvement Plan and decisions made during the ToT workshops.

Having a close relationship with school leadership and key individuals in the school
is very important in the “Act” stage, as this is where the school is most open to
influence. It is also the time where we can provide some incentives to the school to
work on their WASH Improvement Plan through the Training of Trainer modules and
possible seed funding for WASH facilities improvements.

The “Act” stage is the longest of the four stages in the Live & Learn WASH in Schools
cycle, and should extend over several months to allow the school leaders, teachers
and students to participate fully in all the WASH in Schools activities while also
maintaining their already busy work in operating the school.

Diagram of steps

Building Teacher Leadership

•• ToT #1: Water, Hygiene & Sanitation
•• Hygiene and sanitation inservice in schools
•• Hygiene and sanitation education is delivered in classrooms

Building Student Leadership

•• ToT #2: Arts for Advocacy
•• Establish WASH Clubs
•• Students lead an Arts for Advocacy campaign
•• Students support and present at Global WASH days

Improved WASH Access

•• Incremental water and sanitation infrastructure improvements (based on
3-Star school standards)
•• ToT #3: Water Safety Training
•• ToT #4: Operations & Maintenance
•• WASH Committee, Teachers and Students support improved WASH Access

Strengthening Gender & Social Inclusion

•• ToT #5: Gender and Social Inclusion and Menstruation Hygiene Management
•• Sharing of Gender and social inclusion information and ongoing support
•• Ongoing follow up and support

WASH in Schools Guide 55

 Training of Trainers Facilitation Guides

The WASH in Schools resources that we share with the schools are designed to be used as
implementation guides for the teachers, students, WASH Committees, etc. Because they are
implementation guides the resources do not contain structured lesson plans for implementing
Training of Trainer (ToT) modules. This manual contains lesson plan outlines for facilitating each of
the five Trainer of Trainers modules.

These lesson plan outlines are written to include the most important parts of the different WASH
in Schools resources, and incorporate theory and practical sessions for the participants. The lesson
plans provide an overview of activities to be done during a ToT module. It is assumed that the Live &
Learn officer implementing the Training of Trainer module is an experienced facilitator, who can take
the lesson plan outlines provided and adapt to the implementation context of their project or specific
school. This is why there is no specific timetable given for morning tea, lunch break, etc.

5 Key WASH Messages Training of Trainer Session

Handwashing with soap is a habit ToT 1 – Water, Hygiene & Sanitation
Be a WASH Champion ToT 2 – Arts for Advocacy
Safe Water. Healthy School ToT 3 – School Water Safety
WASH Services for All ToT 4 – Operations & Maintenance
Menstruation is not a sickness ToT 5 – Gender and Social Inclusion

Resources needed for each Training of Trainer module are general resources for any workshop:

•• Access to a blackboard, whiteboard or flip chart paper – and chalk, whiteboard markers, etc
•• Plenty of flip chart paper and markers for group work
•• Tape or Blue Tac to stick up flip charts on the walls
•• Coloured paper or Post It notes for some activities
•• Materials for ice-breakers or games
•• Materials for practical sessions (see each lesson plan, for example T-Shirts and fabric paint
for t-shirt printing in the ToT 2 – Arts for Advocacy)
•• Copies of the relevant manual for each ToT (enough for every participant to have one, and if
only some representatives from a school are present then provide additional copies for the
teachers unable to attend the training)
•• Camera or smart phone or tablet to take pictures, and record monitoring data for the training
•• Photo permission forms to enable Live & Learn to use any pictures taken to promote WASH
in Schools
•• Any sign-in sheet required for distribution of allowances etc

The lesson plan overviews are written to be facilitated in a hall or classroom without needing access
to electricity, or a computer for Powerpoint. If you do have access to these things you can supplement
the lesson plans with some Powerpoint slides for key diagrams – but don’t use too many slides, as
Powerpoint is not the most effective for sharing information in long sessions.

For catering it can be good to use local groups with experience in providing food for events, so that
some extra income can come into the community. Make sure that the group you contract is familiar
with safe food handling processes, including washing hands with soap!

56 WASH in Schools Guide

Building Teacher Leadership

Training of Trainers 1: Water, Hygiene & Sanitation

FACILITATION GUIDE OUTLINE

Target Stakeholders As many teachers as possible at the school. Teachers who participate
need to commit to sharing the training information with other teachers so
that the hygiene and sanitation activities are embedded in in teaching for
all year levels at the school (from ECE, through Primary to High School).

ONLINE SOURCE
RESOURCE
(as at publication)

Hands Up for Hygiene – [Link]

Teachers Guide, Live & Learn resources/hands-hygiene
Environmental Education &
Australian Aid, 2011

Germ-buster Student [Link]

Workbook, Live & Learn resources/germ-buster-student-
Environmental Education & workbook
Australian Aid, 2011

Germs & Ladders Game, Live & [Link]

Learn Environmental Education resources/germs-ladders-game
& Australian Aid, 2011

WASH Hand-washing Posters, [Link]

Live & Learn Environmental resources/pacific-wash-
Education & Australian Aid, 2011 handwashing-posters

WASH in Schools Guide 57

 Option 1 Option 2

Bring teacher representatives Visit individual schools to work

from a cluster of schools in an area with key teachers for a one-day
together for a one-day workshop workshop

Both options have pros and cons.

Option 1 allows you to work with multiple Option 2 restricts you to working with a
schools at the one time, but limits the single school at a time, but has no venue
amount of participants. It gives school hire, transport or accommodation costs. It
leadership a sense of being part of also allows you to build greater ownership
something bigger, and develops relations of the process as you can include as many
between schools. It also provides the teachers as possible and work directly on
opportunity to engage government practical implementation in the school.
stakeholders to attend and engage in
the process. It has greater logistics
requirements and costs more due to venue
hire, catering, transport and possibly
accommodation.

58 WASH in Schools Guide

OVERVIEW OF HYGIENE & SANITATION WORKSHOP ACTIVITIES

The process followed is similar, whether the workshop participants are a group of representative
teachers from multiple schools, or teachers and senior students from a single school. The activities
refer to specific pages of the “Hands Up for Hygiene – Teachers Guide” and “Germ-buster Student
Workbook”

It is estimated that the following activities can be facilitated in 6 hours – which is a full day training,
with an hour for lunch. Times given for each session are estimates. There is a lot of information
to cover, so keep the momentum going all day, and shorten general discussion sessions if some
participants are making too many long speeches!

Training of Trainers 1 - Hygiene & Sanitation provides a brief introduction to key WASH concepts
that will be explored further in additional ToT sessions. Module 1, 2 and 3 focus on essential
knowledge and activities related to hygiene and sanitation. Module 4 is an introduction to drinking
water safety in schools, which is the focus of ToT 3. Module 5 is a brief introduction to menstrual
hygiene management, which is explored as part of the gender and social inclusion focus of ToT 5.
Module 6 operationalises the hygiene and sanitation activities, which compliments the Operations &
Maintenance training provided in ToT 4.

We start with the Hands Up for Hygiene” Training of Trainer sessions because it introduces key
concepts that are explored in more depth in follow-up training sessions at the school.

Module 1

Module 2 Hygiene and Sanitation

Module 3

Module 4 ToT 3 - School Water Safety

Module 5 ToT 5 - Gender and Social Inclusion + Menstruation Hygiene Management

Module 6 ToT 4 - Operations & Maintenance

WASH in Schools Guide 59

 PART A – Changing Hygiene Behaviour in Your School 30 Minutes

INTRODUCTION:
Importance of teaching Hygiene & Sanitation in Schools

1 INTRODUCE: Why is teaching hygiene in schools important? – share the points on page 9
1.
of the Hands up for Hygiene – Teacher Guide. Also share the points on page 8 of the Arts
for Advocacy – Teacher Guide. On the blackboard or Flip Chart paper write the definitions of
hygiene and hygiene behaviour from page 10. Specifically highlight that there are clear links
between good hygiene behaviour and the reduction of many diseases (colds and flu, coughs,
diahorrea, food poisoning, giardia, etc). Then distribute the Hands up for Hygiene – Teacher
Guide to each participant.

2. EXPLAIN: The key points about Learning and Teaching methods on page 13. Ask the
2
participants to briefly share about the Cognitive, Physical and Social-emotional development
they see in their school, and how it can be different for different groups of children every year.

3. EXPLAIN: Share the FOAMS table on page 14. Read over it and get the teachers to ask
3
questions about any aspect they don’t understand. This exercise is just a brief introduction –
the teachers will do more detailed FOAMS planning after they have been introduced to the 6
Modules.

4. EXPLAIN: When reviewing the 6 Modules in the ToT we won’t have time to review every
4
activity in the manual. We will just look at key points and do some activities. After the ToT
the Teachers need to read the entire manual and the Germbusters work book as part of their
classroom lesson planning.

60 WASH in Schools Guide

PART B – Key Learning Modules 1 Hour

MODULE 1: Germs – The invisible killer

1 PLAY: Get all the teachers to play the “Germ Alert” game on page 18. Be prepared beforehand
1.
with the necessary materials (ball, chalk dust, coloured powder, clay or red mud). After the
game discuss the follow-up points about germs are invisible and easily spread if someone
doesn’t wash their hands with soap.

2
2. EXPLAIN: On the blackboard or flip chart paper, present the Faecal-Oral (or Poo-to-Mouth)
cycle and “Six Fs” on page 21. For extra emphasis you can do some of the simple triggering
activities from Community-led Total Sanitation – but only do this if you have experience
implementing CLTS. Another resource for the Poo-to-Mouth cycle is Live & Learn’s flipchart
“Building Strong and Health Communities:” [Link]
F Diagram
strong-and-healthy-communities-flipchart

A better diagram
than in the manual is:

Faeces of infected person

Toilet barrier

Fluids Fields/floors Flies Fingers

Safe water barrier

Hygiene & hand-washing barriers

Foods

Hygiene & hand-washing barriers

Future victim of diarrheal disease/new host

WASH in Schools Guide 61

 3
1. DISCUSS: Get the participants to discuss the information about breaking the Poo-to-Mouth
cycle shared on pages 22. For each of the Six Fs the participants should identify a Primary
(Toilet and Safe Water) and Secondary (Hygiene and Hand-washing) Barrier that can be
implemented in their school.

MODULE 2: Hygiene Behaviours & Hand-Washing Hi-5

1.5 Hours

1 DISCUSS: In small groups get the teachers to discuss the barriers to students and teachers
1.
washing their hands with soap in the school, and the motivations for why students and
teachers may want to wash their hands. There are some suggestions on page 27.

2. GROUPWORK: Divide the participants into groups of 4 or 5 people. Distribute a set of the
2
Hygiene Behaviour Cards (on page 29) to each group. Ask each group to sort the behaviours
into three piles – GOOD, BAD, IN-BETWEEN. Groups then share their sorting results, and
discuss any common school or community sanitation behaviours that are similar to the GOOD
or BAD practices identified.

3. EXPLAIN: Draw on the blackboard, whiteboard or Flip

3
Chart paper the Hand-washing High Five – or 5 Steps for
Hand Washing. Include the key times for washing hands
(see page 31). Show the Germbusters WASH Poster that
explains the key times for washing hands with soap –
after using the toilet and before eating.

4
4. DISCUSS: Facilitate a general discussion on how to
promote these 5 steps in the school. Introduce different
versions of hand-washing songs for different age groups
(simple song for ECE, Hip-Hop style for older children, etc)

5
5. PRACTICAL: Demonstrate the simple, low-cost handwashing options on page 34. You can
also share some of the simple group hand-washing facility designs that Live & Learn has
published [Link]
solomon-islands-and-vanuatu. Divide the participants into groups of 4 or 5 and give each of
them the materials to build a Tippy-Tap. Set the Tippy-Taps up to form a small group hand-
washing station. Make sure that you include soap in this practical activity!

62 WASH in Schools Guide

MODULE 3: Toilets – Poo in one place 1 Hour

1 INTRODUCE: Draw on the blackboard, whiteboard or Flip Chart paper the picture from page
1.
39 about how many viruses, bacteria, parasite cysts or parasite eggs can be in one gram of
poo. A healthy adult does about 400gm of poo a day (you can illustrate this with two cups of
rice – which is about 450 grams). Get the teachers to calculate how much poo all students and
staff could produce every day. (10 adults produce the equivalent of a 5kg bag of rice)

2. EXPLAIN: Together with the teachers review and discuss the different types of toilets shown
2
on pages 41-45. Discuss the kinds of toilets at the school now, and the kind of toilets they
would like. The toilets on page 42 are presented in the order of a Sanitation Ladder – discuss
how it is better to have effective VIP pit toilets, rather than pour flush toilets that are dirty
because of not enough water supply, or poor operations and maintenance. Discuss urgent
responses to any open defecation (poo in the open) that is currently happening in the school –
page 45.

3
3. GROUP WORK: Divide the participants into groups of 4 or 5. Give each group Flip Chart paper
and markers. Get them to work through the WASH Map activity on page 46 and 47 – marking
the things listed in the box on page 47. Each group should share their map and have a general
discussion about open defecation sites they have noted.

MODULE 4: Water & Hygiene

30 Minutes

1 INTRODUCE: Share the information on water and health given on pages 48-49.
1.

2. EXPLAIN: Together with the teachers review and discuss the different types of threats to
2
water, and best type of water storage containers – information on pages 53-54. Discuss the
kinds of water storage at the school now, What kind of immediate improvements can the
school make concerning water storage? Explain that there will be a future school training on
drinking water safety, especially for the WASH Clubs and WASH Committee.

WASH in Schools Guide 63

 MODULE 5: Introduction to Menstrual Hygiene Management 30 Minutes

1 INTRODUCE: Share the information on girls and menstruation given on page 57.
1.

2
2. EXPLAIN: Together with the teachers calculate how many school days per year girls might
be missing. Then review the three key areas on page 58 (Education, Sanitation Facilities,
Waste Management). Also share with the teachers the Three-Star School standards or
national WASH in Schools standards for Menstrual Hygiene Management in your country.
See Section 6: Templates & Examples for how to find the national guidelines for your country .

3
3. GROUP WORK: Divide the participants into groups of 4 or 5. Get each group to identify the
barriers women and girls face in safe Menstrual Hygiene Management in the school. Get the
group to write some immediate improvements that can be made. Discuss how boys can be
engaged to build a more supportive environment. Be prepared with some examples if the
teachers are unsure (eg. Providing pads, providing a dedicated bin, making sure male teachers
are aware of where pads are and can help girls). Make sure to engage all male teachers,
especially if they are showing resistance or think it is just something that only women should
talk about.

Explain that there will be a future school training on Gender and Social Inclusion that will
follow up what has been done on the basics of Menstrual Hygiene Management, and provide
further assistance.

MODULE 6: Integrating Hands Up for Hygiene into the school

1.5 Hours

1 REVIEW: Share copies of the Germ-buster Student Workbook with each participant. Briefly
1.
review the activities, and discuss how they are complimentary to the different Modules.

2. DISCUSS: Look at the “Subject Guide” table on page 8. Now that the teachers have reviewed
2
all the modules, get them to discuss which subjects in the school curriculum they think are
best for integrating the different modules.

3. PLAN: Get the teachers to refer to the FOAMS planning table on page 60. If you are working
3
with a single school facilitate this activity in one group. If you are working with representatives
from multiple schools get them to work in school groups. Remembering back to the FOAMS
information on page 14, the teachers should draft a plan for improving hygiene and sanitation
in the school – thinking mostly about the influence and opportunities they have with the
students through class time and supervision in breaks.

4. REVIEW & NEXT STEPS: Facilitate a short final question and answer session, or group recap
4
of behaviour cards, with a focus on getting commitments from each teacher on the next steps
they will take in their schools to establish the Hands Up for Hygiene activities in their classes.
Distribute supplies of the Germ-buster Student Workbook and Hygiene & Hand-Washing
Posters for each school.

5. PRESENT: Give every participant an “Hands Up for Hygiene Trainer” participation certificate.
5

64 WASH in Schools Guide

Water, Hygiene & Sanitation Inservice in Schools

If “Hands Up for Hygiene” has been facilitated with teacher representatives from a cluster of schools
then it is important to visit the individual schools to assess if the teachers who participated in the
workshop have shared what they learned and the plans they developed with all the other teachers in
the school. This can be done through informal visits to the school to check in with teachers who did
not attend the cluster training, and see if they have participated in any in-school briefing or training by
those representative teachers who did attend.

Hygiene & Sanitation Education is delivered in

classrooms

After the Training of Trainers in hygiene and sanitation education

is completed we want to check that the teachers are delivering the
information in their classes. This monitoring can be done informally When you check
during visits to the school to see how they are progressing on their in on the teachers
WASH Improvement Plan. Check in with a few teachers and ask them remember to
how they have integrated the lessons into their classes. You can also collect creative
triangulate their response by asking the student members of the WASH ideas they have
Clubs about what they are learning in their classes about hygiene. had on integrating
the hygiene
Formal monitoring of integration of hygiene and sanitation knowledge and sanitation
into classes will be done when the school updates their Bottleneck messages in their
Analysis and does a self-assessment, or gets a formal assessment, of classes.
their progress against the Three Star WASH in School standards.

What success looks like:

•• All teachers have been oriented on Hygiene and sanitation modules and have the tools to deliver
messages in classrooms.
•• Teachers trained in ToT have conducted inservice with other teachers at the schools
•• Hygiene messages are delivered in every classroom
•• Sanitation messages are delivered in every classroom

WASH in Schools Guide 65

 Building Student Leadership

Training of Trainers 2: Arts for Advocacy

FACILITATION GUIDE

Target Stakeholders Teachers at the school, generally all teachers, but if only some can
participate then need to include the teacher appointed by the school to
support the WASH Club.

RESOURCE ONLINE SOURCE (as at publication)

Arts for Advocacy – Teacher Guide and [Link]

Student Guide, Live & Learn Environmental arts-advocacy-teacher-guide
Education & Australian Aid, 2017
[Link]
arts-advocacy-student-guide

Remember to organise all the materials you will need for the practical arts sessions!

Option 1 Option 2

Bring teacher representatives Visit individual schools to work

from a cluster of schools in an area with all the teachers for a one-day
together for a one-day workshop workshop

Option 1 is the preferred one. Both options have pros and cons.

Option 1 allows you to work with Option 2 allows you to work with
multiple schools at the one time, but multiple schools at the one time, but
limits the amount of participants. It limits the amount of participants. It also
gives school leadership a sense of has greater logistics requirements and
being part of something bigger, and costs more due to venue hire, catering,
develops relations between schools. It transport and possibly accommodation.
also provides the opportunity to engage
government stakeholders to attend and
engage in the process. It has greater
logistics requirements and costs more
due to venue hire, catering, transport
and possibly accommodation.

66 WASH in Schools Guide

OVERVIEW OF ARTS FOR ADVOCACY TRAINING ACTIVITIES

The process followed is similar, whether the workshop participants are a group of representative
teachers from multiple schools, or teachers and senior students from a single school. The activities
refer to specific pages of the “Arts for Advocacy – Teacher Guide.”

It is estimated that the following activities can be facilitated in 6 hours – which is a full day training,
with an hour for lunch. Times given for each session are estimates. There is a lot of information
to cover, so keep the momentum going all day, and shorten general discussion sessions if some
participants are making too many long speeches!

SESSION 1: Child Participation Standards & Establishing a WASH Club

1.5 Hours

1 INTRODUCE: Why is WASH in Schools relevant – share the points on page 8. You can
1.
distribute the “Arts for Advocacy – Teacher Guide” to each participant in the Introduction.

2
2. EXPLAIN: The key points on page 10-11 about the benefits of participation of children – both
to children and adults.

3. DISCUSS: Share the three types of participation on page 12 (Consultative, Collaborative, Child-
3
led). Ask the teachers to share examples in their experience of each type of participation. Make
sure you have some practical examples to share if the teachers are unsure.

4
4. ICEBREAKER GAME: Divide the participants into four groups. Allocate each group an area
of exclusion to explore from the four types of marginalisation described on page 13 (Girls,
Children with Disabilities, Poor children or migrant children, and Younger children). The group
task is to quickly come up with a role play to share that illustrates an experience of inclusion
or exclusion related to WASH for their chosen example. Only let the groups have 10 minutes
preparation time – this is meant to be a quick, interesting activity. After each group has shared
their role play have a general discussion to make sure all participants are clear on different
types of marginalization. Feel free to adapt this icebreaker, or use another creative way to
illustrate the concept of marginalisation.

5
5. DISCUSSION: If you have teachers from multiple schools, divide the participants into school
groups. If you are facilitating with teachers from a single school, then keep everyone in a large
group. Discuss the information about student-led WASH Clubs on pages 20-23 of the “Arts
for Advocacy - Teachers Guide.” Then facilitate a group discussion about how each specific
school will establish their student WASH Clubs. Make sure each school is taking notes of their
specific plans – as WASH Clubs can be set up slightly differently in every school.

WASH in Schools Guide 67

 SESSION 2: Understanding Systems & Power in Schools 1 Hour

1 DISCUSS: On the blackboard or flip chart paper, present the definition of advocacy on page
1.
24. Then get the participants to discuss the concept of systems shared on pages 24-25.

2. GROUP WORK: Divide the participants into groups of 5. If there are teachers from multiple
2
schools in the training it is ok to mix everyone up. Each group should review the four different
types of power shared on pages 26-27. Each group should discuss and write down examples
of the four different types of power that they have seen or experienced in their community
and school. When completed each group quickly shares their examples with everyone. This is
followed by a short general discussion to make sure all participants are clear on the four types
of power.

68 WASH in Schools Guide

SESSION 3: Practicing the 4 Steps in the Arts for Advocacy Program
3 Hours

1 REVIEW: Draw the diagram on Page 32 on a flip chart or blackboard. Get all participants
1.
to review the diagrams on pages 32-33. Then divide the participants into groups of 4 or
5 teachers. If you have teachers from multiple schools, divide the participants into school
groups. The participants will stay in these groups for all the practical sessions. Give each group
flip chart paper and markers.

During the practical sessions the facilitators will need to move around the room to provide
individual support as needed to each group. Keep the momentum going – the purpose of
these practical sessions is to give a quick overview of the Arts for Advocacy approach. When
supporting student WASH Clubs to implement the Arts for Advocacy process the whole
process actually takes several weeks. HINT: Keep reminding the teachers that they should try
to think like students, and work at the level that students may work.

2. GROUP WORK – STEP 1: Each group should review pages 34-41. Each group should choose a
2
WASH issue in their school that they would like to change. This issue will be used throughout
all the practical sessions. Try to get each group to choose a different type of WASH issue (such
as safe toilets, inclusive toilets, hand-washing facilities, provision of soap, girls Menstrual
Hygiene Management, etc).

Each group should then do a Connection Circle and Power Analysis Framework for their issue
on flip chart paper. When completed each group quickly presents their Connection Circle and
Power Analysis to everyone. This is followed by a short general discussion to make sure all
participants are clear on this process.

3
3. GROUP WORK – STEP 2: Each group should review pages 42-51. Using the issue from Step 1,
each group should do an Advocacy Framework for their issue – defining the audience and type
of changes they want (see pages 46-48).

If the teachers are unsure about this process, bring everyone together and do a quick
presentation of an example Advocacy Framework on the blackboard or flip chart paper (so
be prepared for this, and make sure each facilitator understands this key diagram prior to
facilitation!)

When completed each group quickly presents their Advocacy Framework to everyone. This is
followed by a short general discussion to make sure all participants are clear on this process.

4. GROUP WORK – STEP 3: Each group should review pages 52-58. Based on their work in
4
the previous steps, each group should write a short example Advocacy Plan. Remind the
teachers that the plan only needs to be at a level that students may do. When completed each
group quickly presents their Advocacy Plan to everyone. This is followed by a short general
discussion to make sure all participants are clear on this process.

5
5. GROUP WORK – PRACTICAL: Distribute at least one copy of the “Arts for Advocacy –
Student Guide” to each group. Direct the teachers to look at the catalogue of advocacy
activities in the Student Guide. Then the teachers should create an advocacy product that fits
their chosen advocacy issue. Options include: T-shirt painting, poster painting, writing and
performing a short drama or song.

This is the fun part of the training – so enjoy getting creative!

WASH in Schools Guide 69

 What success looks like:

•• WASH Clubs plan and deliver Arts for Advocacy campaigns in schools
•• Students have support from school management and teachers

SESSION 4: Monitoring, Next Steps and Certificates 30 Mins

1 STEP 4 - MONITORING: After the practical session is finished bring all participants together
1.
to review the student participation monitoring exercises on pages 60-66. Hold a general
discussion about the importance for teachers and their students to monitor each advocacy
activity they implement, in order to learn how to improve their future advocacy activities.

2. REVIEW & NEXT STEPS: Facilitate a short final question and answer session, with a focus
2
on getting commitments from each teacher on the next steps they will take in their schools to
establish the Arts for Advocacy program.

3. PRESENT: Give every participant an “Arts for Advocacy Trainer” participation certificate.
3

70 WASH in Schools Guide

Establishing WASH Clubs

After the Training of Trainers in Arts for Advocacy is completed we want to check that the school has
established a student WASH Club. This monitoring is done in several ways:

1 Informal chats during visits to the school to

see how they are progressing on their WASH
Improvement Plan. Check in with the teacher
appointment to support the WASH Club and ask
them about their progress. Also have a talk to
a few members of the WASH Club about their
activities and plans for upcoming emphasis days
(like Global Hand Washing Day, etc)

Offer to assist facilitate a meeting of the student

2 WASH Club where they can work through the
activities for planning an advocacy campaign for
a special event.

Collect information from the school about the

3 membership of the student WASH Club – such
as the number of boys and girls, which grades
are represented, etc. Remember, we do not need
the names of the student’s who are participating
– just the number and if they are a boy or a girl.

The WASH Clubs should be assisted by the appoint

WASH Support Teacher to do their own monitoring
of their activities and operation, using the monitoring
activities in the Arts for Advocacy – Student Guide
on pages 60-66. It is also good if Live & Learn
officers also arrange a time with the student WASH
Clubs to work through some of these monitoring
activities.

Further formal monitoring of establishment of the

WASH Club integration of hygiene and sanitation
knowledge into classes will be done when the school
updates their Bottleneck Analysis and does a self-
assessment, or gets a formal assessment, of their
progress against the Three Star WASH in School
standards.

What success looks like:

•• WASH Clubs (or similar) provides opportunities for students to be engaged – and leadership
opportunities, especially for girls
•• WASH Clubs take active role in promoting/policing hygiene and sanitation behaviours
•• Annual plan agreed

WASH in Schools Guide 71

 Students leading an Arts for Advocacy campaign

Students support and present at Global WASH days

It is always exciting to see the activities that students

develop for Arts for Advocacy campaigns. If at first the
WASH Clubs are unsure about what to focus on it can be
helpful to plan events for the Global WASH Days.

Here is a list you can share with the schools and the
WASH Clubs:

8 March – International Women’s Day

22 March – World Water Day

7 April – World Health Day

28 May – Menstrual Hygiene Management Day

11 October – International Day of the Girl

15 October – Global Handwashing Day

19 November – World Toilet Day

3 December – Day for People with Disabilities

10 December – Human Rights Day

Many fun activities that can be done with student WASH

Clubs are found in Live & Learn’s WASH in Schools
resources.

What success looks like:

•• WASH Clubs plan and deliver Arts for Advocacy campaigns in schools
•• Students have support from school management and teachers
•• Calendar of Global WASH and Inclusive days is shared with school
•• WASH Clubs have an active role in preparing and presenting at Global WASH days
•• Fundraising activities, where appropriate, are integrated with Global days

72 WASH in Schools Guide

Improved WASH Access

Training of Trainers 3: School Water,Security & Safety

FACILITATION GUIDE OUTLINE

Target Stakeholders Teachers. Those who participate need to commit to sharing the training
information with others in the school so that the water security and safety
activities are embedded across all levels at the school (from ECE through
Primary to High School).

Option 1 Option 2

Bring teacher representatives Visit individual schools to work

from a cluster of schools in an area with the all the teachers for a one-
together for a one-day workshop day workshop

Both options have pros and cons.

Option 1 allows you to work with Option 2 restricts you to working with
multiple schools at the one time but a single school at a time, but has no
limits the amount of participants. It venue hire, transport or accommodation
gives teachers a sense of being part costs. It also allows you to build
of something bigger, and develops greater ownership of the process as
relations between schools, but it limits you can include as many teachers as
opportunities for working directly possible and work directly on practical
with all teachers and students or implementation of the lesson activities
WASH clubs. It has greater logistics in the school.
requirements and costs more due to
venue hire, catering, transport and
possibly accommodation.

RESOURCE ONLINE SOURCE (as at publication)

Water Safety – Making and keeping our [Link]
drinking water safe – A Teacher’s Toolkit safety-making-and-keeping-our-drinking-
Live & Learn, Plan International, Australian water-safe
Government, January 2020

Remember to organise all the materials you will need for the practical arts sessions!

WASH in Schools Guide 73

 ACTIVITIES

The process followed is similar, whether the workshop participants are a group of representatives
from multiple schools, or representatives from a single school.

It is estimated that the following activities can be facilitated in 6 hours – which is a full day training,
with an hour for lunch. Times given for each session are estimates. There is a lot of information
to cover, so keep the momentum going all day, and shorten general discussion sessions if some
participants are making too many long speeches!

SESSION 1: Introduction to Water Security 30 Mins

1 ICEBREAKER: Divide participants into groups of 3 or 4 (if you have a larger group). Have
them make a list or draw a picture of the different ways water is used in the school and
home. Then for each way, ask them to list a problem that could occur. Ask the groups to
come back together and ask a member from each group to share a couple of their ideas – of
ways in which water is used, and what could go wrong with the supply.

2 EXPLAIN: Share the national standards for school water safety for the country (these are
found in the documents given in the table below)

Country Standards document

Fiji Minimum Standards on WASH in Schools Infrastructure, Ministry of
Education, National Heritage, Culture & Arts

Kiribati National Infrastructure Standards for Primary Schools, Ministry of

Education

PNG Department of Education Policy and Standards for WASH in schools

2018-2023

Solomon Islands Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene for Education Facilities in
the Solomon Islands, Ministry of Education and Human Resources
Development

Vanuatu see WASH in Schools Improvement Plan Schools Guide, WASH in

Schools Improvement Plan Technical Manual

3 EXPLAIN: Distribute copies of the Water Safety – Making and keeping our drinking
water safe to all participants. Review the Introduction section of the manual, sharing the 11
learning objectives. There are three modules:

1. Where does our drinking water come from?

2. Looking after our water catchment
3. Keeping our drinking water clean
Explain that each module contains simple activities to do with students. Each activity has a
Materials and What to Do section to help teachers implement activities in their classroom.

74 WASH in Schools Guide

SESSION 2: MODULE 1 - Where does our drinking water come from?

1 Hour

1 EXPLAIN: Get the participants to look Activity 1.1 The Water Cycle. Look at the picture for
this activity and quickly review the concepts of Evaporation, Condensation, Precipitation
and Collection.

2 EXPLAIN: Get the participants to look at Activity 1.2 What is a Water Catchment. Review
the picture for this activity and ensure teachers understand the concept of a water
catchment.

A catchment is an area where water is collected by the land, such as the area around a river
or lake. A catchment is an area or basin of land formed by the ridges, hills or mountains
from which all the surface water runoff drains to the lowest point of land. The lowest point
could be a dam, a section of river or the river mouth or ocean.

3 DISCUSS: Ask the teachers to discuss what activities can affect the quality of water in a
catchment, referring to the information in Activity 1.2 if they are unsure.

4 GROUPWORK: Divide the participants into groups of 4-5 and get them to look at the
picture in Activity 1.3: Mapping your catchment. Then get the teachers to take a short walk
and draw a simple map of the catchment area of the training venue – using the instructions
in Activity 1.3 as a guide.

SESSION 3: MODULE 2 - Looking after our Water Catchment

1 Hour

1 EXPLAIN: Get the participants to look at Activity 2.2 What things can damage our water
catchment? Look at the two pictures for this activity. Quickly review the four activity areas
that can threaten the health of a water catchment:

1. Threatened forests, vegetation and agriculture

2. Threatened freshwater resources
3. Threatened coastline/mangroves/seagrass beds
4. Threatened people/children

Referring to the information in Activity 2.2, discuss how many threats to the water
catchment are from human activity and how many are from natural events. Refer to the
highlight box about Water catchment care and water saving strategies and discuss how
these strategies are relevant to reducing threats to the water catchment of their schools and
surrounding communities.

WASH in Schools Guide 75

 2 EXPLAIN: Get the participants to look at Activity 2.3 How does climate change affect our
water catchment? Review the concepts of Climate, Global warming, Carbon dioxide and
Fossil fuels – and how they are the result of the activities given in the 6 dot points.

3 DISCUSS: A changing climate can affect our water supply in two ways – sea level rise
and changes to rainfall (too much or not enough). Review the pictures for Activity 2.3 and
discuss changes that the participants have observed in their schools and surrounding
communities (such as floods from too much rain, impacts of droughts, etc).

4 DISCUSS: Get all the participants to look at the table in Activity 2.4 Things we can do to
protect our water supply in a changing climate and discuss adaptation solutions that are
useful for their schools and surrounding communities. Highlight the FACTSHEET: Trees
are Cool and discuss how trees are managed in their schools and surrounding communities,
and improvements that can be made to keep more existing trees, and plant new ones.

SESSION 4: MODULE 3 - Keeping our Drinking Water Clean 2 Hours

1 PRACTICAL: Do Activity 3.2 Understanding Groundwater with the participants. After

doing the practical demonstration, discuss the five points to keep groundwater safe from
contamination.

2 PRACTICAL: Do Activity 3.3 Sources of drinking water – Rainwater with the participants.
After doing the practical activity with the picture, discuss the five points to keep rainwater
safe from contamination. Then quiz the participants on the three True or False questions –
and discuss their responses (especially if they get the answers wrong!). Remember to finish
with emphasis on keeping water collection containers clean, covered, and washing hands
with soap and water before collecting drinking water.

3 EXPLAIN: Review the table FACTSHEET: Keeping our Drinking Water Safe with the
participants. Then review the three methods given for treating stored water if you are
unsure it is safe.

4 PRACTICAL: Divide the participants into groups of 4 or 5. Get each group to use the
template in Activity 3.4 Conducting a Water Safety Audit at school to do a rapid audit
of water safety at the training venue (this should involve walking around outside the
classroom or training room, as appropriate).

5 DISCUSS: Refer to Activity 3.5 Understanding the Water Safety Audit and discuss any
potential problems idenditifed in the practical exercise. What possible solutions can be
recommended, based on the FACTSHEET: Keeping our Drinking Water Safe?

76 WASH in Schools Guide

 6 CONCLUSIONS: Facilitate a general discussion about:

a. How the activities in the Water Safety – Making and keeping our drinking water
safe can be implemented in classes
b. How the teachers will share the Water Safety – Making and keeping our drinking
water safe and learning from the inservice with other teachers back at their schools
c. What they think are the main challenges to protection of water catchments and
keeping drinking water safe for their schools and communities
d. How the teachers and students can work with School WASH Committees to keep
drinking water safe at the school

7 PRESENT: Give each participant a participation certificate.

What success looks like

•• School leadership is aware of national water safety standards for schools

•• Understand requirements for resilient and safe water supplies
•• Practical experience and knowledge of doing a water safety audit and water testing
•• Develop and use risk assessments to inform control measures mitigating contamination and
improving reliability of water supplies (teachers and students do this in general, WASH Committee
develops it further as part of Operation & Maintenance)

WASH in Schools Guide 77

 Training of Trainers 4: Operation & Maintenance

FACILITATION GUIDE OUTLINE

Target Stakeholders WASH Committee members, including teacher representation. The school
WASH Committee should have been established as part of the Plan step
in the WinS cycle. Those who participate need to commit to sharing the
training information with others in the school so that the operation and
maintenance activities are embedded across all levels at the school (from
ECE through Primary to High School).

Option 1 Option 2

Bring WASH Committee representatives Visit individual schools to work with

from a cluster of schools in an area the full WASH Committee and teacher
together for a one-day workshop representatives for a one-day workshop

Both options have pros and cons.

Option 1 allows you to work with Option 2 restricts you to working with
multiple schools at the one time but a single school at a time, but has no
limits the number of participants. It venue hire, transport or accommodation
gives WASH Committee members costs. It also allows you to build
a sense of being part of something greater ownership of the process as
bigger, and develops relations between you can include as many teachers as
schools, but it limits opportunities for possible with the WASH Committee
working directly with existing school members, and work directly on practical
operations and maintenance problems. implementation of operations and
It has greater logistics requirements and maintenance activities in the school.
costs more due to venue hire, catering,
transport and possibly accommodation.

This training should only be facilitated by staff members familiar with operation and maintenance
issues of school WASH facilities. If the facilitator is not confident in their practical skills, a second co-
ordinator should be present to provide practical demonstrations for the maintenance sections of the
training.

78 WASH in Schools Guide

 RESOURCE

Make sure you know the national standards for WASH in Schools in your country before conducting
the O&M training, and how these standards relate to the WASH infrastructure specific to the school/s.
The relevant standards documentation for each country can be identified from the table below, and
sourced online at [Link]
kiribati-papua-new-guinea-solomon-islands

Country Standards document

Fiji Minimum Standards on WASH in Schools Infrastructure, Ministry of
Education, National Heritage, Culture & Arts

Kiribati National Infrastructure Standards for Primary Schools, Ministry of

Education

PNG Policy and Standards for Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WaSH) in Schools
2018-2023, National Department of Education

Solomon Islands Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene for Education Facilities in
the Solomon Islands, Ministry of Education and Human Resources
Development
Vanuatu see WASH in Schools Improvement Plan Schools Guide, WASH in
Schools Improvement Plan Technical Manual

Make sure you also use the WinS O&M guidelines for your country. The relevant guidelines to O&M
for particular countries are given in the table below. Note that some guidelines are not restricted to
particular countries and can be used in a variety of settings. At the time of publication some of these
guidelines were still in draft form. Individual Live & Learn country offices have copies of the drafts
available.

Solomon Technical Requirements Manual for School Nov 2019 Draft – see Solomon Islands
Islands Wash Facilities (SIBLE) government education authorities for
final version
Kiribati WASH Safety Planning Sanitary Survey [Link]
Checklists (Kiribati) wash-schools-technical-designs-
fiji-kiribati-solomon-islands-and-
vanuatu
Vanuatu Vanuatu WASH in Schools Improvement Nov 2019 in Draft – see Solomon
Plan Schools Guide Islands government education
authorities for final version

All countries UNICEF WASH Resilience Guidelines [Link]

Toolkit and Case Studies uploads/2019/02/181212-Unicef-
[Link]

If your country does not have any formal standards or guidelines, or the standards and guides
are lacking detail, we recommend following the regional UNICEF Three Star Approach to WASH
in Schools. The guides listed above offer practical advice, building on the Three Star standards.
Information on the Three Star Approach is given in this WinS Guide on page 7-9.

WASH in Schools Guide 79

 The other key resource you should use is the Schools Guide to WinS Operation & Maintenance.

RESOURCE ONLINE SOURCE (as at publication)

Schools Guide to WinS Operation & [Link]

Maintenance, Live & Learn Environmental guide-operation-maintenance-resource-wash-
Education & Australian Aid, 2016 – particularly committees
the Water Safety Audit template

Learning from Experience: Guidelines for [Link]

locally sourced and cost-effective strategies files/FINAL_home%20modifications.
to modify existing household toilets and [Link]
water access
World Vision and CBM Australia, Australian Aid,
April 2018

Accessibility and Safety Audit: School [Link]

Latrine, WaterAid UK, 2014 files/jkxoof256/files/Accessibility%20and%20
safety%20audit%20school%[Link]

80 WASH in Schools Guide

PREPARATION

Before the facilitating this workshop, you must review the key O&M issues of the schools participating
in the training from the School Bottleneck Analysis Reports that have been conducted. You must also
use the school WASH Improvement Plans that schools have developed in previous training programs.

You should already have a good idea of the key O&M issues each of the schools needs to address
before the training starts, and your presentation notes should be organised to reflect this.

For example, if all the schools participating rely on piped water from rivers or gravity feed systems,
then when you present information on maintenance of water supply you will not talk about water
tanks or wells. Another example, if all the schools have VIP toilets, then you will present information
relevant to VIP toilets and not discuss septic systems.

Before the training organise all the documents and materials you will need for your sessions, including
participation certificates. You may need copies of standards and other documents for participants to
refer to, either on paper or accessible electronically. During the workshop you will need to make sure
that the participating schools all receive at least one copy of national WinS standards and WinS O&M
guidelines (if they do not already have these government documents).

ACTIVITIES

The process followed is similar, whether the workshop participants are a group of representatives
from multiple schools, or representatives from a single school.

It is estimated that the following activities can be facilitated in 6 hours – which is a full day training,
with an hour for lunch. Times given for each session are estimates. There is a lot of information
to cover, so keep the momentum going all day, and shorten general discussion sessions if some
participants are making too many long speeches!

Although there is much information to convey, encourage participants to make links themselves
between standards and guides for O&M and the particular needs of each school. O&M will be more
effective when school stakeholders themselves tailor the knowledge to the school’s specific needs and
capabilities and take ownership. Encourage participants to find cost-effective solutions, rather than
just focus on the problems! Also encourage participants to take pride in what their school is doing well,
and to build on that.

WASH in Schools Guide 81

 Overview of Operation and Maintenance training activities

SESSION 1: Introduction to Operation & Maintenance 1 Hour

1 ICEBREAKER: Divide participants into groups of 3 or 4 (if you have a larger group). Have
them make a list or draw a picture of the different ways water is used in the school and
home. Then for each way, ask them to list a problem that could occur. Ask the groups to
come back together and ask a member from each group to share a couple of their ideas –
of ways in which water is used, and what could go wrong with the supply.

2 INTRODUCE: Tell participants about the importance of O&M for school WASH programs.
Explain how O&M includes cleaning of WASH facilities, waste disposal, stocking sanitary
items and planning for routine maintenance and possible disruptions due to breakages
and emergencies. Explain that O&M involves the School WASH Committee, school
management, all teachers, students and parents. Explain that specific responsibilities
need to be allocated, as well as the involvement of government and other stakeholders.

3 REVIEW: Discuss with the participants the Bottleneck Analysis Reports and WASH
Improvement Plans for the schools attending, reviewing in general what improvements
need to be made urgently, and what can be made easily.

Make sure that you do not do a full-review of the BNA Reports and WASH
Improvement Plans (this can take too much time), just present summaries of the key
information from the preparation you did before the workshop.

4 EXPLAIN: Explain the purpose of standards for compliance and goal setting for effective
O&M, and how other guidelines have been produced to help schools meet the national
standards (or standards outlined in the Three-star school policy). Give a brief outline of
the national standards that are relevant to the session.

82 WASH in Schools Guide

SESSION 2: WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS – 1 Hour

Operation & Maintenance

1 EXPLAIN: Explain the purpose of operation related to water supply systems. Discuss
conducting a Water safety audit.
2 EXPLAIN: Give examples of the types of cleaning that need to be undertaken by the
schools present (identified during workshop preparation from the school BNA Reports).
For example, this might include cleaning of gutters of leaves or washing storage tank with
detergent.

3 EXPLAIN: Explain the purpose of maintenance related to water supply systems.

Differentiate between routine maintenance and preparing for unscheduled events such as
breakages of infrastructure and natural disasters. Talk about how checking, testing and
repairing is required as per national standards, and that responsibility needs to be spread
across the school while also identifying school staff members or community members
whose skills (e.g. carpentry, plumbing, machinery operation) will be particularly valuable
for O&M. Give the participants an example of a national standard and how it is covered by
maintenance.
4 EXPLAIN: Using the resources, discuss practical general maintenance of water supply
systems. Areas that should be covered include the following:

•• Testing water quality

•• Checking taps and pipes for leaks and worn or loose fittings
•• Cleaning of tanks and guttering so they are free from debris
•• Checking for bad smell, colour and/or blockages
•• Ensuring there is adequate drainage at all water points
•• Check levels of water consumption against storage capacity

WASH in Schools Guide 83

 SESSION 3: SANITATION SYSTEMS – 1 Hour
Operation & Maintenance

1 EXPLAIN: Explain the purpose of operation related to sanitation systems. Give examples of
the types of cleaning that need to be undertaken by the schools present (identified during
workshop preparation from the school BNA Reports). For example, this might include
cleaning of toilets, washing the floors with detergent, collection and disposal of rubbish,
meeting menstruation needs of girls and women teachers, etc

2 DISCUSS: Discuss school sanitation systems – the different kinds of waste schools have to
manage (food waste, non-organic waste, menstruation waste, etc) and the best options for
managing this waste. Areas that could be covered include:

•• Management of VIP toilets

•• Management of septic tanks
•• Composting of organic waste
•• Safe disposal of non-organic waste, including used menstruation hygiene management
products

3 EXPLAIN: Using examples provided in the O&M resources present information on

maintenance issues of toilets. Areas that could be covered include the following:

•• Door locks function properly

•• Vent pipes are unobstructed
•• Check for cracks and other damage of walls, floors and roof structures
•• Roof guttering is clear and functional
•• Check if the latrine pit or septic tank is full
•• Check for other issues, such as broken, blocked or rusty hardware

4 EXPLAIN: Using examples provided in the resource “Learning from Experience:

Guidelines for locally sourced and cost-effective strategies to modify existing
household toilets and water access” present information on assessing accessibility of
sanitation, especially toilets. Share the four key areas and practical solutions to barriers to
accessibility:

•• Getting There
•• Getting In
•• Getting On
•• Hygiene and Water Access

84 WASH in Schools Guide

SESSION 4: PRACTICAL 1.5 Hours

1 GROUP WORK – PRACTICAL: As part of this activity, take the participants on a tour of the
training location and identify issues that can be fixed on the spot. If the training location is a
school, this can be tied to the Bottleneck Analysis and you may be able to make repairs on the
spot.

Remember to specifically look at issues of operation and/or maintenance that will affect girls,
and universal accessibility.

SESSION 5: Duty Rosters, Maintenance Plans & Budgeting 1 Hour

12 EXPLAIN: Checklists and duty rosters enable the school to report on state of facilities and
to provide regular cleaning of facilities, re-stocking of sanitary items such as soap and toilet
paper, and waste disposal. Remind participants of the proper use of incinerators, including
avoiding burning plastics, and the advantages of composting.

13 GROUP WORK – Operations Checklists: Break the participants into groups for each school
present. Each group should review what checklists and duty rosters the school already has.
It is now time to develop their own checklists and rosters covering both water supply and
sanitation systems. Explain that in these procedures the whole school can be involved. Rosters
can be created for children as well as teachers, depending on the appropriateness of the jobs
allocated.

14 GROUP WORK – Maintenance Checklists: Working in the same groups, it is now time to
develop their own maintenance checklists and plans covering both water supply and sanitation
systems. The groups should link their maintenance plans with the information that will be
gathered through the operation checklists prepared in the previous session.

15 GROUP WORK: Ask participants in small groups per school to make an action plan for any
maintenance that needs to be done immediately. Action plans should include job description,
person responsible, materials needed, timeframe.

16 DISCUSS: Get the participants to identify what tools and materials the school may need to
keep handy for maintenance issues. They can come up with a list that might include buckets,
broom, ladder, shovel, wrenches, spare hinges, locks, gutters and pipes.

17 DISCUSS: Explain that money needs to be set aside in budgets for the purchase of sanitary
items as well as for emergency repairs. Ask participants to share various ways to fundraise
and to obtain materials such as soap, but also for maintenance tools and materials.

18 REVIEW: Facilitate a short question and answer session. Remind participants to follow up
with their rosters and action plans.

19 PRESENT: Give each participant a participation certificate.

What success looks like

•• Operations & Maintenance training conducted with WASH Committee

•• Operations & Maintenance plan in place with schedule and costs included

WASH in Schools Guide 85

 Wash Committee, Teachers and Students Support
Improved Wash Access

Following the Operations & Maintenance training the whole school body has the plans and knowledge
to implement improved WASH access for everyone. The WASH Committee should start to implement
their WASH Improvement Plan actions, the operations and maintenance activities should begin
immediately, especially duty rosters for regular cleaning of toilets, and simple maintenance work that
can be done easily. Everyone should be involved, from students to school leaders.

The role of Live & Learn WASH in Schools officers now is to provide informal reminders and
check-ups in the schools, encouraging them to implement their plans, and letting them know that
stakeholders outside the school are interested in their progress – which helps the school maintain
accountability for their WASH planning.

What success looks like

•• Soap, toilet paper and sanitary pad supplies are ensured (school budget allocation, fundraising, etc)
•• Roles of WASH club to track and report toilets and hand-washing facilities use and status
•• Operations and maintenance implemented, including waste disposal management

86 WASH in Schools Guide

Strengthening Gender & Social Inclusion

Training of Trainers 5: Gender and Social Inclusion and

Menstruation Hygiene Management

FACILITATION GUIDE OUTLINE

Target Stakeholders Selected teachers. Those who participate need to commit to sharing the
training information with others in the school so that the gender and
social inclusion knowledge and activities are embedded across all levels at
the school (Primary to High School).

Option 1 Option 2

Bring Teacher representatives from a Visit individual schools to work with the
cluster of schools in an area together for a all the teachers for a one-day workshop
one-day workshop

Both options have pros and cons.

Option 1 allows you to work with Option 2 restricts you to working with
multiple schools at the one time, but a single school at a time, but has no
limits the amount of participants. It venue hire, transport or accommodation
gives teachers a sense of being part costs. It also allows you to build
of something bigger, and develops greater ownership of the process as
relations between schools, but it limits you can include as many teachers as
opportunities for working directly with possible and work directly on practical
all teachers and including students from implementation of activities in the
WASH Clubs. It has greater logistics school.
requirements and costs more due to
venue hire, catering, transport and
possibly accommodation.

RESOURCE ONLINE SOURCE (as at publication)

Menstrual Hygiene Matters - Toolkit, [Link]
WaterAid, 2012 publications/menstrual-hygiene-matters
Specifically Module 5 – Working with schools
on menstrual hygiene

Accessibility and Safety Audit: School [Link]

Latrine, WaterAid UK, 2014 files/jkxoof256/files/Accessibility%20and%20
safety%20audit%20school%[Link]

Inclusion Made Easy – A quick program [Link]

guide to disability in development, Part B and-development-network/document/
Disability Inclusion: Education, CBM 2012 inclusion-made-easy-quick-program-guide-
disability-development-cbm

Selected handouts for teachers – Provided at the end of the ToT 5 Facilitation Guide

WASH in Schools Guide 87

 This training should only be facilitated by staff members who have participated in gender and social
inclusion training, and are confident with facilitating positive discussions about power, identity and
discrimination.

ACTIVITIES

The process followed is similar, whether the workshop participants are a group of representatives
from multiple schools, or representatives from a single school.

It is estimated that the following activities can be facilitated in 6 hours – which is a full day training,
with an hour for lunch. Times given for each session are estimates. There is a lot of information to
cover, so keep the momentum going all day.

Some tips7:

The more participants can reflect on their own personal experiences, the more they will get
from a gender workshop. When we are able to see our own gender attitudes and behaviours we
can better track our path towards equality and apply the concepts of gender to our lives. Helping
participants to understand this insight is a key lesson in gender awareness.

Know your participants – participants can often be distinguished by where they stand on gender
relations. There are three general types: The Resistors, The Maybes, The Transformers

o Resistors – Participants who do not want to accept that change in gender relations is
either possible or desirable

o Maybes – Participants who are unsure that change is possible and/or desirable, but are
willing to learn about it. They may become transformers

o Transformers – Participants who believe that change is possible and what to

contribute to it

Focus your training on the ‘Maybes’ and the ‘Transformers’, without alienating the ‘Resistors’.
Avoid challenging the Resistors – otherwise, you will likely increase their reluctance and run the
risk of having the session revolve around them. Direct confrontation is not productive in the case
of ‘Resistors’.

Be ready to address common roadblocks - Sometimes, participants may use scientific or

religious arguments to defend the status quo. Here are some strategies to clear the roadblocks
that such arguments can create:

o If a participant claims that there is no use in distinguishing between sex and gender
because men and women have always been like they are now, give examples of how
women’s and men’s roles and traits vary according to location or moment in history.

o If a participant tries to argue that we can’t expect men and women to be the same
because they are, in fact, so different, explain that the purpose of gender awareness
is not to say that difference is bad. Explain the distinction between difference and
inequality. Explain that the difference between males and females is not a problem.

7 Adapted from The Foundations of Gender – Facilitator Guidance Notes, Component 1, Plan International

88 WASH in Schools Guide

 The problem is that we are taught to value male characteristics over female
characteristics. Therefore, the purpose of gender awareness is not to eliminate
difference, but to understand and eliminate the inequalities that are based on these
differences.

o If a participant argues that analysing gender roles is simplistic and that real people are
more complex, explain that gender refers to what a society considers appropriate for
a male or a female, and that social expectations have little to do with individual choice.
Individuals have their own personalities, preferences and dreams, which may or may
not fit into the social norms about ‘gender’. However, gender analysis enables us to
understand how society reacts to individual choice – promoting conformance and
punishing resistance.

Gender analysis is valid in any social or historical setting - Gender analysis often leads to
discovering negative aspects about one’s society. This can lead participants to question the
validity of such a tool for their own context, claiming that gender is used to impose Western
values. Be prepared to clarify that gender is an analytical tool that allows us to look at any setting.
As such, it doesn’t impose any social reality onto our own. We can also reassure participants
with examples of how gender analysis can be applied to Western contexts, which then exposes
countless ways in which those societies also discriminate against women and girls.

WASH in Schools Guide 89

 SESSION 1: Understanding Gender Concepts 2 Hours

1 IN PAIRS – DISCUSSION: Sharing stories from our childhood.

Explain that we are not born knowing that we are a girl or a boy. We usually understand this
because of something someone says or does to us. For example:
•• A woman may remember the first time she was told that she couldn’t go out and play
because she needed to help with the laundry.
•• A man may remember the time when his schoolmates teased him because he wanted to
play with the girls, or help with cooking.

Ask participants to think about the first memory they have of realising they are a boy or a girl.
Explain that everyone needs to think of her or his own experience. Generalisations about boys
and girls are not useful in this exercise.

Give participants a few minutes to identify this memory and then ask them to think about the
three questions below:

•• What was the situation that made you identify as a girl or a boy?
•• How did it happen? (Describe the context: Who was involved? When? Where?)
•• What are the long-term effects? (How did this situation influence the man or woman that
you are today?)

Ask participants to share their story with their partner.

2 GROUPWORK: Divide the participants into mixed sex groups of 3-6. Instruct them to create
two columns in a notebook or on a big piece of paper, with a drawing of ‘a Real Man’ in one
column and ‘a Real Woman’ in the other. Ask the participants to add in key characteristics
(physical, clothing, emotional, activities etc.) that make ‘a real man/woman’ related to water,
sanitation and hygiene.

Once the participants have finished, ask a few groups to share their drawings. For each
characteristic, ask a question or provide statement that counters the gender stereotype. Some
examples are given below:

•• Real men do building work  do women do construction work too? Do you know any
women in your family or community that fix the house, build a shelter for a toilet, or other
types of building and repairs?
•• Real women do cleaning  can men/boys clean for themselves/their families too? Do you
think this is an important skill for everyone to learn? Who should do the cleaning of school
toilets?

Once the participants have finished, facilitate a short general discussion on doing these
activities with students in class.

90 WASH in Schools Guide

 Here is a useful True / False table concerning gender stereotypes
that might come up during this activity:

TRUE FALSE
Girls often have more duties at home, limiting Girls are naturally better at household duties.
their time for school work.

Jobs and games that are ‘only for boys’ or ‘only for Girls are naturally weaker than boys and so
girls’ can keep students from learning. should not do hard tasks or play like boys.

Boys’ education is often viewed as more Challenging gender stereotypes is disrespectful

important because it is expected they will earn to Melanesian culture.
money for the family.

Boys may not be as good at household duties Boys are naturally better at harder jobs that
because they don’t practice them. require strength.

Jobs given to girls and boys at school make boys Boys and girls should not practice jobs for the
better at some jobs than others. other gender.

One way to challenge gender stereotypes is to Only older people hold harmful gender
show someone an example that doesn’t fit their stereotypes.
belief.

Jobs and games that are only for boys or only for There are games that are good for boys and
girls can keep students from learning. games that are good for girls.

WASH in Schools Guide 91

 3 READ: Give the participants the handout “A Story about Thomasina and Philemon”

The story is meant to help students think about the gender stereotypes of boys and girls, the
pressures that these stereotypes cause when students are expected to conform to them. Read
the story aloud to the group.

Afterwards, discuss the following questions (Assure them that there are no wrong answers!)

•• Do you think Thomasina and Philemon’s tasks are fair? Why or why not?
•• How would you feel if you were Thomasina?
•• How would you feel if you were Philemon?
•• Do you think Thomasina would have difficulties getting good test scores? Why or why not?
•• How would you facilitate discussion of this story with your class?
•• Does it make a difference how you feel about the story if you are a female teacher or a male
teacher?

4 GROUPWORK: Divide the workshop participants into mixed groups of 3 or 4. Give each group
the handout “Little Stories – What If?”

Get each group to read and complete the activity and afterwards discuss the following
questions (Assure them that there are no wrong answers!)

•• How would you facilitate this activity in your class?

•• Can your group write some other Little Stories to use as a resource to challenge gender
stereotypes?

5 GROUPWORK: Divide the participants into mixed groups of 3 or 4. Give each group the
“We Can Do that!” activity handout. Get each group to read and complete the activity.
Afterwards, discuss the following questions (Assure them that there are no wrong answers!)

•• How would you facilitate this activity in your class?

•• Can your group write some other examples to use as a resource to challenge gender
stereotypes in how the students think about “real man and real woman”?

92 WASH in Schools Guide

SESSION 2: Menstrual Hygiene Management 2 Hours

1 EXPLAIN: Share the handout Just the Facts: Understanding Menstruation8 with the
participants. Ask if any participants have any questions – especially the male teachers.

2 OPTIONAL ACTIVITY - EXPLAIN: The level of knowledge concerning menstruation can

differ between teachers, especially for unmarried male teachers. If you notice that the level of
menstruation knowledge is low in the group then conduct a quick explanation of menstruation
based on the points below, or show some PowerPoint slides (available from MJ Enterprises or
Days for Girls organisations or online)

WASH in Schools Guide 93

 EXTRA INFORMATION IF NEEDED:

When Do Most Girls Get Their Period?

Most girls get their first period when they’re around 12. But getting it any time between age 10
and 15 is OK. Every girl’s body has its own schedule. There isn’t one right age for a girl to get
her period. But there are some clues that it will start soon:
•• Most of the time, a girl gets her period about 2 years after her breasts start to develop.
•• Another sign is vaginal discharge (sort of like mucus) that a girl might see or feel on her
underwear. This discharge usually begins about 6 months to a year before a girl gets her
first period.

What Causes a Period?

A period happens because of changes in hormones in the body. Hormones are chemical
messengers. These hormones cause the lining of the uterus (or womb) to build up. The built-
up lining is ready for a fertilized egg to attach to and start developing. If there is no fertilized
egg, the lining breaks down and bleeds. Then the same process happens all over again. It
usually takes about a month for the lining to build up, then break down. That is why most girls
and women get their periods around once a month.

How Does Ovulation Relate to Periods?

Ovulation (pronounced: ov-yoo-LAY-shun) is the release of an egg from the ovaries. The same
hormones that cause the uterus lining to build up also cause an egg to leave one of the ovaries.
The egg travels through a thin tube called a fallopian tube to the uterus. If the egg is fertilized
by a sperm cell, it attaches to the wall of the uterus, where over time it develops into a baby. If
the egg is not fertilized, the uterus lining breaks down and bleeds, causing a period.

Do Periods Happen Regularly When Menstruation Starts?

For the first few years after a girl starts her period, it may not come regularly. This is normal at
first. By about 2–3 years after her first period, a girl’s periods should be coming around once
every 4–5 weeks.

Can a Girl Get Pregnant as Soon as Her Period Starts?

Yes, a girl can get pregnant as soon as her period starts. A girl can even get pregnant right
before her very first period. This is because a girl’s hormones might already be active. The
hormones may have led to ovulation and the building of the uterine wall. If a girl has sex, she
can get pregnant, even though she has never had a period.

How Long Do Periods Last?

Periods usually last about 5 days. But a period can be shorter or last longer.

How Often Does a Period Happen?

Periods usually happen about once every 4–5 weeks. But some girls get their periods a little
less or more often.

94 WASH in Schools Guide

3 EXPLAIN: Share the handout Why Period Friendly Toilets Matter with the participants and
review the information together.

4 EXPLAIN: Share the handout The boy who campaigns for girls to go to school with the
participants. Read the story together, then discuss how why it is important for men and boys
to know about menstruation, and how they can help improve how girls are able to manage
menstruation at school.

5 GROUPWORK: Get the participants into groups, making sure that representatives from the
same school are together. Each group should discuss and plan some actions they will take to
improve menstrual hygiene management in their schools in the following areas:

•• Making the toilets “period-friendly

•• Providing information to both boy and girl students on menstruation in class, and support
to girls who get their period at school

WASH in Schools Guide 95

 SESSION 3: Including Children with Special Needs - Practical Activities
1.5 Hours
1 EXPLAIN: Comprehensive Accessibility
Comprehensive accessibility is fundamental for the full inclusion of people with a disability.
Removing ‘disabling’ barriers and ensuring comprehensive access plays a significant role in
creating opportunities for people with a disability to participate in development programs.
Impairments can become less ‘disabling’ if society is accessible and barriers to inclusion are
removed.

The specific identification and removal of barriers is the essence of accessibility as a guiding
principle. Barriers can be grouped into four categories.

•• Physical or environmental barriers – buildings, schools, clinics, waterpumps, transport,

roads, paths etc.
•• Communication barriers – written and spoken information including media, flyers, internet,
community meetings etc.
•• Policy barriers – including both legislation that discriminates against people with a
disability, and/or an absence of legislation that might otherwise provide an enabling
framework. Departmental and organisational policies can also be addressed here.
•• Attitudinal barriers – including negative stereotyping of people with a disability, social
stigma and other forms of overt discrimination. Sometimes disability is associated with
cultural beliefs about sin, evil and witchcraft. People with a disability often report that
attitudes are the most disabling barriers of all.

Comprehensive Accessibility addresses all these barriers. This training focuses on Physical
barriers in school toilets and hand-washing facilities, and Attitudinal barriers.

2 EXPLAIN: Universal Design

Universal design is when we design and build products and environments to be useable by all
people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for special adaptation or specialised
design.

Share the handout provided that shows examples of Universal Design in the school
playground. Discuss the following labels in the picture.

•• Equitable use
•• Simple and intuitive to use
•• Low physical effort
•• Flexibility of use

For toilets we think about the following things to make the toilet easier to use:

•• Size of door (height, width) – toilet entrance

•• Size of toilet
•• Type of toilet
•• Height of mirror
•• Height of washing basin and location of soap and hanging hooks for towels
•• Space inside the toilet/bathroom
•• Handrails/walking bar
•• Light inside the toilet/bathroom
•• Distance and height of cleaning facilities
•• Door handles and locks that can be reached easily
•• Ramps and a smooth path to the toilet/bathroom entrance
•• Smooth floor inside the toilet, that isn’t slippery

96 WASH in Schools Guide

3 EXPLAIN: Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu governments are
all working on designs for accessible toilets for schools. So each school should work with their
government education authorities on the designs of new toilets. Show the example from Fiji
pictured below and discuss the different elements – like size of the cubicle, width of the door,
support bars, etc

4 EXPLAIN: Not every school has the budget to immediately build universally accessible toilets.
So while each school works with the government education authorities to get support for
better permanent facilities there are important simple things to improve accessibility that can
be done immediately. Explain to the participants the four things to think about for toilets –
Getting There, Getting In, Getting On, and Hygiene and Water Access

WASH in Schools Guide 97

 5 PRACTICAL: Get the participants into pairs or small groups (depending on the size of
the group), and give each group a copy of the audit checklist on page 8-11 of the WaterAid
“Accessibility and Safety Audit: School Latrine.” Visit the toilets at the training facility and
complete the audit form.

6 DISCUSS: Get the groups to compare the results of the accessibility and safety audit. Get them
to discuss what they have learned about accessibility, and how they can share this information
back at their schools to improve accessibility of the toilets.

SESSION 4: Conclusion 30 Min

1 DISCUSS: Bring everyone together and facilitate a final question and answer session
about what has been learned during the workshop regarding gender, menstrual hygiene
management and accessibility. Remind the participants that the activities today are only an
introduction into these important areas of life, specifically focused on WASH in Schools, and
there are many ways to think about inclusion, avoiding discrimination and comprehensive
accessibility.

Thank the participants for their openness to discussing topics that may have been challenging
for some of them, and encourage them to go back to the schools and families and continue to
talk about these issues, and examine their own thinking and behaviour (do unto others as you
would have them do to you!).

2 COMMITMENT: Get each participant to write a personal commitment in their notebooks or

on sticky notes a personal commitment of three things they will do in their schools to improve
gender understanding, menstrual management and accessibility in WASH.

3 PRESENT: Give all the participants a certificate of participation for the Gender and Social
Inclusion Training of Trainers

98 WASH in Schools Guide

GENDER HANDOUT

A Story about Thomasina and Philemon

Thomasina and Philemon is a story about two students and the different expectations they
experience as a boy or a girl. Get into mixed groups (boys and girls) of four students and read the
story together9.

Thomasina is a student in fifth grade. In the morning Thomasina gets up very early to collect water,
tend to her family’s animals and garden. During the school day she goes to classes, and during breaks
she helps clean the classrooms and school toilets, and take care of the school grounds. During cooking
class, she always cooks! During these lessons she learns more, but she still cannot make a fire and
she resents that the boys get to eat when they do not help cook. After school is over, she is a seller in
the market in the afternoons. When she goes home she helps prepare dinner, cleans the dishes from
dinner, watches after her younger siblings, and, when she has time, works on her homework. She is
often working until late in the evening. When she complains that she has little time for homework, her
parents tell her that she will get married and will need to know how to do these things for her family.

Thomasina has a brother, Philemon. Their parents think that it is very important for Philemon to do
well in school. In cooking class he plays or makes a fire for himself. He doesn’t learn as much in these
classes, but he loves eating the food! Philemon is also a seller in the market after school, but when he
goes home, his parents insist that he do his homework straight away while is his sister makes dinner.
When his homework is finished, his parents might ask him to look after his siblings. While his sister
cleans up and does other tasks for the family, Philemon reads or plays football with his friends.

After reading the story, discuss the following questions (There are no wrong answers!)

a. Do you think Thomasina and Philemon’s tasks are fair? Why or why not?

b. How would you feel if you were Thomasina?

c. How would you feel if you were Philemon?

d. Do you think Thomasina would have difficulties getting good test scores? Why or why
not?

9 Adapted from: Promoting gender equality for girls and boys in the Learning Garden Program, Plan International in Cambodia

WASH in Schools Guide 99

 GENDER HANDOUT

Little Stories - What if?

What if?10 is an activity that asks students to write the ending of a story in a way that challenges
gender stereotypes. The endings that students create should be longer than a single sentence and
should show the main character challenging a gender stereotype in a way that resolves the situation
positively.

Follow these steps to complete this activity:

•• Before giving the students the vignettes, explain that one way to challenge gender stereotypes is
to provide an example of someone or a situation in which gender stereotypes do not apply. Explain
that they write the ending to stories in which the main character can challenge gender stereotypes
using this method.

•• Provide the following example to the first What if? vignette:

Philemon told her “I understand that you want to help, but I would like to cook the food myself. I am
learning how to do this and I want to get better at it. If I cannot practice cooking, I will not get better
at it. Maybe you can find another job to do while I am doing this.”

•• Allow students to chose a little story to finish from the list below:

What if?
•• Philemon loves to cook. He tries to help his mom with the cooking, but she tells him that this
is his sisters’ job. When he is allowed to cook Philemon feels quiet and calm and he loves
how happy it makes everyone when they eat his food. Philemon loves cooking class, but
when he tries to chop vegetables or help with the cooking, the girls say that they can do it
better and move him out of the way. One day, Philemon decided to say something. He…

•• Fredrick does not like to play football. He would much rather read quietly in the classroom or
draw pictures with the girls in his class. When he tells his friends this, they make fun of him
and call him names. One day, Fredrick…

•• Thomasina loves to play football, but she does not get to play it often because other
students tease her. When she tries to play the boys tell her that she is too weak and not good
enough, and the girls laugh at her and call her a tomboy. Thomasina knows that in order to
get better at football, she must play and practice, so one day she…

10 Adapted from: Promoting gender equality for girls and boys in the Learning Garden Program, Plan International in Cambodia

100 WASH in Schools Guide

GENDER HANDOUT

We Can Do that!

Students will work together to create a We Can Do That!11 gender equality agreement for the
WASH activities in the school. This activity will help students to recognise that understanding and
challenging gender stereotypes should not stop in the gender-related lessons, but should continue to
be worked on in all of their classes. The agreement should be a decorated poster that all students sign
and are proud of that is hung in the school.

STEPS:

1. Facilitate a discussion on what an agreement may look like.

2. With the students, brainstorm and write down ways that boys and girls can work together in
keeping the water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in the school in good condition and meeting
everyone’s needs.

3. From this list, decide on 3-5 “We can…” statements about the school toilets and 3-5 “We can…”
statements about the hand-washing facilities or school grounds for the agreement.

4. When these are written down, ask students to decorate and sign the agreement and hang it
near the toilets or hand-washing facilities where it is easily observable.

5. To finish this activity, facilitate a class discussion using the following questions:

•• How can we ensure we are always working together to challenge gender stereotypes
in the WASH in school program?

•• What will we look out for?

•• What will we do
if we see gender
stereotypes?

11 Adapted from: Promoting gender equality for girls and boys in the Learning Garden Program, Plan International in Cambodia

WASH in Schools Guide 101

102
JUST THE FACTS: UNDERSTANDING MENSTRUATION
WHY IT MATTERS? WHAT IS MENARCHE?
THE BASICS • Girls who get blood on their clothes are • Menarche is the onset of menstruation.

WASH in Schools Guide

often teased by teachers, boys or other girls. Girls generally get their first period between
MENSTRUATION IS NORMAL! 11–15, although some can be younger
IT IS THE MONTHLY • Social norms may lead women and girls or older.
to feel that menstruation is dirty,
SHEDDING OF BLOOD AND
shameful or unhealthy. • The first period is generally a surprise!
UTERINE TISSUE AND AN Sometimes girls are scared or worried

Source: [Link]
IMPORTANT PART OF THE • Without access to good menstrual materials they are sick. They may not know who to
REPRODUCTIVE CYCLE. and private toilets or washrooms for ask for advice.
changing, girls and women may not want
TYPICALLY, IT LASTS... to go far from home. Teachers may miss • Information about menstruation is
school, health workers may miss work, and frequently passed on from mothers, friends,
2-7 DAYS girls and women may not attend school, go sisters or aunts, and is often a mixture of
to the market or wait in line for supplies. cultural beliefs, superstition and practical
information that is sometimes helpful and
sometimes not.
THE AMOUNT OF BLOOD Menstruation is very personal.
Women and girls often do not want • In many cultures mothers may feel
IS USUALLY BETWEEN uncomfortable to talk to their daughters
others to know they are menstruating –
even other women and girls. about periods because it is linked
to sexuality.
.
AND
MENSTRUAL MANAGEMENT HANDOUT

1 6
TABLESPOONS EACH WHAT DO THEY NEED?
MONTH AND CAN
• A range of materials can be used to • Menstrual periods are irregular and can • Even when using good menstrual
BE MESSY. catch the blood, including a sanitary pad catch girls and women by surprise. This materials, women and girls may be
(disposable or reusable), a tampon, causes anxiety about finding a bathroom worried about blood stains on their clothes.
or a piece of cloth in their underwear. and materials quickly!
• Women and girls need access
ABDOMINAL CRAMPS, • Menstruation can be messy! Women to a private, clean space (toilet or
NAUSEA, DIARRHEA and girls need a private space with washroom) to change materials throughout
AND HEADACHES water and soap to clean themselves the day and night and to hygienically
and soiled materials. dispose of menstrual waste.
ARE COMMON
BEFORE AND
DURING A PERIOD.
MENSTRUAL MANAGEMENT HANDOUT

A personal story: The boy who

campaigns for girls to go to school

Nixon Otieno Odoyo, 16, lives in Nairobi. His campaign, ‘Keeping Girls in School’, is aimed at providing
schoolgirls in Kenya with free sanitary towels. He explains how important this is. This is his story12:

Our father abandoned us when I was three, which was one of the things that made me want to help
girls stay in school. [My mother] never went to school and when my father left she had no money
to look after us and she became stressed. My older sister has not been to school either; she married
when she was 15 and now has four children. Her husband drinks too much and she struggles to
provide food for her family on her own. I think that girls should have the chance to go to school so
that they can earn the money to look after their families if they need to. When I started in school there
were plenty of girls in my class, but by the third term there were only four left. Now I am 16 and there
are only two girls in my class. One of them is having a baby soon, so I’m not sure if she’ll still be there
when I go back to school. It’s a problem that is very common where I live.

I am a member of the Teens’ Watch Club, which is made up of students from about 40 different
schools across Nairobi. It’s a group of girls and boys who meet in the holidays to discuss issues that
affect us as teens: issues like poverty, HIV and AIDS, young pregnancies and marriage, and drug
abuse. The idea for the ‘Keeping Girls in School’ campaign came from these discussions. The girls
in the group said that during their period they weren’t comfortable being in school: they couldn’t
afford to buy sanitary towels and because of this they were embarrassed and unable to work in class.
Sometimes, if they had a boyfriend he would pay for sanitary towels, but then they would ask for all
the money back and the girls would be in debt.

We decided to write a letter to the people who founded the Teens’ Watch group, the Daretti Youth
Network, to suggest some ideas for fundraising so we could help. We held a football tournament and
invited parents and teachers to donate money. We were able to raise 50,000 Kenyan shillings (US$
600). With the money we bought 1,000 sets of sanitary towels, which we supplied to 500 girls over 10
schools in the slums across Nairobi. The schools were very happy and have said that the girls’ school
attendance has since improved greatly. One girl I spoke to has recently got the second-highest grades
in her class.

In the future I want to have a programme so girls can get free sanitary towels every month. It is hard to
get my voice heard by older people – they do not listen much to youngsters where I live. It is difficult
to organise things and communicate because we can’t afford mobile phones or computers, but if we
can talk to the government, NGOs, even companies, and get the information to them, then we can help
improve the situation.

Discussion Question:

How do you think boys in your school can help improve how girls are able to manage their
periods at school?

12 Gender Justice – Engaging Boys and Men, Component 7, Plan International Handout 7A (3)

WASH in Schools Guide 103

 MENSTRUAL MANAGEMENT HANDOUT

WHY PERIOD FRIENDLY

TOILETS MATTER
On any given day, approximately 300 million women and girls menstruate. In order to
manage their menstruation safely, hygienically, with confidence and with dignity, they
need a private space to attend to their menstruation-related needs, such as washing
themselves and changing materials. For most women and girls, this will be a toilet.

at school at health
centers in public
at home at work spaces

Where
do women
and girls need
period friendly
toilets?

Accessible during
day and night (area
and internal lighting)

What
Culturally appropriate
Provides privacy menstrual waste
disposal option
makes a (doors, locks) (dustbins, chutes, pits)
toilet
period
friendly? Public and community
toilets should be separated
by gender, also provide
access to menstrual
products and have hooks,
shelves and mirrors
Water and soap is
available to wash And of course
hands, bodies and any the toilet must
reusable products be clean! Safe and conveniently located
and accessible for all women
and girls, including those
with disabilities

How
do women
Increased overall well-being Increased ability to carry Increased safety
and girls and reduced psychological on with daily educational, With period friendly toilets, women
benefit from stress income-earning and social activities and girls no longer need to put
period friendly Having access to period Period friendly toilets are critical themselves at risk of violence when
friendly toilets at all times to ensure that girls don't miss school trying to dispose of their menstrual
toilets? makes menstruation a less and women can go to work during waste in secluded places or under
stressful experience their periods the cover of darkness

104 WASH in Schools Guide

 UNIVERSAL DESIGN IN THE PLAYGROUND

Source: [Link]

WASH in Schools Guide 105

 Sharing of Gender and Social Inclusion information
and ongoing support
Following the gender and social inclusion training the participants should return to their schools
and share the training information and materials with the teachers who were not able to attend. The
teachers then should work on identifying how they will include information on gender, menstrual
hygiene management and accessibility in their classes. The teachers should also access any national
curriculum materials that are related to these areas for further resources. Everyone should be
involved, from students to school leaders.

The role of Live & Learn WASH in Schools officers now is to provide informal reminders and check-
ups in the schools, encouraging them to implement activities related to understanding gender,
improving accessibility and providing ‘period positive’ toilets and a supportive environment for
girls. Live & Learn WASH in Schools officers should also link the schools with other opportunities
and organisations to do further activities to deepen the knowledge and commitment to these
areas – for example, a visit by representatives of a disabled people’s organisation to help with an
accessibility audit, or a training opportunity on how to make re-usable sanitary pads, or to talk with
a local women’s organisation further about changing gender stereotypes. Schools that are linked
to church denominations can also access some useful resources from family life or other specialist
inclusive ministries. If appropriate, Live & Learn can also support the schools through facilitating a
special session on these topics with the student WASH Clubs, and provide access to information on
celebrating relevant global days, such as Menstruation Hygiene Management Day.

What success looks like

•• One day school wide orientation on Gender and Social Inclusion, including Menstruation Hygiene
Management and disability WASH access
•• Menstruation Hygiene Management Focus Group Discussion held with boys and girls ages (11-13)
•• Participation in relevant Global Days (for example, Menstruation Hygiene Management Day on 3
December)

106 WASH in Schools Guide

Ongoing follow up and support

Schools are busy places, and there needs to be time to integrate all the new activities from the focus
on WASH with the other important business of schools. Over a period of a few months schedule
informal visits with the schools to chat about their progress. During these visits talk with the student
WASH Club or WASH Committee members and visit the toilets and see what improvements are visible
in implementing duty rosters, urgent maintenance, providing soap, toilet paper, etc.

If you are working with the school on larger infrastructure improvements, take every opportunity
when at the school to do informal checks on progress in other areas. Have a chat to the WASH club
members about what they are learning in class about WASH, and what advocacy campaigns they may
be planning, etc. Check out how the waste is being managed in the school, ask the female teachers
about any changes in menstruation hygiene management, etc.

If you notice during this informal monitoring that not much progress is being made on one, some or
all of the WASH in Schools activities, then schedule a meeting with the Head Teacher, or the WASH
Committee, and see if they raise any specific concerns or problems that we can help them work
through.

What success looks like

•• WASH in Schools is strengthened in schools

•• High level of awareness of WASH in Schools
•• Increased motivation and activities of teachers and students
•• Increased participation of the whole school community including parents
•• Infrastructure is well managed and operating correctly
•• Increased knowledge and understanding by all teachers

WASH in Schools Guide 107

108 WASH in Schools Guide
MONITOR

The “Monitor” stage in the WASH in Schools cycle is where we help the
school to make the time to review progress in reducing or removing
bottlenecks to WASH services in the school. We also help the school
benchmark their progress against the Three Star Framework for WASH
services in schools. Progress will depend on the school implementing
relevant action plans, so we help the schools revise their WASH
Improvement Plans for the following 12 months, and recommend the
schools conduct some annual reflection to celebrate achievements. It is
also important to have regular engagement with government Education
Authorities as gradually the school independently implements their
WASH Improvement Plans.

Diagram of steps

Bottlenecks are reviewed and school-based theory of change revised

Benchmarking against Three Star Framework

Action Plan for next year

Annual Reflection in the School

Engagement of Education Authorities

WASH in Schools Guide 109

 Bottlenecks are reviewed and school-based theory of
change revised

When a school has participated in all five Training of Trainers sessions, and has been implementing
their WASH Improvement Plan and Operations & Maintenance plan for at least 6 months then it is
time to review the school Bottleneck Analysis and school-based Theory of Change. A school is usually
ready for this 18-24 months after the baseline Bottleneck Analysis was done.

This Bottleneck Analysis review is done at the school, following the same procedure outlined in the
Assess section of this guide. If possible, this review should be done by project staff and government
education officers, jointly with school leadership, student and teacher representation. The findings
from the second bottleneck analysis are compared with the baseline bottleneck analysis report, noting
any improvements against the indicators. This information is then used to revisit the school WASH
Theory of Change (if needed) and the WASH Improvement Plan actions are updated for the next 12
months.

The process for doing this is an adapted or shortened version of the process outlined in the Assess
section of this guide. How much the sessions can be shortened will depend on the continuity of school
leadership and teaching staff, and how many have remained at the school and participated in the initial
bottleneck analysis and WASH planning processes.

In year three and four of a WASH in Schools program the Bottleneck Analysis review can be done with
groups of schools, based on self-assessment by school representatives, and verified by spot checks or
scheduled school inspections by government education officers. The ultimate aim is that by the end of
the project the bottleneck analysis review process is embedded in government education monitoring
processes and being fully implemented by the government.

What success looks like

•• Bottleneck Analysis is reviewed 18-24 months after the baseline, and changes/ progress is mapped
•• Theory of Change is reviewed and used to guide WASH Action Plan for next school year

110 WASH in Schools Guide

Benchmarking against Three Star Framework

Every year the school leadership can also complete a simple self-assessment against the Three Star
Framework. This can initially be facilitated by the project team, including government education
authorities. Eventually this process should be embedded into education authority reporting processes,
and completed by the school as part of compliance reporting. This is already established in Fiji, where
schools submit a short progress report recording their progress in achievement of the Fiji-specific
Three Star standards.

A full Bottleneck Analysis may only be done with the school every two or three years. The annual self-
assessment tool is an easy way for a school to benchmark (or measure) their progress against their
WASH Improvement Plan goals and the Three Star framework in between formal Bottleneck Analysis
assessments.

An example of a suggested self-assessment tool is given below using the Solomon Islands Three
Star indicators. At the time of writing this guide, only Fiji and Papua New Guinea had documented
contextualised Three Star indicators. If you are working with a school in a country that does not yet
have contextualised Three Star indicators you can develop a simple tool based on the general Three
Star Framework, or adapt one of the country-specific tools.

Three Star School Self-Assessment Checklist

This self-assessment is to help your school do a quick check on your progress in achieving different
standards in the Three Star School framework. You do not need to do any formal surveys to complete
this checklist. Just discuss each indicator within the WASH Committee and get agreement on whether
you met the criteria or not. A school must be able to tick ALL the boxes in a category in order to self-
assess your school to be at that level. This might mean that your school is at Three Star level for
Hygiene, but only One Star level for Sanitation.

School Name:

School Address:

Date of Self-Assessment (Day/Month/Year):

Name/s of school WASH Committee members completing this self-assessment

(should include student WASH club members):

WASH in Schools Guide 111

 WASH: Three Star Schools
Tick all the boxes that apply to your school.

Water Sanitation Hygiene Management

Three 5 L/p/d minimum Functional toilets 1:30 Hygiene education School is Open
Stars availability from stored for girls, 1:40 for boys is taught as part Defecation Free
rainwater and other of curriculum and
sources. If school has school activities
pour flush toilets an Functional urinals for School WASH Clubs are
additional 20 L/p/d. If boys leading WASH activities
the school has button Supervised School
flush toilets an additional hygiene activities
30 L/p/d Separate male/female are daily rostered School WASH
teacher toilets 1:20 occurrence Improvement Plan is
being implemented
1:50 tap stands for
drinking water. 1:100 At least 1 disability Menstrual hygiene
hand washing facilities, inclusive toilet available materials are
separated by sex, for both boys and girls procured, stocked
minimum 1 per toilet (ramped/level access, and available when
cluster, inside or right door width sufficient needed in the school
outside toilet, and just for wheel chair, support
outside any kitchen area. structures, door opens
Water should be running outwards)
water. A functional shower 1:40
students
ECE toilets are size
Back up water source
appropriate (doors,
available for 30 days
seats)

Two Low cost water At least one functional Hygiene promotion School WASH
Stars treatment is in use toilet for every 100 girls activities take Improvement Plan is
and one for every 100 place, including being implemented
boys menstrual hygiene
Water access points or
management
hand washing facilities in Student WASH Clubs
place but below national Toilets are hygienic are implementing duty
minimum standard ratios rosters

One Children bring individual At least one functional Daily supervised A school WASH
Star water bottles to school toilet for girls, one group hand washing Improvement Plan has
for boys, and one for been developed and
teachers displayed
Water and soap is
available near toilets
A student WASH Club
has been formed and
members trained

No No water supply No toilets available No hygiene activities No School WASH

Star Improvement Plan
No School WASH Club

112 WASH in Schools Guide

Based on this self-assessment, our school is:

Star for Water Supply

Star for Sanitation

Star for Hygiene

Star for WASH Management

Comments on school achievements against WASH Improvement Plan

Recommendations, or issues to refer to school Board of Management

What success looks like

•• School progress is benched marked against the Three Star approach where it has been adapted
nationally

WASH in Schools Guide 113

 Action Plan for next year
Each year the school should be following an action plan to implement their WASH Improvement Plan.
Initially project officers will need to make a time to work with the school WASH Committee and School
Board to facilitate a short review of the WASH Improvement Plan and assist with any amendments to
the next 12-month action plan and budgets.

This short session should be done to fit in with school planning for existing application processes
for school operational grants. Eventually it will be normalised to include WASH in this planning and
budgeting process, and the school leadership will do it automatically, and the government education
authorities will be expecting WASH to be included.

What success looks like

•• Action planning for next school year is complete

•• Budget includes WinS items

Annual Reflection in the School

As schools make progress in implementing their WASH Improvement Plans it is good to reflect
and celebrate achievements. In conjunction with education agencies the project team can provide
acknowledgement and recognition to schools. This could include a certification of progress in WASH
in Schools, a small award or other appropriate acknowledgement. Getting education authorities and
media involvement can be a great boost in school pride in their achievements.

Linking celebrations of achievements to Global WASH days can also be a good opportunity to
celebrate the opening of new toilets, or the repair of hand-washing stations, or the implementation
of great menstruation hygiene management systems. Work with the school WASH Committees
and student WASH Clubs and government education authorities to have creative and affordable
celebration and reflections on annual progress in WASH in Schools.

What success looks like

•• Progress in Hygiene and Sanitation is celebrated

•• Progress in water, hygiene and sanitation goals and 3 Star standards is shared in the school and
with government education authorities, and celebrated.

114 WASH in Schools Guide

Engagement of Education Authorities
Since 2016 the governments of Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu have
been establishing WASH in Schools programs. There is now a strong base of national standards,
policies and guidelines. These programs are in different stages of implementation, with government
education authorities still working out systems of funding WASH infrastructure improvements and
making schools aware of national standards and policies.

Many South Pacific nations have published, or are in the process of publishing, technical manuals
to help schools improve their WASH services. In Vanuatu the WASH in Schools Improvement Plan
includes information on technical designs of WASH infrastructure, assessment tools for WASH
facilities, WASH emergency planning, operation and maintenance, budgeting and financing,
an overview of the Three Stars Approach, and guidance on how to develop a WASH in School
Improvement Plan. The Three Stars Approach is widely used in Fiji, especially with the Fiji Teachers
Association WinS program, and they have developed a handbook WASH in Schools Three Stars
Approach Guidebook.

Throughout implementation of the entire WASH in Schools cycle described in this guide it is
important to find every opportunity to support the establishment of the national WASH in Schools
standards, policies and approaches. Key to this is continual sharing of the national standards and
policies at school level, as one of the biggest challenges in rolling out WASH in Schools policy is
getting information out to local schools, especially in remote rural areas.

It is also important to support the capacity of government education officers through facilitating their
participation in school bottleneck analysis, school WASH improvement planning, and monitoring of
school-based activities to improve WASH services. As government programs are getting established
they can be supported by inviting government education officers to join every school monitoring
visit, workshop or WASH in Schools event. Education authorities will not always be available, but they
should always be informed and have the option to join the activities done with schools.

The project team is also an advocate to education authorities on the importance of requiring WASH
to be included in criteria for assessment of school grant applications, and assessment of school
performance and compliance through regular school inspections. The project team can also be an
advocate for the adaptation and inclusion of WASH education materials presented in this guide
(through the five Training of Trainer workshops) into formal school curriculum. In Vanuatu teachers
at the Vanuatu Institute of Teachers Education are trained in hygiene, and the Ministry of Education
is working with Live & Learn Vanuatu to develop a WASH Education Resource Toolkit that includes
Teachers and Student Guidebooks for WASH, Arts for Advocacy and posters in English, Bislama and
French. It is planned for these WASH Education Resource to be endorsed by the Vanuatu Curriculum
Board.

It is also important to schedule regular meetings with key education authorities, and participate in
relevant working groups or forums to keep education authorities informed of project activities, and to
share results from schools. Hosting knowledge and learning events for stakeholders will enable the
schools to share their achievements, and enable education authorities to continue building capacity to
commit to overall supervision of the program, which is a key element for eventual exit of the project
team.

What success looks like

•• Local government education officers are making support and monitoring visits to schools
•• Schools understand and are able to satisfactorily complete government processes and forms for
financial and monitoring support
•• Education Authorities are aware of successes and learning of program

WASH in Schools Guide 115

 Information Sources
& Key Resources

RESOURCE ONLINE SOURCE (as at publication)

Arts for Advocacy – Teacher Guide and [Link]

Student Guide advocacy-teacher-guide
Live & Learn Environmental Education &
Australian Aid, 2017 [Link]
advocacy-student-guide

Bottleneck Analysis – Survey examples, and [Link]

School Bottleneck Analysis Report template schools-bottleneck-analysis-resources

Building Peace – An Educator’s Guide for the [Link]

Pacific peace-educators-guide-pacific
Live & Learn and European Union, 2013

Child Rights Education Toolkit: Rooting Child [Link]

Rights in Early Childhood Education resources
UNICEF, 2014

Core questions and indicators for monitoring [Link]

WASH in Schools in the Sustainable monitoring/coverage/monitoring-wash-in-
Development Goals institutions/en/
World Health Organisation & UNICEF,
November 2016

Female-friendly Public and Community [Link]

Toilets: A Guide jkxoof256/files/female-friendly-public-and-
WaterAid & WSUP, October 2018 [Link]

Field Guide: Three Star Approach for WASH [Link]

in Schools UNICEF_Field_Guide-3_Star-[Link]
GIZ & UNICEF, August 2013

Fit for School [Link]

GIZ, UNICEF & Government of Cambodia, 2015

Hands Up for Hygiene [Link]

Live & Learn Environmental Education & hygiene
Australian Aid, 2011

How to conduct a WASH accessibility and [Link]

safety audit accessibility-and-safety-audits
WaterAid & Australian Aid

116 WASH in Schools Guide

Kiribati WASH in Schools Toolkit [Link]
Live & Learn and UNICEF 2016 wash-schools-toolkit

Learning from Experience: Guidelines for [Link]

locally sourced and cost-effective strategies experience-guidelines-locally-sourced-and-
to modify existing household toilets and cost-effective-strategies-modify
water access
World Vision & CBM

Menstrual Hygiene Matters: Training Guide [Link]

for Practitioners publications/menstrual-hygiene-matters
WaterAid, UK AID & SHARE, 2015

Schools Guide to Operation & Maintenance – [Link]

A Resource for WASH Committees guide-operation-maintenance-resource-wash-
Live & Learn, Plan International, Water for committees
Women Fund, January 2020

Supporting the Rights of Girls and Women [Link]

through Menstrual Hygiene Management – in resource/supporting-rights-girls-and-women-
the East Asia and Pacific Region through-mhm-east-asia-and-pacific-region
UNICEF, 2016

WASH in Schools Empowers Girls [Link]

Education – Tools for Assessing Menstrual assessing-menstrual-hygiene-management-
Hygiene Management in Schools in-schools/
Emory University & UNICEF, November 2013

WASH in Schools National Standards – from [Link]

governments of Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea schools-national-standards-fiji-kiribati-
and Solomon Islands, correct as at December papua-new-guinea-solomon-islands
2019

WASH in Schools Technical Designs – from [Link]

governments of Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea wash-schools-technical-designs-fiji-kiribati-
and Solomon Islands, correct as at December solomon-islands-and-vanuatu
2019

Water Safety – Making and keeping our [Link]

drinking water safe – A Teacher’s Toolkit safety-making-and-keeping-our-drinking-
Live & Learn, Plan International, Australian water-safe
Government, January 2020

What a child needs to learn – lessons on [Link]

embedding safe water, sanitation and publications/what-a-child-needs-to-learn-
hygiene into education lessons-on-embedding-safe-water-sanitation-
WaterAid and H&M Foundation, April 2017 and-hygiene

WASH in Schools Guide 117

 Joint Monitoring Program WASH Service Ladders

Drinking Water Sanitation Hygiene

Advanced Service Advanced Service Advanced Service

To be defined at national level To be defined at national level To be defined at national level

Basic Service Basic Service Basic Service

Drinking water from an Improved facilities, which are Handwashing facilities, which
improved source is available at single-sex and usable at the have soap and water available
the school school

Limited Service Limited Service Limited Service

There is an improved source There are improved facilities Handwashing facilities with
(piped water, protected well/ (flush/pour flush, pit latrine with water, but no soap
spring, rainwater, bottled water), slab, composting toilets), but not
but water not available at time of sex-separated or not usable
survey

No Service No Service No Service

No water source or unimproved No toilets or latrines, or No handwashing facilities at

source (unprotected well/spring, unimproved facilities (pit the school or handwashing
tanker-truck surface water latrines without a slab or facilities with no water
source) platform, hanging latrines,
bucket latrines)

Source: [Link]

118 WASH in Schools Guide

 Example: School Theory of Change
This example is from a school in Solomon Islands, so the format has been adapted to fit the national WASH
in School standards in Solomon Islands.

CHANGES PROPOSED ACTIVITY TIMING EXPECTED CHANGES IMPACT/

SCHOOL GOALS

Changes we want Set up a WASH Committee Year 1 Active WASH Committee in

to achieve: place
SCHOOL WASH Set up a student WASH Club Year 1 Active student WASH club
MANAGEMENT
Develop a Terms of Reference Year 1 A good working system
for the new WASH Committee in place for the WASH
and WASH Club, Conduct ToT Committee and WASH Club
on facilitation to the new WASH
Committee and teachers
Formulate a WASH budget in the Year 1 WASH budget in place
school administration budget
Development of Vulaghue Year 1 WASH Improvement plan
Primary School WASH in place
Improvement Plan
Changes we want Improve and complete current Year 1 Student and teachers are
to achieve: toilet that meets the student using safe and improved
TOILETS toilet ratio as in the guideline toilets
Ensure that the current toilet Year 2 There are enough toilets
XX Primary
design (new toilet block that is to meet needs of students
School is a
still not used) meets the National and teachers, meet national
healthy and
WinS Standard ration standards and
model school to
comply with national WinS
other primary
guidelines
school, especially
MENSTRUAL The new toilet block has shower Year 2 Facilities meet the needs of in Menstrual
HYGIENE and enough water supply that girls and women in school Hygiene
MANAGEMENT meets the needs of menstruating Management
girls and women and waste
Provision of sanitary pads to be Year 1 Increase attendance and management
readily available to girls participation of girls in
classes
Conduct Girl/Boy talk to Year 1 Increased knowledge and XX Primary
raise student’s awareness on awareness on Menstrual School is paying
Menstrual Hygiene Management Hygiene Management by for all operations
teachers and students, and and maintenance
improved support to girls needs from our
annual school
Conduct Menstrual Hygiene Year 1 Increased knowledge and budget
Management training with awareness on gender and
teachers including male teachers social inclusion
WASTE Construct a proper drainage Year 2 School has good drainage XX Primary
MANAGEMENT system in the school compound and safe environment for School can
all provide safe
Ensure that the new toilet design Year 2 Safe environment for all sanitation and
include a proper septic tank to through good quality septic water for our
contain human waste system management community in
an emergency or
Conduct waste management Year 1 Increased knowledge disaster
training on how to set up waste
management system
STANDARD: Encourage students to bring Year 1 Temporary access toWASH
safe in Schools
All students
Guide 119
WATER SUPPLY water bottles from home to be drinking water for students at XX Primary
 Ensure that the new toilet design Year 2 Safe environment for all community in
include a proper septic tank to through good quality septic an emergency or
contain human waste system management disaster
Conduct waste management Year 1 Increased knowledge
training on how to set up waste
management system
Changes we want Encourage students to bring Year 1 Temporary access to safe All students
to achieve: water bottles from home to be drinking water for students at XX Primary
WATER SUPPLY used as drinking water while repairs are done. School are
performing well
Conduct water testing to test the Year 1 Confidence that the school academically
school water quality is providing access to clean because they are
and safe water healthy
Changes we want Improve the current water points, Year Enough water points in the
to achieve: and construct extra ones (tippy 1 and school compound
WATER FACILITY taps) to increase access Year 2
ACCESS XX Primary
School becomes
Ensure that soap is available at Year 1 Increased handwashing a Three Star
all times at the handwashing with soap reduces risk of School
stations sickness
Changes we want Dig a pit for burning rubbish Year 1 Clean and safe environment
to achieve:
OPERATION AND Have a daily rooster in place Year 1 Toilets are not smelling
MAINTENANCE for the maintenance of WASH
facilities
Ensure that toilet designs are Year 2 Students and teachers
complying with the National and 3 happy to use the school
Standards and are meeting the toilet
needs of every users in school
Changes we want Promote handwashing in the Year 1 Increased hygiene
to achieve: classrooms through lessons and behavioural change in
HYGIENE supervised handwashing school
PROMOTION
Conduct hygiene training with Year 1 Increased knowledge and
teachers on hygiene and WASH
Conduct Arts for Advocacy Year 1 Students empower to take
training to Hygiene teachers and action
student WASH Club

120 WASH in Schools Guide

Example: XX Primary School WASH Improvement Plan (WIP)

Action areas Actions Roles Resources Resourcing Expected

opportunities Completion
Target changes What we will do… Who will do it? What money, Where can
you expect to skills, etc. are resources be
achieve… required sourced?

Active WASH Set up a WASH School Board Trainings on Plan/LLEE Month/Year

Committee in place Committee, and Head how to run Eg
with Terms of teacher the WASH Sep 2019
Reference Committee and
Active student Set up a student Deputy Head WASH Clubs Plan/LLEE Month/Year
WASH club WASH Club Teacher conducted by
Live & Learn
WASH budget in Formulate a WASH Annual Annual Month/Year
place WASH budget Committee government government
in the school and School grant, grant,
administration Board fundraising, fundraising,
budget small funding small funding
from NGOs from NGOs

WASH Development WASH Time of WASH School Month/Year

Improvement plan of Vulaghue Committee Committee Administration
in place and all Primary and School to establish budget
plans implemented School WASH Board improvement
and achieved Improvement plan, and Parents
Plan coaching by contributions
Live & Learn
Improve access of Improve and WASH Budget SIBLE project, Month/Year
toilet by students complete Committee LLEE seed
and teachers construction on funding,
that are safe and the current toilet fundraising by
improved that meets the school
student toilet
ratio as in the
guideline
Enough toilets Ensure that the School National WinS SIBLE project, Month/Year
that meets the current toilet Board, WASH Guidelines School Grant/
needs of students design (new Committee, WASH Budget,
and teachers and toilet block Head Teacher Other Donors
Toilet design are that is still not (KOICA, JICA,
complying with used) meets the DFAT DAP
the National WinS National WinS Funding)
Guideline Standard

WASH in Schools Guide 121

 Increase The new toilet WASH National WinS SIBLE project, Month/Year
attendance of girls
block has Committee Guidelines School Grant/
in school with shower and Head Teacher, WASH Budget,
facilities that meet
enough water Parents Other Donors
the needs of girlssupply that (KOICA, JICA,
and women in meets the needs DFAT DAP
school of menstruating Funding)
girls and women,
and provision
of sanitary pads
to be readily
available to girls
Increased Conduct LLEE WASH LLEE Menstrual Plan/LLEE Month/Year
knowledge and Menstrual Team Hygiene Education
awareness on Hygiene Teachers and Management resources
Menstrual Hygiene Management WASH Club Training
Management training with Teacher
by teachers and teachers curriculum
students including resources
male teachers.
Conduct Girl/
Boy talk to
raise student’s
awareness
on Menstrual
Hygiene
Management
Clean and safe Conduct training WASH LLEE Waste PLAN/LLEE Month/Year
environment on waste Committee management MEHRD
and reduction in management. Head Teacher training (in SIBLE project,
sickness Construct a Parents Operations & School Grant/
proper drainage Students Maintenance WASH Budget,
system in Teachers training) Other Donors
the school WASH Club (KOICA, JICA,
compound, and Construction DFAT DAP
ensure that the and building Funding)
new toilet design materials
include a proper
septic tank to
contain human
waste

Access to clean Encourage PLAN/LLEE Water quality PLAN/LLEE Month/Year

and safe water students to bring EHD/GP testing kit
water bottles School Water bottles
from home to be Chairman Transportation
used as drinking School Head
water. Conduct Teacher
water testing to
test the school
water quality

122 WASH in Schools Guide

Enough water Improve the WASH Budget School Grant/ Month/Year
points in the current water Committee Tippy Tap WASH Budget
school compound point School Board construction Parents
and increased Construct some Head Teacher training contribution
handwashing with extra water point WASH Clubs Soap (or soap SIBLE
soap (tippy tap) to Hygiene making training) PLAN/LLEE
increase access Teacher Handwashing
Ensure that soap check list
is available at
all times at the
handwashing
stations
Reduce risk of Dig a pit for WASH Bugdet School Grant/ Month/Year
sickness, have burning rubbish Committee Digging tools WASH Budget
a clean and safe Have a daily Head Teaacher PLAN/LLEE
environment, toilet rooster in Parents MEHRD
are not smelling place for the
maintenance of
WASH facilities
Students and Promote WASH Budget School Grant/ Month/Year
teachers happy handwashing in Committee Digging tools WASH Budget
to use the school the classrooms Head Teacher Soap PLAN/LLEE
toilet, leading to through lessons Parents Water MEHRD
Increased students’ and supervised LLEE WASH Trainings
performance handwashing Team Awareness and
Participate in Students advocacy
hygiene and Arts Teachers
for Advocacy WASH Club
training for
teachers and
students in
WASH Clubs

WASH in Schools Guide 123

 Roles and Responsibilities in a Local School

Agency Roles Responsibilities

School Committee or Advocate for WASH •• Participate in the design and construction of
Board (including sub- in schools school WASH facilities
committees) •• Coordinate fundraising for improvements and
provision of consumables such as soap
Oversight of state •• Approve and oversee implementation of long-
of school WASH term WASH plan to achieve National Standards
facilities and •• Approve annual budgeted WASH work plan
improvements
School Principal or Advocate for WASH •• Motivate staff and students to achieve and
Head Teacher in schools maintain National Standards and adopt good
WASH practices, creating and enforcing rules
where necessary
•• Participate in the design and construction of
school WASH facilities
Compliance with •• Report progress to PEA on state of compliance
National Standard with National Standard, and implementation of
the long-term school WASH plan
Operational oversight •• Lead development of long-term school WASH
plan
•• Oversee the annual sanitary survey and update of
long-term school WASH plan
•• Prepare annual budgeted WASH work plan
•• Manage WASH improvement activities, according
to the improvement plan
•• Oversee day-to-day operations and maintenance
of WASH facilities
•• Take action to respond to major faults
immediately
Teachers Advocate for WASH •• Motivate students and other teachers to adopt
in schools good WASH practices
•• Deliver hygiene education
•• Participate in the design and construction of
WASH facilities
Routine operations •• Prepare rosters for cleaning and maintaining
and maintenance WASH facilities, allocating tasks appropriately to
students, teachers and caretaker
•• Manage/supervise day-to-day operations and
maintenance of WASH facilities
•• Monitor and report to the Principal on the state
and use of school WASH facilities, according to
a timetabled checklist (daily, weekly, monthly
checks)

124 WASH in Schools Guide

Students Positive hygiene •• Comply with school rules and procedures about
behavior the care and use of WASH facilities
•• Routinely use proper hygiene behaviour
•• Play an active role in looking after WASH facilities
•• Participate in the design and construction of
WASH facilities
Caretaker Advocate for WASH •• Participate in the design and construction of
in schools WASH facilities
Routine operations •• Carry out routine checks of the WASH facilities
and maintenance •• Keep good records of checks and maintenance
carried out
•• Follow maintenance schedules and procedures
•• Carry out routine and emergency maintenance
•• Report major faults to Principal immediately
Families and local Advocate for positive •• Encourage students to comply with school
community hygiene behavior at rules and procedures about the care and use of
school and at home WASH facilities, and develop positive hygiene
behaviours
•• Participate in the design and construction of
WASH facilities
Local contractors Technical support •• Provide skilled services for construction,
maintenance and repair of school WASH facilities

WASH in Schools Guide 125

 Agency Roles Responsibilities

National Health Policy, strategy and •• Draft/update, consult, finalise and endorse National
or Education standards setting Standards
Authority •• Provide sub-national authorities with training and
resources on the National WinS Standard
National oversight •• Compile and consolidate annual reports into annual
of state of WASH in national reports
schools and progress
towards achieving
National Standard
Funding for national •• Make the case to government and donors for funding,
WASH in schools based on an analysis of the national report dataset
programme •• Make a fair budget allocation to sub-national
authorities and schools, based on an analysis of the
national report dataset
Inclusion of WASH in •• Draft/update, consult, finalise and endorse WASH
national curriculum component of national curriculum
development •• Provide Principal and teacher training and resources on
curriculum
Provincial or Advocate for WASH •• Raise awareness of WASH in schools
sub-national in schools •• Participate in the design of school WASH facilities
Education Oversight of •• Conduct annual monitoring on compliance with the
Authorities compliance with National Standard, enter data into national monitoring
National Standards system and produce annual provincial report on
progress towards achieving National Standard, and
submit to national government
•• Provide approval of long-term school WASH plans
(inclusive of routine operations and maintenance plan
and an improvement plan) and new development
plans for consistent application of National Standards
and other appropriate standards (e.g. construction
standards, water quality standards)
Facilitate access •• Conduct annual monitoring on the state of school
to expertise and WASH facilities and practices, and progress in
resources to progress implementing school WASH plan
towards achieving the •• Promote remedial actions where required
National Standard •• Maintain oversight and coordination of organisations
working on WASH in schools
•• Promote/advocate and administer allocation of funding
for planned improvements
•• Provide Principal and teacher training and resources on
the National Standard
•• Provide training of school committees, Principals,
teachers and caretakers in correct operations,
maintenance and repairs of WASH facilities
National Advocate for WASH •• Participate in the design of school WASH facilities
Education in schools •• Provide training and advice to Principals, teachers and
and Health students on WASH
Authorities Compliance with •• Set drinking water quality standards
health-based •• Test school water supplies against these standards
standards •• Provide advice on responding to water quality issues
and WASH-related health incidences
•• Set technical design standards for WASH facilities
•• Provide approval of technical WASH designs

126 WASH in Schools Guide