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Guiding Principles(continued) |
c. Good governance: DSK practices to ensure effective participation in decision making and implementation by providing service delivery mechanisms from to bottom in the different institutions of the state and its civil society, following transparent and mutually accountable systems.
The outcome of national objectives such as improved environmental health is shaped by the quality of governance. Good governance achieves positive results, and has eight characteristics. It is participatory, consensus oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive, effective and efficient, equitable and socially inclusive, and rule abiding. Good governance accounts for the present and future needs of society.
Some of these characteristics are incorporated in the National Policy for Safe Water Supply and Sanitation (1998).The policy includes: satisfaction of “basic needs” for underprivileged groups and regions, water as an economic resource and safety nets for the poorest; participation of all users at all stages, key role of women in water management and hygiene education, promotion of affordable and appropriate technology options, management of solid and liquid waste to prevent contamination of ground and surface water; gradual sharing of costs;
- Water and sanitation actors at local government level are influenced by community driven approach. Success stories could be used to inspire LG officials to replicate the model within their administrative areas.
- Influence actors in Local Government in their decision making processes.
- Workshop and lessons sharing meetings with local government could be instrumental in bringing changes in the perceptions of local level officials. Chairpersons of UP and Upazila may play advocacy roles in the uptake of replication.
- Pro-poor sector governance
- Pro-poor planning and implementation systems are to be in place for reaching the poorest groups. National level advocacy improves the profile of participatory hygiene promotion approach.
- Strengthen the community institution
- Strong community based organization formed by the community to take lead in the decision making process. Women participation in decision making is an important focus.
d. Community capacity building The man made environmental hazards are the environmental health burden, which includes problems related to water supply, sanitation, solid waste management, drainage, and hygiene practice. The root cause of the related environmental health problems in slum areas are poverty, inequity and gender inequality. To mitigate the problems of water supply and sanitation, DSK has established WATSAN model of community managed sustainable water and sanitation system.
DSK does provide health awareness training to community leaders covering following topics : collection of costs and preservation of quality drinking water, sanitation and its role in health care, general hygiene and personal hygiene related behaviors, knowledge on waterborne and water washed diseases, preventive messages on diarrhea, and other water borne diseases. Continuation of dissemination of health hygiene knowledge and strengthening of the process of behavioral change is addressed with proper importance.
DSK felicitates to establish strong community institution through CBO activities to sustain the program.
DSK follows following chain of activities to strengthen the above process; 1) DSK provides formal training to community leaders and members of the Water point management committee 2) Water point committee meets in regular monthly intervals where health hygiene issues are regularly discussed. 3) Community health worker’s visits registered households on a regular basis imparting messages on health hygiene behaviors. 4) Besides community feedback meetings are organized to stress the need for behavioral changes and to learn about community aspirations and comments. The field workers collect information for the activities related to software as well as hardware also. Hygiene promotion was the ultimate objective that would be improved through different software and hardware activities.
