United Nations Public Service Awards Case Studies

Madhya Pradesh is the second largest Indian state in size with 50 districts, which are divided into 10 revenue divisions for administrative purpose. The strong rural base is reflected in the large number of villages more than 52000 that are covered by about 23000 Gram Panchayats and 313 Community Development Blocks. A system of village level governance, Gram Swaraj, has been put in place since 26 January 2001, under which Gram Sabhas have been bestowed with considerable powers for development of villages and welfare activities. Each Gram Panchayats consisting of an average of 2-3 villages and is the sole agency for implementation of all developmental programmes at its periphery including Water and Sanitation. Limited community involvement, human resources and infrastructure were involved in this programme. Ownership of sanitation facilities among the community was lesser. Lack of awareness in using and maintain sanitation facilities in rural areas due to widely missing community centric approach. So in view of this scenario as Gram Panchayats are responsible for various schemes and programme, State Water and Sanitation Mission has felt that only Gram Panchayats were not able to focus solely on water and sanitation activities but It is essential that a community itself believes in the importance of improved water supply and sanitation systems and became aware of and select solution to their own water and sanitation problems that to be implemented in a participatory community-driven approach.

On the other hand it was also important that selected members of the committees should be associated to those group who are facing constraints due to lack of inadequate and unimproved availability of safe water and sanitation facilities so that information on improved hygiene practices related to sanitation and water supply can be effectively communicated through different traditional & cultural mediums. Women and men usually have very different roles in water and sanitation activities; these differences are particularly pronounced in rural areas. Women are most often the users, providers, and managers of water in rural households and are the guardians of household hygiene. If a water system breaks down, women, not men, will most likely be the ones most affected, for they may have to travel further for water or use other means to meet the household’s water and sanitation needs. Women have a strong incentive to acquire and maintain improved, conveniently located water facilities, since they often spend more time collecting water. Hence, women and girls tend to benefit most when water quality and quantity improves. They tend to take shorter trips carrying heavy containers, they may have more time for income-generating activities and they are able to spend more time in school. Given their long-established, active role, women usually are very knowledgeable about current water sources, their quality and reliability, and any restrictions to their use. They will also be key players in implementing improved hygiene behaviors. Men are usually more concerned with water for irrigation or for livestock, while women are often more direct users of water, especially in the household. Also in inaccessibility of the sanitation facility they have to experience troubles even in critical condition viz. pregnancy & ill health, apart from delaying natures call between dawn and dusk resulting in further health and security problem in their routine life. Because of these different roles, constraints and incentives, initially it was decided to involve 100% women in this committee in demand-driven and community centric water and sanitation programme, where communities decide what type of systems and technology they want.

What is the initiative about? (the solution)
Relying upon community-level organizations to respond to community demand and assist in the planning, construction and maintenance of water and sanitation facility at village level and to ensure transparency, participation, inclusion and ownership within the community were the major reasons to constitute Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs) having equal representation of women folk. This committee was incorporated into the project design to achieve total sanitized village (TSV) status in each village and also to maintain its sustainability. The second and the most crucial reason is to ensure the involvement of women not as silent user but as planner, implementer and monitor water and sanitation activities at village level. During the year 2007, State Water and Sanitation Mission of Madhya Pradesh took an initiative to strengthen the institutional structure specifically for water and sanitation activities at village level. The uniqueness of this practice is that female members of the community are engaged and involved actively in water and sanitation activities through these committees in about all 52000 villages of the State Madhya Pradesh is the first State to introduced this practice for scaling up Total Sanitation Campaign and water supply schemes in which female members from all the segment/ward of community/rural areas were encouraged to take part in these committees and thus involved in decision-making for community level water and sanitation services and its sustainability issues, through their mandatory 100% representation in village level committee in initial phase. Currently this committee reformed as “Gram Sabha Swasath Gram Tadarth Samiti”. These committees are enhancing demand based approaches by bringing decision-making down to the village level where users can decide, among other options/things, the type of technology, location of the facility and thus contributing to bring about sea change in sanitation scenario

Who proposed the solution, who implemented it and who were the stakeholders?
Under the leadership of Additional Chief Secretary Panchyat and Rural Development Department Madhya Pradesh, State Water and Sanitation Mission initiated the process issuing the guidance and instructions to the district administration during the year 2007 and then by the facilitation and follow-ups through State and district administration the committees were formed in 52000+ villages of the State during the initial phase. The committee members and post holders were all women. After getting feedback from the field for the involvement of male members in the committee, VWSC was reconstituted as “Gram Sabha Swastha Gram Tadarth Samiti” in the year 2010 and currently is has a balanced representation of both men and women with mandatory minimum 50% representation of the women with the provision to increase representation of women as high as 100% if the concerned Gram Sabha (Villages meeting) so desires. Representation of scheduled caste, scheduled tribes and backward classes, women panchs (WARD Leaders), trained female community health activist- ‘ASHA’ (Accredited Social Health Activist) under National Rural Health Mission, local Aaganwadi Workers, ANM (Auxiliary Nurse & Midwife) of Sub Health Center have also been included as essential and mandatory stakeholders/ part of the committee. Panchyat and Rural Development Department of Madhya Pradesh has played a vital role and leading organization of this initiative. The other departments like National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), Public Health Engineering Department & Women & Child Development Department were also involved in this committee for converging their functions, funds and functionaries.

Describe how and when the initiative was implemented by answering these questions
a. What were the strategies used to implement the initiative? In no more than 500 words, provide a summary of the main objectives and strategies of the initiative, how they were established and by whom.
Project primarily aimed at sustaining the water supply and sanitation components is an important and critical issue for every lives and community and the key aspect of this initiative was that the community would be responsible for formation and reconstitution of Village Water and Sanitation Committee in view to strengthen the institutional system linked with water and sanitation sector, contribute to the operations and maintenance up front, and that members especially women members would be a part of planning, execution, monitoring and O&M activities. Further to provide legal status, this Village committee was reconstituted during the year 2010 as ad-hock committee of Gram Sabha named as “Gram Sabha Swasth Gram Tadarth Samiti” Special attentions were given by the nodal department to strengthen these Committees and are being empowered to exercise the powers and perform continuous review, supervision, monitoring, coordination and feedback of working of this village committee. It is formed for the execution, monitoring, supervision and coordination of health, hygiene, sanitation, water and nutrition related activities of Total Sanitation Campaign, National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), Public Health Engineering Department & Women & Child Development Department of the State. Village level functionaries were involved through this committee to perform their assigned responsibility in the field of health, hygiene, nutrition, water and sanitation. To ensure transparency in this committee, separate budget account for all the three schemes were established will be operated by In-charge of field functionaries of the concerned departments

b. What were the key development and implementation steps and the chronology? No more than 500 words
In the year 2007, this Village Water and Sanitation Committee was legalized as ad-hoc committee to provide 100% representation of women on mandatory basis in the State. Direct involvement of women was enhanced during formation of committees and self sensitization of women was started during their discussion in public meetings/General meetings on accessibility of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in their area/ward and the committee was then sensitized for maintenance and usage of available facilities during the first phase of their capacity building by the nodal department i.e. Panchayat and Rural Development Department. Further in 2010, the committee was reorganized as Gram Sabha Swasth Gram Tadarth Samiti with minimum of 50% women representation mentioned under MP Gazette Notification published on dated 1st September 2010. Women are supposed to be involved in the project, right from the planning to its implementation, monitoring, and supervision as they play a very important role in site selection for the schemes/components, and collecting funds for operation and maintenance of different facilities related with Health, Hygiene, Sanitation, Water and Nutrition. ASHA, Health worker and Anganwadi workers as the key team members are being integrated in the committee along with funds of concerned schemes

c. What were the main obstacles encountered? How were they overcome? No more than 500 words
Initially to ensure the 100% involvement of women at village level Water and Sanitation Committee, many obstacles were faced at each level like due to lower rate of literacy and exposure they were not actively involved and liaisoned at administrative level on technical and functional issues and found it difficult to deal with government procedure and paper work. Then State has decided and trained about 5 lakh members of 52,000 committee in cascading manner to give them opportunity to participate, share and learn how women gained confidence. In this training, we focused on issues of water care, sanitation and hygiene beyond their homes in a sense to develop holistic view of the village, its processes and impact at home through realization their capacity and capability and empowered them through given a message as they are enough capacity to performed better in this sector. The project is based on a very strong gender approach as women’s participation is prerequisite of the project. Initially it was a bit difficult to involve women because this particular region has strong male domination. Initially women who were either from the Self Help Groups or those in the Gram Sabha Swasth Gram Tadarth Samiti agreed to participate. There was a demand arose from community to revise the membership pattern by involving man also. To ensure the gender equity the committee rules were reconstituted during 2010 that committee shall have min of 12 members and maximum of 20 members having interest in the subject out of which at least 50% shall be the women. Anganwadi workers, ASHA, ANM of Sub Health Center were involved as ex- officio members of the committee. Technical guidance may be sought through the Representatives of Total Sanitation Campaign, Public Health engineering and Rural Engineering Services of block and district level

d. What resources were used for the initiative and what were its key benefits? In no more than 500 words, specify what were the financial, technical and human resources’ costs associated with this initiative. Describe how resources were mobilized
As the committee was setup by the initiation of Government departments, the same institutional setup was utilized to ensure its formation and the committee was trained by the state resource training center and their branches. Funds under TSC (IEC/ administrative head) have been used. To support the day to day work and to streamline the same village level functionaries were linked with the committee as an ex- Officer member

Is the initiative sustainable and transferable?
The initiative is being proved sustainable because of direct involvement of community in decision making and by giving an opportunity to women of the community. As women are directly linked not only at community level but also at house hold and personal level. In a few areas these committees have also initiated sanitation based livelihood activities to ensure their financial needs, As sanitation program is an entry level activity in development sector and through this initiative a decentralized institutional set up for Water and Sanitation and allied health schemes has come into place which could also be used for other village level developmental schemes. So the initiative of forming Gram Sabha Swasth Gram Tadarth Samiti is sustainable to ensure proper planning, implementation, supervision and monitoring of various Health, Hygiene, Sanitation, Water and Nutrition related activities.

What are the impact of your initiative and the lessons learned?
Impact: Policy of Decentralization result into formation of Gram Sabha Swasth Gram Tadarth Samiti (previously known as Village Water and Sanitation Committee) Total – 52000 committees within 50 district of state. Especially due to formation of Women based Village Water and Sanitation Committee leadership gains in massive scale, it favors for the participation & decision making process of water supply & sanitation scheme on a common platform which they are closely associated with it. Lesson Learned: Representation and involvement of other classes and categories: The Gram Sabha Swasth Gram Tadarth Samiti (previously known as Village Water and Sanitation Committee) should have wide representation from different sections of the village population, including local volunteers, different castes and classes, and adolescents to ensure responsiveness to the various health, sanitation, water and nutrition related needs in the village. The evidence shows that it is important to have equal representation of both the gender i.e. male and female in the committee to enhance outcomes. Equal representation of both the gender : Women are now actively participating in Gram Sabha Swasth Gram Tadarth Samiti (previously knowed as Village Water and Sanitation Committee) as well as general Gram sabhas. Empower women for doing O & M of scheme through SHG or other agencies. Additional focus is needed to fulfill evidence gap between Gram Panchayats and Gram Sabha Swasth Gram Tadarth Samiti (previously known as Village Water and Sanitation Committee)


Institution Name:		State Water and Sanitation Mission
Institution Type:		Government Agency
Contact Person:		Umakant Umrao
Title:		State Programme Officer
Telephone/ Fax:		+91-755-2553171
Institution's / Project's Website:		+91-755-2441367
E-mail:		swsmmp@gmail.com
Address:		Office of Development Commissioner, 2nd floor, Vindhyachal Bhawan
Postal Code:		462003
City:		Bhopal
State/Province:		Madhya Pradesh
Country:		India

The Problem

Solution and Key Benefits

Actors and Stakeholders

(a) Strategies

(b) Implementation

(c) Overcoming Obstacles

(d) Use of Resources

Sustainability and Transferability

Lessons Learned

Contact Information