Zambia: Going to scale with CLTS; ensuring quality facilitation

Using CLTS to improve rural sanitation at scale

The Government of Zambia has taken up the challenge to increase the proportion of the population accessing improved sanitation by adopting the Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach. Since 2011, UNICEF Zambia with financial support from the United Kingdom Department for Foreign and International Development (DFID) has supported the Government of Zambia to take to scale and roll-out CLTS in 65+ rural districts countrywide. CLTS is being used to promote a range of behaviours aimed at eradicating open defecation, construction, maintaining and use of hygienic toilets and promotion of hygienic practices. The Ministry of Local Government and Housing is designated the lead agency for the coordination and implementation of CLTS activities.

History

CLTS was introduced in Zambia in November 2007 and recorded a number of success stories in Choma which was the pilot district in the Southern Province. 551 villages out of the initial 635 villages that were triggered attained ODF status. This was cause for celebration and entire chiefdoms were verified ODF. In this pilot wave a total of 150,000 people gained access to improved sanitation while the sanitation coverage increased from 27% to 67%. Subsequently, Chief Macha whose chiefdom was one of the pioneers in attaining ODF was recognised and crowned as UNICEF Ambassador for sanitation. In addition, the trigger effects of success in Chief Macha’s chiefdom of 105 villages were also extended and experienced in the neighbouring Chief Mapanza’s 250 villages.

Key challenges in taking CLTS to scale in Zambia

Following the Choma success, it was time for Zambia to take CLTS to scale, the motivation and commitment by Government and the donors were remarkable and a number of donors and partners came on board to support the CLTS, including DFID. Though the Choma story was successful, it also provided a number of challenging lessons that would later be key in taking CLTS to scale.

One of the key challenges was to ensure the quality of experienced National and District Trainers who were committed enough to bring about the desired outcomes. It was observed that there was limited capacity of skilled facilitators and therefore ways of bridging the gap were needed urgently. High quality facilitators, a multi-sectorial approach and well-structured traditional leadership were identified as vehicles to propel the CLTS approach with speed while at the same time ensuring that the quality of the outcomes was not compromised.

Ways forward

A number of measures were taken to ensure quality delivery and scale-up of CLTS, including:

  • Establishment of the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs which is now part of the (10) government ministries that are involved in taking CLTS to scale.
  • Training of the media (journalists) on the CLTS approach for high level political advocacy
  • 8 days facilitation skills training package for Provincial Training of Trainers.
  • Formation of a permanent 24 member team of National Training Teams (NTTS) for CLTS Facilitation Quality Assurance (QAS- Quality Assurance Strategy) (the structure is presented in the diagram below).
  • Introduction of CLTS to 2 out of 5 Environmental Health Schools (Colleges & Universities).

With these measures in place, Zambia hopes to achieve the MDG sanitation target by 2015.

Implementation level CLTS Structure in Zambia:

Roles and Responsibilities

National Coaches:

  • Building / strengthening capacity, coaching and mentoring of the CLTS National, district and local teams ensuring that quality and not quantity is instilled at all levels of the CLTS processes.
  • Advocacy, communication, awareness raising and ensuring that CLTS is mainstreamed in all the relevant ministries sanitation plans through the use of national and tradition leadership structures and the media
  • Working in collaboration with all related government sectors and partners to assist local authorities with resource mobilization and district stakeholder analysis and coordination to improve CLTS monitoring, evaluation, verification and certification of ODF villages.

The National Training Teams are involved in all the training activities and capacity building of all district level trainers and support to local authorities. The District training teams on the other hand are responsible for the training and support all activities undertaken by the champions and ensure an effective trigger and follow-up processes; they are also involved in the collection of data for monitoring and generating CLTS reports to the National level.

The champions and the SAGS form the gender representative community level leadership structures for the collection of pre and post trigger data, triggering of communities, monitoring, follow-ups and ensuring the implementation of family action plans for ODF.

For comments and questions on this article please contact the following:

  • Leonard Mukosha, CLTS National Coordinator and Head Coach, email:
  • Brian Siakabeya, Snr Public Health Officer, MLGH, email:
  • Charity Sikamo, WASH Specialist, UNICEF, Zambia, email: