Formation of village development committees: A facilitator’s manual

This manual is part of a series of training and learning materials for the WATSAN PARTNERSHIP PROJECT. The WATSAN PARTNERSHIP PROJECT is an innovative project to improve sustainable access and use of affordable water and sanitation facilities in the project areas of North Western Bangladesh. The people in the low water table areas of Rajshahi and Nawabganj district suffer from water and sanitation related conditions that further deteriorate through arsenic pollution. The strategic mission of the project is to promote community management through village development committees, improvement of hygiene behaviour practice of communities, facilitating people to develop ‘arsenic mitigation options in the contaminated areas, and development and marketing of affordable technology for water and sanitation.

The project draws strength from partnerships. Local partner NGOs are working as facilitating organisations. Villagers identify and address their problems through village development committees. They are supported by the partner NGOs. The partner NGOs are in turn supported by a partnership of international NGOs that each contribute their own specific area of expertise. CARE for hygiene education and behavioural change, DASCOH for community management, and IDE for appropriate water and sanitation technology. Currently the project is active in 640 villages in partnership with 15 local partner NGOs.