WASH Media Fellowship Guidelines
1. Background
WaterAid Nepal(WAN) invites applications from journalists interested to apply for
WASH Media Fellowship 2016.The fellowship is open to all mainstream media
journalists including freelancers from print, electronic and radio media (including
community radio) online portals and news agencies/wires. The fellowship is for a
period of three months from January/February/March 2016. Stories will be covered in
English and Nepali language. Interested journalists will have to travel to rural and
urban areas to report on water and sanitation success stories and challenges that
need to be addressed for universal WASH rights.
WASH Media Fellowship aims in creating awareness and strengthening capacity of
Nepali journalists to cover water, sanitation and hygiene issues (WASH). The
fellowship offers opportunities for journalists to cover stories on WASH issues
especially of those living at hard to reach areas. It has also been initiated in improving
accountability of public institutions, gains made in WASH sector, gaps that needs to
be addressed and ways to improve situation of poor, such as their living conditions
and opportunities for health and education.
Realization of water and sanitation rights in the Constitution of Nepal is a milestone
for the country in increasing investments and achieving universal WASH rights. On
the other hand, inclusion of water and sanitation for all by 2030 incorporated in
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) is also an important step in ensuring WASH
rights for all. Many policies and provisions have been kept in place. Focus should be
made on strengthening prevailing policies, implementation and increasing
investments in reaching the unreached. Media play an important role in informing
policy makers about the impacts of their policies on the poorest sections of society,
as well as promoting alternative solutions. Policies governing water and sanitation
issues are listed below:
Nepal Water and Sanitation Legal Provisions
Water resource act, 1992: main act on water supply system and gives first priority to
drinking water.
Drinking water supply regulations, 1898: defines processes for getting a license for using
water source and organizing users.
Water resource strategy, 2002: provides direction towards environmental friendly water
resource development.
Nepal Water Plan, 2005: provides target for basic and improved service levels of water
sanitation. The Plan targets to have 20% coverage by medium and high level water supply
by 2017 and 50% by 2027.
Rural water supply policy and strategy, 2004: provided basis for development and
management of water supply system in the rural and semi-urban by users committee.
National drinking water quality standard and directives, 2005: national standard for
drinking water and ways to achieve it
Urban water supply policy, 2009: addressed the issues which are not addressed by the
rural water supply policy.
National Sanitation and Hygiene Master Plan, 2011: give directions community wide total
sanitation led by the local bodies, sets initial target of ODF community
Water Quality Surveillance Guidelines: meeting water quality national standard to prevent
from water borne diseases.
WASH sector coordinated by SEIU/MOUD is formulating Umbrella Act, Policy and sector
Development Plan (SDP) in line with one policy, one plan and one monitoring system in
line with the decision of JSR II. Sector Financing Strategy in preparation.
2. WaterAid Nepal Proposed Working Areas:
We encourage fellows to cover stories from WaterAid Nepal programme areas.
However concept note must not be limited in the areas where WAN has been
working.
WaterAid Nepal Program Areas for Media Fellowship
o Udayapur district: Nametar VDC, Pohkari VDC and Triyuga Municipality
o Makwanpur district: Namtar VDC
o Gorkha district: Semjung VDC
o Siraha district: Govindapur VDC, Lalpur VDC and Chandrayodahpur VDC
o Morang district: Amardaha VDC
o Sunsari district: Itahari small town and Inaruwa small town
o Lalitpur district: Lele VDC
o Bhaktapur district: Jhaukhel VDC and Nagarkot VDC
o Kavre district: Nala VDC
o Sindhuli, Udayapur, Siraha (MHM focus)
o Siraha
3. Key Deliverables
Fellows are expected to write/publish, broadcast or telecast the following in their respective
media outlets:
Print Media
Radio
At least two reports At least two reports
( 500-600 words)
(10‐30 minutes
duration)
Television
At least two reports
(10‐15 minutes
duration)
Online Portal
At least two
reports(300-400
words)
During the fellowship period (three months) January, February and March the
selected fellows will:
 Publish/broadcast news stories / spot reports, feature stories, opinion pieces or
analytical pieces in their respective media in a regular basis or on a specific day.
 Create momentum in the media for urgency in WASH sector on the basis of their
study and investigation.
 Advocate WASH issues in different level through their innovation.
 Articles/stories published or broadcasted by fellows must be regularly shared with
WAN’s communications focal person. The date of release must be clearly
indicated and all copies must be submitted on a timely basis.
 All print/broadcast including online media journalists have to submit a brief
progress report including photographs of the areas they worked in and the people
interviewed at the of the period.
 The progress report (maximum two pages) must be based on experiences and
impact of their respective stories covered by fellows.
 As part of their fellowship, each fellow must submit their respective stories in the
given stipulated timeframe.
4. Application Process
1. Well stated concept note (i.e. your idea, methodology, budget, refer to annex)
2. Curriculum Vitae of the applicants
3. Photocopy of press card from affiliated media confirming employment status or copy
issued by Department of Information.
4. At least three samples of past bylines (news/feature/story) printed or broadcast either in
scan, pdf or active URL.
5. Funding
The amount of fund will be provided on the basis of concept submitted by the fellow, who
will cover all related expenses needed to produce/broadcast/published, the story including
field visit cost. Beside this, WAN will provide half day brief orientation and necessary
guidance to the selected applicants. Installment will be provided only after the submission
of stories.
6. Possible issues/themes
Group A: Best Practices (knowing the best practices and scaling up)
 Best practices on water with clear focus on water quality, equity, inclusion and
sustainability
 Best practices on sanitation with clear focus on improved sanitation, equity, inclusion
and sustainability
 Best practices on hygiene linked to sustained behavior changes
 Water conflicts and mediation practices
Group B: Tracking and follow up of Political Commitment (The history of Commitments and its
follow up (political words into action)
 Tracking and analyzing budget allocation and spending at national and local level to
meet universal access by 2017
 Follow up articles on political commitments by leaders and high level bureaucrats at
national and local level
Group C: WASH access in health Institutions (are institutions which are accountable provide
services responsive?)
 Inclusive WASH facilities in community health facilities/centers
 WASH facilities (Gender friendly access) in community schools
 WASH facilities in local government offices (Ward/VDC/others offices)
Group D: The Movements/Campaigns on WASH (Values of Citizens demand on WASH.)
 DF movement and post ODF sustainability
 Grass root People voices on water, sanitation and hygiene
 Engagement of Civil society organizations at local level ensuring rights to water,
sanitation and hygiene
Group E: The Challenges on WASH Service delivery (alerting on challenges to meet WASH for
all by 2017)
 Reaching to unreached - constraint of approach or technology or financing
 Functionality – Why the available services are not functional. What could be a way
out?
 Gaps in policies and regulation
Group F: Issues of menstruation in Kathmandu and rural parts of the country (knowing evil
practices and creating awareness)
 Taboos and superstitious on menstruation in urban and rural setting.
 Best practices on menstruation hygiene management with clear focus on hygienic
behavior linked to behavior changes.
 Grass root People voices MHM. Success stories from the field.
 Engagement of civil society organizations at local level in ensuring MHM
 Gaps in policies and regulation
Group G: WASH in School (are institutions which are accountable to provide services are
responsive on MHM?)
 Access to MHM facilities in schools(including proper dustbins for disposal,
handwashing etc)
 WASH facilities (Gender friendly access) in community schools
Group H: Universal access to clean water sanitation one of the 17 Global Goals for
Sustainable Development (SDG)
 What does Goal 6 indicates how is it interlinked with other 16 goals?
 Challenges to achieve Goal 6 to make up 2030 SDG’s. What are the policy gaps and
how it can be addressed?
 Role of civil society in universal WASH access.
7. Timeline
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Fellowship announcement: 25 December 2015
Application Deadline: 8 January 2016
Selection of fellows: 14 January 2016
Submission Deadline: End of February
8. Selection Criteria
Fellowship selection committee will select the fellows on the basis of guidelines
provided by WAN.
Send Application to:
WaterAid Nepal
Nakhipot-14, Lalitpur, Nepal
GPO Box. 20214, Kathmandu, Nepal
Telephone: 01-5573365
Email: wateraidnepal@wateraid.org
Website: www.wateraid.org/nepal
Application deadline: 8
January 2016
Annex
Title of your Concept Note
1. Background;
This section should provide a brief introduction about yourself and about the media
you represent. It should also explain the type of news beat and stories that you are
currently covering.
(Suggested Lenghth 2 paragraphs)
2. Objective:
This section should explain the key objectives for applying to this WASH Media
Fellowship. It should also explain the type of WASH issues, and stories that you want
to cover through this fellowship and the rationale behind the issues and stories you
have selected.
(Suggested Length 2 paragraph)
3. Methodology;
This section should explain the methodology that you will use to bring in the stories. It
can be through interviews, observations, focus group discussions etc.
(Suggested Length 2 paragraphs)
4. Budget:
This section should provide a detailed breakdown of each activity and the
approximate cost for each activity line.
(Suggested Length 1 page)