Executive Summary
Changing Behaviour and Convergence for Total Sanitation (CTS): Mobilising Communities and
addressing deep seated social norms against open defecation. (A case study from Sarguja
district, Chhattisgarh, India).
Brief Profile of Sarguja District: Background before CTS inteventions
 55% of district population is tribal
community. 16 out of 19 blocks
are predominantly tribal.
 Scattered hamlets, low literacty
level, wide spread practice of
open defecation
 Prevalence of water borne
disease, skin diseases & cases of
mal-nutrition were substantially
high.
Key element for successful convergence of total sanitation in Sarguja District
1. Strong leadership at the District level – District Collector, Development Commissioner.
2. Multi-sectoral approach
3. Community/Panchayat involvement and ownership
4. Well laid out execution plan
5. Clarity in roles and responsibility of stateholders for specific components of sanitation
6. Robus monitoring at district/ PRI & community level
Outcome:
 256 gram panchayats became eligible for total sanitation out of which 111 received Nirmal Gram
Puraskar(incentive from Government of India in recognition of the adoption of toilets at household
level) in 2008 (a feat in itself)
 Developed a sustainable model that can ensure coverage, use and maintenance of toilets & hygiene
measures and community institutions commitment to ensure individuals don not slip back to open
defecation.
 Replicability within district/state and other states of India possible due to convergent & inclusive
processes
 Health department data indicates about 50% reduction in cases of dysentry, diarrhea & malaria
Strengths of CTS model:
 Emphasis on public health issues & conveying importance of adopting sanitation practices for
improved health and hygiene status especially children
 Interactive communication extensively used by village level service providers and community level
change agents.
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Multi pronged approach helped and contributed to a large extent in enabling communties to see &
experience the health benefits of improved sanitation at household & village level
Intervention addressed a range of issues related to hygiene and sanitation at village level
Comprehensive coverage provided momentum to activities as it created opportunities to reaching
different population groups – school children, mothers, and youth with messages and engaging
them
Overcome challeges like low literacy level, availability of space conducive for open defecation,
considerably lower level of communication focus on santation prior to start of programme.
Over all application of the Concepts in the case study:
Right holder’s/ Duty bearer’s perspectives:
Good synergy between District administration and
Community participation/leadership.
Causal analysis/ Information collection / Knowledge dissemination: Community was made aware of
the medical costs/ and other implications for not using toilets.
Evidences were presented to the
community prior to the designing of the campaign.
Schema/Script in place: The strategy was worked out based on the preliminary assessment on the
current practice on open defecation. Clear strategy was laid out including who does what?
Motivation to change backed by credibility of info provided: There was clear trust and acceptance of
the information provided to substantiate the need for social change.
Community empowerment / involvement: This was the very premise and community was heavily
engaged right from the stage of conception, execution, supervision and monitoring of the initiative.
Empirical/Normative expectations clarified and matched: Conformity to an agreed decision and
shared understanding of desirable change and sanctions respected.
Principles of dis/incentives led by community/government: The NGP award by GOI was a good
incentive index for the panchayats/community to out-perform.
Certain sense of competition was
introduced to out do others. Hence, matter of `pride and honor’ and being felicitated at national/state
capital was Big achievement. The sanctions/penalty decided by community to levy on defaulters was
also associated by guilt/shame, hence no body preferred to be seen caught. Public pledges/declarations
in the door of the house `that I own toilets’ was a huge shift in what people considered as `asset’ giving
away the age old concept of `im/purity’.
Strong network:
The community network was strong and powerful with `sarpanches’ taking lead and
having explicit ties and nodes delivering clear roles and responsibilities of supportive supervision of the
entire process.
Monitoring & Supportive supervision:
At all levels, very well laid out monitoring and supportive
supervision teams were set up. At Community level, the Toka-Taki team was the force behind social
dis/approval of continuing practice of open defecation by some.
Pluralistic ignorance until the empirical evidences were presented to the community. Community’s
perception of `change’ was driven when they saw the benefits of giving up Open defecation.
Network & Coordination theory helped in seeing the big picture in terms of trigger for change
(nodes/ties) The community network was strong and powerful with `sarpanches’ taking lead and having
explicit ties and nodes delivering clear roles and responsibilities of supportive supervision of the entire
process
Leadership (government) attempt to change citizen’s behaviour with citizen’s consent and cooperation
was a sure shot success.
What remains to be done:
 Using the case study to undertake in-depth analysis on social network and how collectives work on
changing social practice.
 How expectations have been manipulated in implementing social change for larger public interest
and common good.
 Therefore, try applying the principles of game theory model to study how individual decisions lead
to collective outcomes.
Shaheen Nilofer
Chief, State office
UNICEF, Chhattisgarh State Office
India