UN Division for Sustainable Development

Case Study Detail Record

Organization type:	Government

Name of Ministry/Agency:

Country:	Bangladesh

Initiative Title:	Social Marketing and Promoting Private Sector in Bengladesh

Internet links:	http://www.wsp.org/publications/sa_approach.pdf http://www.worldbank.org/watsan/topics/psproviders.html

Scope:

Status:

Timeframe:	Start: End:

Stakeholders/Partners:	UNICEF

Relevent issues:

Objectives/Challenges:

To improve hygiene by increasing public awareness

Lessons Learned:

Key Factors for Success
-- The Campaign has created a stronger link between raising awareness about sanitation and making information available for consumers on technologies and services.
-- Private latrine producers play a major role in extending sanitary latrine coverage, not only by selling hardware but also by offering advice on how to build latrines.
-- The Government and NGOs have worked closely. While the Government still assumes responsibility for overall management, field-level activities are facilitated by NGOs hired through a competitive bidding process.
-- Training was provided to governmental officials, NGO staff, and private producers to manage the development and implementation of activities.
-- The communication campaign was developed by a social marketing agency, which enabled access to private sector resources and expertise.

Main Obstacles
-- The strategy depends on a high degree of cooperation from various governmental and non-governmental partners. While this cooperation can be built up for a short burst of activity, it could prove difficult to sustain over time.
-- The Government is still oriented to hardware provision and lacks the necessary human resource capacity for managing a systematic approach of promoting behavioral change.
-- No credit is provided to private producers for start-up capital, although a need has been identified. The program also does not include a formal credit provision scheme for the poor to buy latrines.
-- The communication strategy needs to target more “late acceptors” of sanitary latrines. Concentrating on the remaining 27% of the population who defecate in the open will require more intensive interpersonal approaches.

Sustainability and Transferability
-- Sustainability will depend on the effectiveness of facilitating agencies and the willingness of different partners to contribute, considering that many activities are labor-and-resource intensive.
-- As the number of private producers increases, the Government needs to play a new role of regulating and monitoring the private sector.

Policy Options:

With the Government of Bangladesh and UNICEF promoting sanitation for over thirty years, the sanitation coverage rate has risen to over 50% in Bangladesh. Yet, in order to increase it further, it is necessary to promote behavioral changes more effectively and ensure equitable distribution of services to all sections of the population.

Summary:

In 1997, the Government and UNICEF initiated a social marketing process called Hygiene Awareness and Product Information Campaign (HAPIC). With an innovative multilevel communication strategy, it aims to deliver mutually reinforcing messages directly to rural populations through various channels, such as front-line health workers, NGO staff, religious leaders, private producers and the media.

In developing the strategy, the Government hired a social marketing agency that used standard professional norms. Exploratory research was conducted to understand what makes people decide to build and use latrines. Communication materials were developed through multi-stakeholder consultations and pre-tested through interviews and focus group discussions.

The materials include information on alternative latrine options and accessible latrine production centers as well as health and other benefits of having latrines, such as privacy and convenience. Posters and a personal diary were also designed for imamas, or religious leaders, to give weekly sermons on the importance of sanitation, using references from Islam’s holy texts.

National television and radio commercials have been designed to supplement what consumers hear through inter-personal communication. The mass media materials revolve around an animated cartoon character named Kalim Chacha (Uncle Kalim), a respected elderly figure in the community who recommends sanitary latrines. Several television and radio commercials direct potential customers to the nearest production centers as well.

Another notable aspect of the strategy is that private latrine producers have been provided with support to establish new shops in remote areas. Marketing aids were prepared, including shop signs, flyers, roadside publicity, miniature latrine models, and a tin plate poster that shows how to construct a latrine. Producers and potential costumers questioned were able to explain the content despite not being able to read. This was important as only 47% of the rural population is literate in Bangladesh. Training on production quality was also provided to private producers.

Moreover, particular attention was paid to the behavioral development of children. Supplementary materials in the form of books, comics, games and songs were developed to promote good hygiene habits. Health workers also used hand-held picture cards with women while their children were immunized or weighed.

Outcomes
The strategies were simulated in two districts in 1999. Under the Government’s
management, two large NGOs facilitated all social marketing activities.
-- An evaluation has indicated that the working relationship between the Government and NGOs was effective in mobilizing a large cross-section of the population.
-- Private producers using the marketing materials stated that it helped them generate business. Evaluations also indicate that customers often prefer latrines produced by private producers despite the lack of subsidy. They tend to be cheaper because designs are simpler. Private producers also offer a wider variety of products, are less bureaucratic in filling orders, and can be more flexible on payment terms, including offering informal credit arrangements.
-- Social mobilization experiments undertaken through schools in various districts have shown that children are effective in encouraging their families to build, use and maintain sanitary latrines.