sanitation

Tackling Open Defecation through Behavioral Change: The Clean India Mission in Punjab State, 2015–2017

Author
Tini Tran
Focus Area(s)
Core Challenge
Country of Reform
Abstract

In October 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India declared a new national campaign to eliminate open defecation within five years. An estimated half of all Indians—mainly those living in rural areas—still defecated in the open, as humankind had done for centuries. Because India’s past programs had focused on building toilets, achieving little success, this time the emphasis was on motivating behavioral change. But exactly how to approach the challenge was left to each state. Ajoy Sharma, a veteran Indian Administrative Service officer, took on the task of implementing Modi’s plan in northern Punjab state in January 2015. To change long-held public acceptance of open defecation, Sharma developed an innovative pilot program that integrated sensitization and social mobilization at the individual, family, and community levels with financial subsidies to support toilet construction. The success of the program and its acceptance in five districts gave Sharma the evidence he needed to apply a similar template across all districts in his state. By September 2017, the project had successfully certified 11 districts—half of the state—as Open Defecation Free, a total of nearly 6,000 villages. This case study offers lessons for governments interested in altering social norms and expectations on a large scale to bring about long-term societal change.

Tini Tran drafted this case study with the help of Asha Brooks and Arpita Tripathi based on interviews conducted from April to October 2017. Case published November 2017.

Guillermo Guevara

Ref Batch
J
Ref Batch Number
7
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Matthew Devlin
Name
Guillermo Guevara
Interviewee's Position
Coordinator for Infrastructure
Interviewee's Organization
Plan de Consolidación Integral de la Macarena
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
Colombian
Town/City
Grenada
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract
Guillermo Guevara discusses Colombia’s development efforts in the Macarena region. The program aims to improve infrastructure by developing roads, power generation projects, sanitation services, and communications infrastructure for mobile phones, radio and television. The project depends on funding from the government, the military and international organizations. The program incorporates relevant input from local communities in developing its goals, and support from the private sector to ensure local job creation and local participation in development projects. Guevara also discusses obstacles to development, including a sometimes precarious security situation, budgetary constraints, and lack of cooperation from regional governments.
Profile
At the time of the interview, Guillermo Guevara was coordinator for infrastructure for the Plan de Consolidación Integral de la Macarena (Plan for the Integrated Consolidation of the Macarena), a position that he had held since May 2008.  Prior to that, he spent about 10 years supervising construction and civil works, especially in remote areas of Colombia.  He also worked at the American embassy in Colombia.
Full Audio File Size
76MB
Full Audio Title
Guillermo Guevara Interview

Reclaiming an Egyptian Treasure: Restoring Infrastructure and Services, Alexandria, 1997-2006

Author
Rushda Majeed
Focus Area(s)
Country of Reform
Abstract

When Mohamed Abdel Salam El-Mahgoub became governor of Alexandria in 1997, he took charge of a storied Egyptian city on the verge of collapse. Garbage and trash lined streets that were clogged with traffic. Roads, highways, water and sanitation systems required urgent repair. Corrupt municipal employees exacted costly bribes for business licenses and building permits. The city’s economy had slowed, as investors, put off by the city’s fading infrastructure and poor services, took their money elsewhere. Alexandria’s fortunes began to turn at the beginning of a nine-year period that came to be called “the Mahgoub era.” Determined to restore the city’s greatness, Mahgoub encouraged citizen participation, formed alliances with key groups, and won public support via high-visibility projects.  He made government more business-friendly by tackling corruption that inflated the price of required documents, and he lured back investors with tax incentives and improved infrastructure. During his nine years in office, Mahgoub saw Alexandria’s economy bloom, fueled by construction projects and an improved business climate. Although some reforms lost momentum when Mahgoub was promoted to a cabinet position in 2006, his accomplishments as governor underscored the value of citizen participation in Egypt’s centralized government.

 
Rushda Majeed drafted this case on the basis of interviews conducted in Cairo and Alexandria, Egypt, in October and November 2010. Sarah El-Kazaz contributed. Case published April 2012.
 
Associated Interview(s):  Mohamed Hanno, Mahmoud Mohieldin