05 July 2011
"An impressive example for a well set-up monitoring and evaluation system in the school health context is the large scale 'Fit for School' program in the Philippines."
The Sustainable Sanitation Alliance (SuSanA) showcased the Fit for School (FIT) approach in a fact sheet the organization published last July 2011. The fact sheet, “Sustainable sanitation for schools,” discusses sustainable school sanitation in developing countries and countries in transition as well as highlights existing challenges and hardware (facilities) and software (sensitization, monitoring, training, and advocacy) innovations.
The fact sheet further elaborates on a set of guiding principles to ensure that there is proper sanitation in schools. The principles – stakeholder involvement; use of monitoring tools to determine outcomes, impacts, and processes; building policy framework; and capacity development – are similar to the approach that FIT adopts in implementing the Essential Health Care Program in schools nationwide.
As stated in the fact sheet, the overriding element for success is stakeholder involvement and ownership. Beyond a superficial or passive engagement, stakeholders – in particular the pupils, teachers, parents, caretakers, and school administration – should ideally be involved in the selection, design and if possible construction of facilities, as well as organization of management, long-term monitoring, and problem-solving. This ensures that local and appropriate solutions are applied, thus institutionalizing the system.
SuSanA is an informal network of partner organizations, which includes GIZ and UNICEF, that aims to contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals through the promotion of sustainable sanitation systems.
You can find the full publication at:
http://www.susana.org/docs_ccbk/susana_download/2-1188-susana-factsheet-wg7a-version-5-july-2011.pdf