ODF Sustainability Study (Plan International)
In 2012 Plan contracted FH Designs to conduct a study into the main factors affecting the sustainability of ODF status of households in villages triggered and certified ODF 2 or more years previously. Three research questions were defined as follows:
- What percentage of households have remained ODF?
- What are the primary causes of households reverting to OD?
- What motivated people to remain ODF?
The study was conducted in four countries in Africa – Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Sierra Leone – and took a two phased approach to data collection. The first phase re-verified approximately 5000 households in 116 villages across the four countries. The second phase focussed on around 1200 households in 72 villages that were purposively selected from the first phase. A latrine timeline tool was developed to elicit (without leading) the main factors affecting household decisions to keep or abandon their latrines.
The study was finalised in December 2013, and was the first of its kind. Several other ODF Sustainability Studies were subsequently conducted using the same methodology. The final report is available in the Resources Page.