PROTOCOL FOR CERTIFICATION AND

VERIFICATION OF OPEN DEFECATION

FREE AND TOTAL SANITATION
COMMUNITIES
 Table of Content
Page
1.0 Background ……………………………………………. ………………………. 2
2.0 Definition of Terms ……………………………………………………………. 2
3.0 Processes for Certification ……………………………………………………. …3
4.0 Basic Indicators for Total Sanitation ……………………………………………. 5
5.0 Checklist for Verification and certification of ODF and Total Sanitation………. 6

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1.0 Background
Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) is presently being promoted in most part of the
country as one of the major strategies for scaling up sanitation development. The approach
focuses mainly on achieving sustained behaviour change through motivation and
mobilization of communities to understand the risks associated with open defecation. The
community mobilization efforts focus on assisting communities and individuals understand
the health risks associated with open defecation and use disgust and shame as “triggers” to
promote action which ultimately lead to construction and use of locally built household
latrines without any form of subsidy on the hardware component.

The main objective of CLTS is to empower the community to realize the extent and
magnitude of the problems associated with open defecation and take necessary actions
towards solving the problems for improved health and well-being of the people. In Nigeria,
the two major outcomes of CLTS implementation are;
• Total elimination of open defecation
• Total sanitation which includes environmental sanitation, personal and domestic hygiene.

The specific objectives are;

• Total elimination of open defecation practices.
• 100% coverage of latrine use.
• Improved personal, household and environmental hygiene.
• Increase ownership and sustainability of hygiene and sanitation activities.
• Contribute to reduction in sanitation related diseases.

These guidelines are to guide the certification and verification processes for declaring
communities Open Defection Free (ODF) and Total Sanitation.

2.0 Definition of Terms

Certification – This is the official confirmation and recognition of Open defecation free
status. For quality control and to ensure strict compliance to the guidelines for certification,
official confirmation should be done at State level.

Verification – This is inspection carried out to assess whether a community is ODF.

Open Defecation Free – This refers to when no faeces are openly exposed to the
environment. Achieving ODF might involve the use of any form of latrines that prevent
exposure of faeces to the environment with provision for moving up the sanitation ladder.

Total Sanitation – This encompasses use of improved latrines and stopping of open
defecation as well as improvement in personal, domestic and environmental hygiene.

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3.0 Processes for certification
The communities should be informed from the onset of interventions on the criteria for
certification as ODF and Total Sanitation. The following processes are expected to be
followed;
• WASHCOM should promptly report to the LGA WASH Unit/Department or designated
NGO when ODF has been achieved by the community. If the project is being facilitated
by an NGO, the NGO should report the ODF status to the LGA WASH Unit/Department.
• LGA WASH Unit/Department should make an initial visit to the community to verify the
claim, by carrying out the following activities:
o Confirm the present total households in the community.
o Confirm the total number of latrines in the community and how many households
use them (Note: if there are households without access to latrines, find out
where such households defecate.)
o Go round the community and check if all the latrines have been completed, and
being used.
o Check if the latrines are well maintained.
o Check if hand washing materials are available in or near the latrines.
o Check the closeness of latrines to the drinking ground water sources -e.g
borehole and dug well (Note: the acceptable distance between drinking water
source and latrine is 30 meters/100ft and down hill of water points)
o Check all former open defecation sites, bushes close to homesteads and general
environment for feces (Be more observant, attentive and vigilant at this point).
o Whatever materials used for anal cleansing should be dropped into the pit.
o Check if the school(s) in the community have separate toilets, hand washing
facilities and urinal (if NOT, where do pupils or students defecate?)
o Check if the community has a market with a public toilet and hand washing
facility. (If NOT, where do the market people defecate on the market days?)
o Check if the health centre in the community has toilet. (if NOT, where do health
personnel or the patients defecate?)
o Note whether the paths to the latrines are weedy/ clean. Deep a meter long stick
to check availability of faeces in toilet/ latrine or throw a stone into it and
listen to the sound.(Note that the stick should be disposed properly)
The above are the minimum requirements for certification as ODF.
• If it is confirmed that the community has attained ODF status based on the
information gathered, the LGA WASH Unit/Department should make another un-
announced visit, once monthly for 3 months and carry out the above verification
procedures to re-affirm that the community has actually sustained the status.

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 • After convinced about the ODF status of the community, LGA WASH Unit/Department
should share the information with RUWASA.
• RUWASA should conduct further verification visits to the claimed ODF communities in
conjunction with LGA WASH Unit/Department to assess the ODF status.
• If the outcomes of the visits are consistent with the previous ones, the certification
team comprising of members of State Task Group on Sanitation should conduct another
round of un-announced visit to the verified communities for certification.
• Based on the outcome of the visit, the certification team would then make a decision
whether to certify the community ODF or NOT.
• If the community is truly ODF, the certification committee should recommend the
community to the Local Government and State Government to be declared ODF.
• The community is to be officially declared ODF with certificates presented to the
communities at a formal function to be attended by the community members, State
government functionaries, representatives of Local governments, NGOs and development
partners.
NOTES:
• Ensure that women are part of the visiting/certification team to the communities
particularly in the Northern part.
• No official certification, unless ODF has been sustained for at least 6 months.
• National Task Group on Sanitation (NTGS) is not part of the certification process
for declaration of ODF communities but conduct validation of the process in
selected certified ODF communities to ensure quality assurance and strict
adherence to the guidelines.

ODF First Level of Second Level Certification ODF

Reporting to ODF of ODF of ODF Celebration
LGA WASH Verification Verification Communities
Unit/ of WASHCOM of by State Task
Department Claimed ODF WASHCOM Group on
by Communities Claimed ODF Sanitation
WASHCOM by LGA WASH Communities
Unit/ by State
Department RUWASSA

ODF ODF VERIFICATION ODF ODF

REPORTING CERTIFICATION CELEBRATION

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4.0 Basic Indicators for Total Sanitation
For communities to be declared to have achieved Total Sanitation, the following practices
have to be adopted by members;

1. All households use hygienic latrines.

2. Always keep latrines clean.
3. Latrines, hand washing facilities and urinals are provided and being used in schools, health
centres, markets and other public places, where available.
4. Washing hands properly with soap, ash and water at critical times (after defecating, before
eating and feeding children, after packing children feces, before preparing food and after
coming in contact with dirt)
5. Always keep food covered
6. Always keep drinking water covered
7. Always Keep water points (boreholes, Hand dug wells etc) surroundings sanitary
8. Always keep household, abattoirs and community environment sanitary
9. Proper disposal of solid and liquid waste including animal waste.
10. Proper disposal of waste water.
11. Safe location of latrines, at least 30 meters/100 ft (where there is enough space) away
and down hill of groundwater sources

It is when the above criteria are met, that the community can be considered Totally Sanitized
Community. It is more cost effective and better to aim at achieving Total Sanitation while
planning interventions. The same certification processes for ODF have to be followed for
certifying communities as Totally Sanitized.

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 5.0 CHECKLIST FOR VERIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION OF
ODF & TOTAL SANITATION COMMUNITIES
Community:………………… LGA:……………… State:…………………

GENERAL INFORMATION:
S/N Description Responses
1 Total No. of Households in the Community
2 No. of Households with latrines
3 If not all the households have latrines, where do the households
without latrine defecate?
4 When was the community triggered?
5 Has the community been certified ODF?
6 If Yes, when was the community certified ODF?
7 Who certified the community ODF?
8 Does the Community have WASHCOM?

GENERAL OBSERVATION OF THE COMMUNITY

S/N Description Yes No Remarks
1 Are the household latrines being used?
2 Are the latrines well maintained?
3 Are hand washing facilities available near the
latrines?
4 Are anal cleansing materials properly disposed?
5 Are children faeces properly disposed?
6 Are there faeces in former open defecation sites?
7 Apart from former open defecation sites, are there
faeces deposited in the open anywhere in the
community?
8 Are there latrines with hand washing facilities in
schools where available?
9 Are there latrines in Health Centres where
available?
10 Are there latrines in Markets where available?
11 Are water points (boreholes, dug wells) located 30m
from latrines?
Any other observations and additional comments on the ODF status of the Community:
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
Recommendations (Give your recommendations on the ODF Status of the Community)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………

Name of Evaluator: Signature: Date:

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For Verification and Certification for Total Sanitation, observe the following;
S/N Description Responses
Yes No Remarks
1 All households use hygienic latrines

2 All households always keep latrines clean

3 Schools (where available) have latrines, hand

washing facilities and urinals
4 Health Centres (where available) have latrines
and hand washing facilities
5 Markets (where available) have latrines

6 Hand washing facilities close to the latrines

7 People keep food covered

8 People keep drinking water covered

9 Community water point surroundings clean

10 Proper disposal of solid waste

11 Proper disposal of liquid waste

12 Proper disposal of animal waste

13 Location of water points (borehole, dug well)

30m from latrines
14 Community environment generally clean

Any other observations and additional comments on the Total Sanitation status of the
Community:
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………….

Recommendations (Give your recommendations on the Total Sanitation Status of the

Community)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………

Name of Evaluator: Signature: Date: