An Introduction to Community Engagement in WASH

The humanitarian sector has been strengthening its focus on and commitment to community-centered responses in recent years.1 This guide aims to provide field staff with clear, accessible guidance on the principles and practice of community engagement in WASH programs. The content has been field-tested in a variety of contexts.

The principles and approaches described here are relevant in other programs and sectors too, but the target audience for this guide is WASH staff in humanitarian programs – especially those responsible for designing, implementing, and monitoring public health promotion activities. It will also be relevant for managers, public health engineers and decision-makers interested in promoting good quality outcomes in WASH programs by ensuring that communities affected by the crisis are at the center of the response.