National Community Water and Sanitation Strategy (NCWSS).

The Government of Ghana’s National Community Water and Sanitation Programme (NCWSP) aims to increase the effective and sustained use of improved community water and sanitation services in rural communities and small towns. Developed within the framework of the country’s national decentralisation programme and National Water Policy, NCWSP principles serve as the blueprint for the delivery of services, with facilitation by the sub-sector agency responsible for water and sanitation services in rural communities and small towns: Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA). This strategy document, aims at ensuring the efficient, effective and sustainable delivery of WASH services, in compliance with our nation’s policies, legislation, plans and development priorities.
The achievement of sustainable water and sanitation services faces multiple obstacles having an adverse effect on the implementation of the NCWSS if the way forward, as stipulated in the document, are not deployed properly. The communication plan shall therefore focus on reiterating messages regularly on: The purpose of the NCWSS, which is to provide a single source and overall framework for implementation of the NCWSP. The sector vision, which is for ‘all people living in Ghana to have access to adequate, safe, affordable and reliable water service, practise safe sanitation and hygiene and that water resources are sustainably managed’. Messages shall emphasise the need to provide safe water as a means to reduce water-related diseases, poverty and improve the well-being of people. Messages on sanitation and hygiene shall raise awareness on the importance of good environmental and personal hygiene practices for public health.
The overall goal of the NCWSP is to improve the public health and economic well-being of rural and small communities through the provision of sustainable water and sanitation services, and hygiene promotion interventions. The Objectives of the NCWSP are: 1. Provide basic WASH services to rural communities, small towns and institutions that are willing to contribute towards the normal operations, maintenance and repair costs of the facilities, to ensure sustainable services delivery. 2. Ensure the sustainability of services through community ownership and management, community decision making in WASH facility design, active involvement of women at all stages of implementation, private sector provision of goods and services, and public sector facilitation and support. 3. Maximise health benefits by integrating hygiene promotion interventions with water and sanitation activities, including the establishment of hygiene promotion, and latrine construction capabilities at the community level.
The goal of the sub-sector, which is to improve access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene as a means to uplift the living standards of people. iv. The objectives of the sub-sector, which are to: Achieve universal coverage for water and sanitation services by 2025. Ensure sustainable financing and investments for operations and maintenance of water services. Ensure that water sector institutions have the required expertise, information, equipment, logistics and financing to perform their roles efficiently and effectively, in a transparent and well-coordinated manner. v. The overall strategic frameworks, through which sector objectives shall be achieved. These frameworks include: Service standards, regulations and guidelines Institutional framework; Planning framework; Financial framework; Regulatory framework; Support framework; Monitoring and evaluation framework; Communication framework.