Sanitation policy: how intentions and interpretation affect policy implementation

National sanitation policy plays a role in increasing sanitation coverage and improving sanitation service provision. Who develops policy and how they develop it, influences the degree to which that policy is subsequently implemented and the impact it achieves. Based on the assessment of sanitation policy content and processes in a range of countries, the paper analyses the various factors that influence the implementation of policy and its impact upon services to the poor. It raises questions about how to take account of these factors in the course of efforts to improve sanitation policy.