Zambia's 3 million people programme: a service delivery model for scaling-up hygiene and sanitation

With funding from UK Aid, the Government of the Republic of Zambia and UNICEF are implementing a programme to support 3 million people in gaining access to improved sanitation facilities. Early in the implementation of this ambitious programme, progress stumbled. This joint paper reports the development and adoption of a Service Delivery Model that rejuvenated the programme’s progress, based on three key principles: 1) Standardisation under the lead of the government; 2) Decentralised technical support and 3.) Strengthening leadership and accountability of the government. Since the model was rolled out in July 2013, the programme has had a period of outstanding exponential growth: access to improved sanitation has risen from 43% in 2012 (JMP) to 58% at the end of 2014 (government database) and the availability of functionnal hand washing station from 8.6% to 55% (government database). At the end of 2015, the programme has to potential to exceed the very ambitious planned milestones.