Module

3.2
3.2 Program Organizer

The Program Organizer plays a key part in a filter program. This module
explains the role of the Program Organizer and the activities that he/she
should pursue.
Module 3.2 Program organizer

3.2 PROGRAM ORGANIZER.....................................................................................................................1

INTRO TO BEING A PROGRAM ORGANIZER......................................................................................................2
Role of a Program Organizer...................................................................................................................2
Expected Participants..............................................................................................................................2
Course Goals............................................................................................................................................2
Learning Objectives.................................................................................................................................3
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE...............................................................................................................................3
SETTING UP A PROGRAM.............................................................................................................................4
Program Goals.........................................................................................................................................4
Initial Assessment.....................................................................................................................................4
Organization.............................................................................................................................................4
Budget.......................................................................................................................................................4
Interactions with Other Individuals.........................................................................................................4
Other Program Aspects............................................................................................................................5
RESOURCES..............................................................................................................................................5

Intro to Being a Program Organizer

Role of a Program Organizer
The role of the program organizer is to be the supporting sponsor and key driver of a local
water and sanitation program. They are the ones that initiate a program and then follow it
through. They support all the other workers that are involved as indicated in the following
sections. If outside funding is needed, they would be the one to write proposals and find
the funding.

The program organizer should have excellent communication and organizational skills.
They will be the ones that take the initiative and get things done. They are generalists and
need to know a little bit of everything but don’t need to know all the details of all aspects
of a program. Establishing good working relations with others is essential for the program
organizer. They are the center of the activities and need to keep those activities moving to
ensure a successful and sustainable program

Expected Participants
Project or program managers of local country NGOs, individuals (local or ex-pat), health
agency, or a government agency.

Course Goals
The participants will gain a clear understanding of how to organize a BioSand filter
program and coordinate all aspects of the program. While the participants will learn how
the filter should be built, they will not become proficient in filter fabrication only.

Page 2 of 6
Module 3.2 Program organizer

Learning Objectives
Upon completing the program organizer course, the participants will be able to:
• Describe how to build a BioSand filter
• Identify potential filter technicians, community stewards, filter owners, funding and
partner organizations
• Write project plans and funding proposals
• Describe other water treating options and the advantages and limitations of each
• Teach some skills related to filter operations and becoming a community steward
• Perform monitoring and evaluation activities

General Knowledge
It is assumed that the program organizer has a reasonable level of knowledge on general
water and sanitation issues and may be very knowledgeable about the local situation. This
local knowledge should be extracted from the program organizer and put to good use in
his/her program. To supplement this knowledge, it is recommended that the following
topics be reviewed or taught to the program organizer. Some of these material may be
shortened or revised from the 4-day workshop version to account for local conditions and
knowledge of the individuals.

General Water and Sanitation

Where water comes from (Water cycle, water sources)
What is water contamination?
How contaminated water causes illnesses (transmission routes)
How water is contaminated
How water can be treated to remove contaminants
Safe storage of water
Good hygiene practices
Sanitation

BioSand Filter
What is it?
How is it built?
How is it installed?
How it is used correctly?
What the filter user should know
How to maintain the filter

Page 3 of 6
Module 3.2 Program organizer

Setting up a Program
Refer to CAWST’s proposed dissemination model (Module 3.1).

Program Goals
The local organizer initiates and follows through with the setting of goals for the program.
Goals can be broken into long term and short term but it is essential that some goals are
set. It is suggested that a full team be involved with goal setting. Since this is the key
element that establishes the work to be done over an extended period of time, the more
people that have contributed to and bought into the goals, the more likely the program is
to succeed. Once the goals are set, it may be useful to establish a program charter where
the goals of the program are listed and everyone signs on to them. This charter serves as a
reminder throughout the life of the program.

Initial Assessment
The local organizer ensures an initial assessment is conducted to determine the current
state of affairs. This assessment is used to establish the need and may be used to show if
the program is meeting its goals. The initial survey helps to determine where and how the
work will be done. If several communities are included, the survey can also help to set the
priorities and highest areas of need. There are several web sites that have examples of
initial surveys that could be used.
www.wateraid.org
http://www.cdc.gov/safewater/manuals.htm

Organization
The people that will work within the program are organized by the program organizer.
They include the Trainer, Filter Technicians, and Community Stewards. It is not necessary
that all the people work for or are paid by the program, but they should all be in direct
communication with the Program Organizer. Frequent communication and the building of
good relationships is to be encouraged and practiced. It is always easier to work with
someone who you know well and can communicate with. The organization can be very
flexible to account for the workloads of individuals and other priorities that are happening
or it can be fairly rigid which will keep the program running faster and possibly smoother.

Budget
There will be some expenses and income within a program. The initial start-up costs are
probably the greatest concern. Once the program is up and running, the filter sales help to
fund the majority of the costs. Paid staff will probably account for the largest cost in any
program.

Interactions with Other Individuals

Some considerations that the program organizer must take into account regarding the
various groups listed below include:

Trainer
Working with the Trainer

Page 4 of 6
Module 3.2 Program organizer

Expectations

Filter Technicians
Selection
Training
Support
Workspace, tools, molds, supplies, filter delivery
Mentoring
Business – Plans, Accounting, Microcredit, Marketing
Contracting projects (contract, quality control, schedules)
Letting go

Community Stewards
Selection
Training
Support

Health Institutions
Communications
Use of Lab Facilities
Coordination of Workers and Messages

Government Agencies
Ensuring Compliance (regulations, guidelines)
Coordinating Efforts

International NGO’s and Funding organizations

Funding Proposal
Managing the Project
Reporting

Community (Clients)
Filter Owners
Subsidies – selecting recipients

Other Program Aspects

Education Programs
On going Monitoring and Evaluations
Filter Installation Records
Filter Inspection
Impact Assessments
Expanding the Program

Resources

Page 5 of 6
Module 3.2 Program organizer

The following web site is a good resource to help with running an NGO and has many
tools and links.
http://www.networklearning.org/

There is also information on starting an NGO within that web site, in an on-line book
called How to Build an NGO.
http://www.networklearning.org/books/build-ngo.html

Page 6 of 6