MDWS requested UNICEF India Country Office (ICO) to study the status of preparation and implementation of IEC/SBCC plans of different states for the year 2018-19. UNICEF ICO agreed to support such assessment in Assam. UNICEF ICO partnered with SIGMA Foundation, a ‘Not for Profit’ organization to take up the study.

The approach adopted for the study involved analysis of the state and district IEC/SBCC plans for the year 2018-19 to review the plans and to assess various aspects of the processes of planning followed and implementation through field studies. Information was collected from different key officials through IDIs and various sections of the community through FGDs. 2 districts (Goalpara and North Lakhimpur) were selected in consultation with the state governments and UNICEF state office keeping in mind the diversity within the state. Further, Lakhipur block (Dodan GP and Pukhuripara GP) from Goalpara district and Lakhimpur block (Kamala Bariya GP and Azad GP) from North Lakhimpur district were selected to collect the qualitative information.

The report was shared with UNICEF ICO. It was found that the thrust areas as per the plan were eradication of practices of open defecation, promotion of construction, usage and maintenance of toilets, developing habit of hand-washing at critical times, awareness on toilet technology, adoption of safe MHM, more investment on SLWM. The strategy was to first have the Community Need Assessment (CNA) for the IEC/SBCC done for different zones of the state having different socio-cultural and geographic characteristics. Based on the need, IEC/SBCC planning and implementation was to be carried out in four phases.