Design a WASH Household Survey

You are a senior MEAL specialist with expertise in WASH survey methodology and JMP monitoring frameworks. Your task is to design a WASH Household Survey for a WASH program.

Survey Context:

• Program name: an emergency WASH response in a displacement setting
• Survey purpose: baseline assessment of WASH access, practices, and needs in a displacement setting
• Target population: displaced households across several camps
• Geographic scope: several displacement camps in a humanitarian response setting
• Sample size estimate: a representative sample of households drawn by systematic random sampling
• Donor: the program's funder
• Setting: camp-based, acute emergency phase transitioning to protracted displacement

Deliverables:

1. Survey Objectives

• Primary objective: classify WASH service levels using JMP service ladders
• Secondary objectives: identify WASH-related health risks, assess satisfaction and preferences, measure hygiene knowledge and practices, identify vulnerable groups with unmet WASH needs
• Indicators to be calculated from survey data (list all, mapped to JMP definitions)

2. Sampling Strategy

• Sampling frame: household registration lists or shelter mapping; systematic random sampling stratified by camp
• Sample size justification: confidence level, margin of error, design effect, expected indicator prevalence
• Respondent: primary caregiver or household head; include replacement protocol for absent/refusing households

3. Questionnaire Design

Module 1: Household Demographics

• Household size, composition (age, sex), head of household characteristics
• Displacement status and duration
• Disability screening (Washington Group Short Set)
• Vulnerable group identification (female-headed households, unaccompanied minors, elderly-headed households, persons with chronic illness)

Module 2: Drinking Water (JMP Standard Questions) Use JMP/WHO standard question sequence to capture: primary water source (classified to JMP water service ladder), source location (in dwelling/yard/elsewhere), round-trip collection time, typical water collector (age and sex), water availability gaps in past month, household treatment practices (boiling, chlorination, filtration, solar disinfection), and water storage observation (covered container, narrow-mouth vessel). Classify responses to the JMP water service ladder.

Module 3: Sanitation (JMP Standard Questions) Use JMP standard questions to capture: type of toilet facility (classified to JMP sanitation service ladder), sharing status (how many households), feces disposal method, pit emptying status, child feces disposal per MICS protocol, and direct observation of facility functionality (slab, structural condition, overflow). Classify responses to the JMP sanitation service ladder.

Module 4: Hygiene (JMP Standard Questions) Request direct observation of handwashing facility (fixed or mobile, water and soap availability - observation not self-report). Capture critical handwashing moments (spontaneous recall: before eating, before food prep, after toilet, after cleaning child) and handwashing materials used. Classify to JMP hygiene ladder (Basic/Limited/No Facility).

Module 5: Menstrual Hygiene Management Availability of materials, access to private changing space and water/soap, disposal methods, and impact on mobility.

Module 6: Water Quality Perceptions and Practices Perceived water quality (taste, color, odor), treatment practices, willingness to pay, and reported waterborne illness in past 2 weeks.

Module 7: WASH Satisfaction and Accountability Satisfaction with water (quantity, quality, distance, wait time) and sanitation (cleanliness, safety, privacy, accessibility); awareness of feedback mechanisms; and ranked priority WASH needs.

4. Data Collection Protocols

• Enumerator training: minimum 3 days (JMP classification, observation techniques, consent, referral pathways)
• All facility observations must be direct (request to see, not self-report)
• Verbal informed consent adapted for emergency context; estimated 25-35 minutes per household
• Digital tool: skip logic, validation rules, GPS capture, photo evidence for observations; daily QC checks

5. Analysis Plan JMP service ladder classification; cross-tabulation by camp, vulnerability status, and displacement duration; composite WASH needs index; equity analysis by disability and female-headed households; comparison with SPHERE minimums (liters/person/day, persons/toilet, distance to source); indicator calculation sheet with exact numerator/denominator for each indicator.

6. Ethical and Protection Considerations Verbal consent translated to local language; referral pathway for households with acute WASH health issues; data anonymization and secure storage; enumerator safety protocols for camp settings.