The water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector faces a wide range of challenges. Many innovative and effective solutions have been developed by sector actors to address them. The WASH Kit brings together a selection of solutions that have proven successful in projects implemented on the ground by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and its partners. By compiling practical tools, methodologies and resources in one place, the WASH Kit helps organisations identify and apply tested solutions for improving water, sanitation and hygiene services in diverse contexts.
The WASH Kit covers three main areas. First, it provides tools for diagnosis, planning and monitoring. These help decision-makers understand existing sanitation challenges, assess risks, and identify the most effective interventions. Second, it includes practical resources for the construction, rehabilitation, operation and maintenance of sanitation infrastructure in schools, healthcare facilities and other public institutions. Third, it offers approaches for awareness raising, education and knowledge sharing, helping communities adopt healthier hygiene behaviours and promoting long-term change.
One of the key strengths of the WASH Kit is its flexibility. Users can select individual solutions or combine several of them according to their specific project needs and available resources. A browser-based Tool Finder supports this process by guiding users through a series of questions and recommending suitable solutions.
The WASH Kit comprises 19 solutions. Examples include Toilets Making the Grade®, a school competition that encourages schools to tackle sanitation challenges on their own in a playful way, or the Shit Flow Diagram that helps visualise the flow of excreta in a city. The WASH Kit also includes eight curated sets of resources grounded in practical experience from the GIZ-implemented Sanitation for Millions project, addressing topics like safe menstrual hygiene management, operation and maintenance of sanitary infrastructure, and more.
By combining practical experience, proven methodologies and user-friendly resources, the WASH Kit helps organisations implement effective WASH interventions more quickly, efficiently and sustainably. The WASH Kit has been developed by the global programme Sanitation for Millions and the sector programme InnoBlue – Innovations for Resilience that were commissioned by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Modules on Diagnosis, Planning, Monitoring
Shit Flow Diagram
The SFD is a digital assessment tool to visualise the sanitation situation, in particular the flow of wastewater and faecal sludge, in a specific city by creating a graphic and a short report. You can find the SFD tool here.
City Service Delivery Assessment (CSDA)
The CSDA is a participatory tool that supports stakeholders in creating a framework for city-wide inclusive sanitation (CWIS) and complements the Shit Flow Diagram assessment. You can find the CSDA tool here.
Energy Performance and Carbon Emissions Assessment and Monitoring Tool (ECAM)
ECAM is an assessment tool used by water and wastewater utilities to monitor greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption on a system-wide level. You can find the ECAM tool here.
Technology Applicability Framework (TAF)
The TAF is a participatory decision-making tool for assessing the suitability of a particular water, sanitation and hygiene technology for certain framework conditions. It also provides the most important prerequisites for a successful introduction or expansion of the technology. You can find the TAF tool here.
Sanitation Safety Planning (SSP)
The SSP tool provides a structure to bring different actors together to assess, manage and monitor health, environmental and climate risks along the entire sanitation chain. You can find the SSP tool here.
O&M App - Calculate the Cost
The Operations and Maintenance (O&M) app helps with the calculation of operation and maintenance costs for the implementation of water, sanitation and hygiene in schools. The app also includes measures for pandemic supply and control. You can find the O&M App here.
Modules on Construction and Maintenance
Construction or Rehabilitation of WASH Infrastructure at Schools
This set of resources offers essential information and materials for the successful implementation of construction measures to improve the sanitary infrastructure in schools, based on practical experience. You can find the set of resources here.
Construction or Rehabilitation of WASH Infrastructure at Healthcare Facilities
This set of resources provides essential information and materials for the successful implementation of construction measures to improve the sanitary infrastructure in healthcare facilities, based on practical experience. You can find the set of resources here.
Construction or Rehabilitation of WASH Infrastructure at Faith-based Institutions
This set of resources offers essential information and materials for the successful implementation of construction measures to improve the sanitation infrastructure in faith-based facilities, based on practical experience. You can find the set of resources here.
Operation and Maintenance of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Infrastructure in Public Institutions
This set of resources provides essential information and materials on the operation and maintenance of sanitary facilities in public institutions, based on practical experience. You can find the set of resources here.
Group Hand Washing Facility: The WASHaLOT
The WASHaLOT is a group hand washing system that has been developed for schools and public places in water-scarce regions. It can work even where there is no piped water and enables several people to wash their hands at the same time, effectively and in a water-saving manner. You can find the guide here.
Fit for School: Period-Friendly Toilets
The Regional Fit for School Programme presents a modular and culturally adaptable intervention package for Menstrual Hygiene Management in schools. You can find the digital tool here.
Modules on Awareness Raising and Knowledge Transfer
Reaching Millions via Social Media
Young people can be reached with key messages around water, sanitation and hygiene (and in other sectors) through a team of a local Godwill Ambassadors, a professional film maker, a storyteller and local film teams. Until 2026, the approach has been applied by nine GIZ projects in nine countries, reaching more than 15 million people. You can find the service description here.
Menstrual Hygiene Management – Awareness Raising and Knowledge Sharing in Public Institutions
This set of resources provides essential information and materials to impart knowledge and raise awareness on safe menstrual hygiene management, enabling girls and women to deal safely with their menstruation without taboos, shame and stigma. You can find the set of resources here.
Menstrual Hygiene Management – Advocacy on Policy Level and Cooperation with the Private Sector
This set of resources offers practical information and materials on how to anchor the topic of menstrual hygiene at a political level as well as possible forms of cooperation with actors from the private sector and civil society. You can find the set of resources here.
Hygiene Awareness and Behaviour Change Communication
This set of resources provides information and materials on measures to embed safe hygiene practices in everyday life. You can find the set of resources here.
Toilets Making the Grade® School Competitions
As part of Toilets Making the Grade, children and young people work in teams with other school stakeholders to develop solutions for the sanitary situation at their school. A jury assesses the concept and implementation. The school competitions were developed by the German Toilet Organisation. You can find the service offer here.
Stronger Together! Coalition
Women's networks play an important role in supporting women in the water sector and bringing the topic into relevant forums. With the Stronger Together! Coalition, there are structures for coordination, advocacy and joint activities of women's networks and partners. You can find out more about the coalition here.
Oky App
Oky is a mobile app that helps girls around the world track their periods and learn more about their physical health. The app provides youth-orientated information on menstrual health and wellbeing, packaged in a fun and safe user interface. You can find out more about the app here.
