SBM-G IEC Guidelines for States and Districts

About Dataset

These guidelines provide a structured framework for Information Education and Communication (IEC) and Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) under the Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen (SBM-G). The document emphasizes that SBM-G is fundamentally a behaviour change programme and that construction of toilets alone cannot ensure sustainable sanitation outcomes. IEC is therefore treated as central to the Mission, with communication strategies designed to motivate communities to adopt safe, sustainable sanitation practices. The guidelines note the importance of adequate planning, budgeting, implementation and reporting of IEC activities and provide directions for improving utilization of IEC funds. States are required to meet specified expenditure benchmarks for eligibility for subsequent Government of India releases, thereby encouraging timely and complete use of allocated resources. The guidelines define responsibilities at State, District, Block and Village or Gram Panchayat levels. States are expected to develop State IEC and BCC strategies, ensure District Swachhta Plans are prepared and entered in the IMIS, undertake mass-media and social-media activities, fill IEC positions, engage appropriate agencies and development partners, monitor progress and facilitate workshops and knowledge sharing. Districts are required to prepare detailed IEC plans, develop annual activity calendars, engage IEC consultants, use Zila Swachh Bharat Preraks, monitor implementation across Gram Panchayats and ensure adequate Swachhagrahi coverage. IEC and BCC activities are also required during the post-ODF phase, focusing on toilet use and maintenance, pit emptying, water for sanitation, sustainability and Solid and Liquid Waste Management. Capacity building and monitoring are important components of the framework. Training is envisaged for State and District IEC consultants, Panchayati Raj Institutions, village motivators and teachers, covering IEC and BCC planning, procurement, communication monitoring, community-led approaches and WASH issues. States and districts are responsible for ensuring that IEC funds are used judiciously for high-impact activities and for establishing mechanisms to monitor implementation. Technology may be used for verification, including GPS tracking of Swachhta Raths and photographs of communication materials carrying time and location information. The guidelines also provide an illustrative range of activities, including Community Approaches to Sanitation training, triggering and Nigrani, interpersonal communication, songs and drama, wall writing and painting, melas, group meetings, exhibitions, hoardings, banners and mass media. The document further promotes locally appropriate and positive communication methods that avoid stigmatization or coercion. Swachhagrahis are positioned as grassroots motivators who should be trained, supported with communication materials and maintained in State and District records and the national IMIS. Local leaders, celebrities, teachers, health workers and other community influencers may be engaged to strengthen sanitation messaging. Mass media may include television, radio, community radio, outdoor publicity, mobile content and social media, while creative agencies and development partners may support locally relevant material. Convergence with schools, health workers and other departments is encouraged. Swachhta Raths are described as mobile exhibition vans carrying sanitation, hygiene and toilet technology messages. Overall, the guidelines provide an implementation-oriented framework for strengthening communication, community mobilisation, capacity building and monitoring to achieve and sustain sanitation behaviour change under SBM-G. The approach supports coordinated implementation, local adaptation, accountability and sustained sanitation outcomes. consistently. effectively.