Community-Business partnerships for health: mapping community actors, their linkages and influence to promote water sanitation and hygiene, and business scaling

ABSTRACT TRANSFORM, funded by the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, and led by Unilever, Mastercard, and EY, aims to build capacity of small businesses to contribute to sustainable and impactful development. With support from Unilever, research conducted in Wa, Ghana, explored the WASH network, influencers, and points of leverage for demand generation and business development for WASH enterprises. The research focused on social networks, discussions about and use of WASH products and services provided by a local WASH enterprise. Groups of men, women, and WASH artisans each constructed a net map that identified actors and their influence. Male participants identified landlords and heads of household as important actors, women identified NGOs, and artisans identified NGOs and chiefs. Influential and connected actors were district assemblies, chiefs, NGOs, youth groups, traditional rulers, heads of household, tenants, and media, while unconnected but influential actors included religious leaders, teachers, WASH specialists, NGOs, and the environmental protection agency. The study confirmed community interest in WASH products that enterprises can leverage to provide information and expand service coverage. Recommendations support leveraging highly connected and influential groups, improving connections among highly influential groups, engaging media, and boosting the recognizability of SMEs and artisans as WASH advocates.