In 2008, SNV Ethiopia supported local government authorities in six districts of Southern Ethiopia to implement CLTS in 52 villages and help them achieve ODF status. SNV, together with six local capacity building institutions (LCBs), trained 250 government staff and seven NGOs.

The following lessons were learned:

• Strong facilitation skills are crucial. The change process requires effective communicators who need not necessarily be technical people.
• The participation of outsiders in the launch and follow-up sessions is essential to evoke behavioural change.
• Sustaining the process and participation of the community requires recognition of community efforts by peer communities and government authorities.
• Involvement of LCBs and local NGOs deepens the community understanding of the CLTS concept, sustains the process and assists in scaling up the process across the wider community.
• Including local leaders in comprehensive advocacy sessions at the district level fosters participation.
• School and village representatives should be members of the local CLTS team and participate jointly in all steps of the CLTS exercise. The village community should transect where pupils defecate, calculate the volume of fecal matter from the school and discuss its impact on the village. In the village CLTS action plan the school should be considered as a household in the village with special needs.
• Commitment of local leaders of key social institutions such as churches, mosques and so on must be obtained to enhance an active role in CLTS implementation and follow up.