Federation of Drinking Water and Sanitation Users Nepal (FEDWASUN) is a people-based umbrella organization of drinking water and sanitation users’ groups in Nepal. It facilitates drinking water and sanitation (WATSAN) services to communities, advocates for water and sanitation rights (“water for all and forever”), brings people’s issues to policy makers and service providers and creates a mechanism to check and balance both users’ committees and service providers to promote good governance.

Since its inception, FEDWASUN has been active in supporting its members by advocating sustainable policy and programs in water and sanitation sector. In coordination with the government, I/NGOs, CBOs, donors and civil society, it helps to bring solidarity among the users’ groups to resolve issues in the WATSAN sector.  At present, FEDWASUN is focusing its advocacy on equitable, transparent and justifiable distribution of facilities to users and encouraging meaningful participation of beneficiaries, including men and women, poor, marginalized and disadvantaged groups. FEDWASUN believes users are the managers of the water and sanitation system and that they have the right to make decisions in every aspect of the project.

Vision:
Be known nationally and internationally as a capable, strengthened network representative and a lead organization for drinking water and sanitation users’ groups throughout the country (Brochure- FEDWASUN, 2005).
 
Mission:
By protecting the rights of drinking water and sanitation users’ organizations throughout Nepal, making them aware, organizing and empowering them for attainment of additional rights, the organization will advocate for access to policy framing and decision-making. The organization’s achievement will be based on inclusive participation for availability and sustainability of drinking water and sanitation (Brochure- FEDWASUN, 2005).

Goal:
Enhance self-reliance capacity of water and sanitation users’ groups to influence policy making, planning and decision-making processes through meaningful participation and ensure sustainable water and sanitation capacity throughout Nepal(Constitution- FEDWASUN, 2004).  

Objectives

Overall objectives of the federation as described in its constitution are:

• Unify the drinking water and sanitation users’ organizations through exchange of knowledge, skill and experiences and enrichment of mutual help and goodwill
• Establish interrelationship between local level organizations, national level organizations and the center for their mutual benefit
• Carry out a coordinated campaign, monitoring and evaluation to ensure sustainable, good quality and safe drinking water and sanitation.
• Correct the procedural or practical weaknesses seen in government policies, laws, plans and programs by taking up these matters in policy making level and draw attraction of the concerned government organizations on unclear, confused and unexpected results that arise on these matters.
• Help to establish relation and coordination between the government of Nepal and the users’ organizations and build their capacity and capability
• Establish necessary coordination and partnership with local bodies, I/NGOs and other concerned stakeholders in favor of federation and users’ organizations
• Inform the drinking water and sanitation users’ organization about the traditional, national and international legal provisions on drinking water and sanitation services
• Develop the federation as a responsible and capable representative organization for the drinking water and sanitation users’ groups and establish its sustainability.
  (Constitution - FEDWASUN, 2004)

Working Methodology
In order to meet above vision, mission, goal and objectives by placing its core values in heart of its work, FEDWASUN’s constitution has described the following working methodologies:

• Organize technical, skills-based, awareness raising, legal trainings, workshops, meetings, gatherings and visits that are necessary to build the capacities of drinking water and sanitation users’ organizations and various units of this federations
• Implement awareness campaigns on sanitation, environmental balance and cleanliness from local to national level and protect people's right on quality drinking water
• Provide support as a mediator to resolve personal disputes that arise between the drinking water and sanitation users’ organizations and assist organizations that face legal and policy level issues
• Improve institutional capacities of the users’ organizations and encourage them to bring concepts of good governance, social justice, gender sensitivity, inclusive participation and common consensus into practice
• Maintain necessary relationship with the government and various concerned organizations and exchange support, advise and suggestions
• Carry out various works that is necessary and favorable for the drinking water and sanitation users’ organizations to achieve its goals and objectives.
• Take approval from Government, donors and other concerned stakeholders before implementing the programs and coordinate it to implement according to its goal and working methodologies (Constitution - FEDWASUN, 2004).

Organizational Structure		District Coverage Map