There is no one best way to set up and manage a town-level multistakeholder forum. The composition of the multistakeholder forum and issues to be addressed will differ from one town to another. This Step-by-Step Guide has been developed with the understanding that one-size-does-not-fit-all. The users of the Guide are, therefore, encouraged to be flexible in developing multistakeholder partnerships in line with their local needs and resources.

A substantial part of the Guide is based on UN-HABITAT’s own learning and experiences gained in the first phase of the Lake Victoria Region Water and Sanitation Initiative1. Current thinking on multistakeholder partnerships and the experiences and practices of other development partners are also used to illustrate some points.