Dear David,

In my view, one thing that distinguishes SuSanA from others and with a high added value is the open sharing of knowledge. It could be added in the sentence : it provides a platform for discussion, open sharing of knowledge etc...
Thank you for starting this discussion !

Best regards,

Cecile

Dear all,

Following on from my suggestion in Stockholm that we should have a mission statement, I have been working on one with a few members mainly from SEI and GIZ. In the original email I copied some information from Wikipedia to give us guidelines as to what a mission statement should be and look like, and an example.

I print this here:

A Mission Statement should:

· Define what the organisation is;
· Be limited to exclude some ventures;
· Be broad enough to allow for creative growth;
· Distinguish the company from all others;
· Serve as a framework to evaluate current activities;
· Be stated clearly so that it is understood by all.

Vern McGinis

Example:
Courtyard by Marriott - "To provide economy and quality minded travellers with a premier, moderate priced lodging facility which is consistently perceived as clean, comfortable, well-maintained, and attractive, staffed by friendly, attentive and efficient people"

It has had some evolving and went from these:
1.
SuSanA provides a visible user friendly information-sharing platform for existing and emerging sustainable sanitation systems, which can play a role in the provision of long-term solutions wherever they may be needed.
2.
SuSanA is a visible platform and community of practice to exchange knowledge on sustainable sanitation systems, in the provision of long-term integrated sanitation, water and hygiene solutions for the communities of the world.
3.
SuSanA unites practitioners, policy makers and academia around the vision of sustainable sanitation and provides a visible user friendly information-sharing (and networking) platform for the members with information on existing and emerging sustainable sanitation systems, which can play a role in the provision of long-term solutions wherever they may be needed.

to this, the latest version:

SuSanA is an informal network of organisations and individuals that share a common vision relating to sustainable sanitation solutions. It provides a platform for discussion and interaction, and contributes to international dialogue in order to encourage integrated sanitation, water and hygiene policies.

Bearing in mind the guidelines and example given above, we would welcome your input as to the latest version and any suggestions you may have. It needs to be sharp, snappy and informative.