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The life cycle cost approach can be used to monitor levels of service received by users and the [[Costs_of_WASH_Service_Delivery_-_Introduction|costs]] required to deliver these services (Fonseca et.al, 2011). Costs are compared and assessed in relation to the level of service received by users. Services are ranked in a ''ladder'', from no service to high or improved service, based on different criteria. Each step up the service delivery ladder requires a different combination of infrastructure, management systems and human resources.
====Sanitation====
The sanitation service ladder is designed to describe domestic (household) sanitation (Potter et al., 2011). The service criteria for sanitation are accessibility, use, reliability and environmental protection (see table 1). The household service level is decided by the lowest level of service received on one of the four service criteria—accessibility, use, reliability and environmental protection. These criteria can vary across countries, with the basic level of service being the national norm. Typically, a higher level of service means more of every criterion. Each criterion is measured by one or more indicators. For example, the indicator for the use criterion is how many people in the household use the sanitation facility.
'''Table 1. Sanitation service levels'''
{|style="color: white; background-color:#4682B4;" class="wikitable"
|Service Levels
|Accessibility
|Use
|Reliability (O&M)
|Environmental protection (pollution and density)
|-
|style="color:black; background-color:#ADD8E6;"|Improved service
|style="color:black; background-color:#ADD8E6;"|Each family dwelling has one or more toilets in the compound
|style="color:black; background-color:#ADD8E6;"|Facilities used by all members of the household
|style="color:black; background-color:#ADD8E6;"|Regular or routine O&M (including pit emptying), requiring minimal user effort
|style="color:black; background-color:#ADD8E6;"|Non-problematic environmental impact; Disposal and reuse of safe by-products
|-
|style="color:black; background-color:#ffffff;"|Basic service
|style="color:black; background-color:#ffffff;"|Latrine with impermeable slab (household or shared) at a national norm distance from household
|style="color:black; background-color:#ffffff;"|Facilities used by some members of household
|style="color:black; background-color:#ffffff;"|Unreliable O&M (including pit emptying), requiring high user effort
|style="color:black; background-color:#ffffff;"|Non-problematic environmental impact and safe disposal
|-
|style="color:black; background-color:#D3D3D3;"|Limited service
|style="color:black; background-color:#D3D3D3;"|Platform without impermeable slab; Separated faeces from users
|rowspan="2" style="color:black; background-color:#C0C0C0;"|No use or insufficient use
|rowspan="2" style="color:black; background-color:#C0C0C0;"|No O&M (pit emptying) taking place and the presence of extremely dirty toilets
|rowspan="2" style="color:black; background-color:#C0C0C0;"|Significant environmental pollution, worsening with increased populations
|-
style="color:black; background-color:#C0C0C0;"|No service
style="color:black; background-color:#C0C0C0;"|No separation between user and faeces, e.g. open defication
|}
Source: Potter et al., 2011, page 21
The service levels and criteria for sanitation can be adapted for use at workplaces and in schools and colleges.