This document reports findings from Phase 1 of a Department for International Development (DFID) funded project (R6875) concerning the development of practical guidelines for the application of the Strategic Sanitation Approach in urban areas. Results from a review of literature are discussed. The purpose of the review is to examine how the key concepts underlying the Strategic Sanitation Approach (SSA) have been addressed in operational terms on the ground, highlighting examples where SSA ideas have been applied, what problems were identified in their application, and what issues require further consideration or clarification with the approach as a whole. Each section ends by abstracting the key points identified and posing questions which remain unresolved.