The need to set up efficient, sustainable surveillance networks of animal diseases is a major issue for worldwide animal and public health management. In developing countries the need to assess the efficiency and sustainability of surveillance systems is of primary importance because of major sanitary issues and limited economic resources. So far, only the economic component of the sustainability concept has been subject to scientific interest, leaving out the social aspects. We present here a methodological framework for an assessment of social and economic issues faced by local actors involved in surveillance systems. This multidisciplinary approach consists of two major steps: first, the identification of the pathways of sanitary information diffusion through formal and informal social networks, and second the characterization of the socio-economic factors involved in these information sharing behaviors. Two methodologies can be implemented to develop models of the social network involved in sanitary information flow: (1) individual structured interviews based on prior identification of the actors involved; and (2) participatory methods, including observation and workshops. The development of the two models allows for comparison between their outcomes and their respective relevance. Stated preference methods, widely used in the field of economics to assess non-market values can then be applied to identify and quantify the social goods at stake in sanitary information flow. Due to the social and interactive nature of the targeted decision-making, stated preferences were elicited using participatory tools as well as role-playing games. (Texte intégral)