Mansoor Ali

Partnerships for solid waste management in developing countries: linking theories to realities☆

Abstract Both public and private sectors are active in management of solid waste in developing countries. There is an emerging trend in encouraging the private sector to enter into solid waste management (SWM) operations, and attempts are being made to formally link the public and private sector operators. Such linkages may improve the efficiency of the entire sector and create new opportunities for employment. However, any change in the present order may inevitably affect the lives of millions of most vulnerable and marginalised population in the cities of the developing counties—both as users and providers of the service. It is worth revisiting the fundamentals of partnerships from the perspective of relevant theories. Two pertinent sociological theories, functionalism and general systems, view institutions as composed of interdependent parts that must adapt to survive in a changing world. The economic theory of property rights assigns rights of ownership as the reason for the private sector to excel. Economists also argue that hybrid organisations composed of both public and private sector hold a great deal of promise. These hybrid sector organisations provide a means to combine the efficiency and expertise of the business world with public interest, accountability and broader planning of government. These new organisations are important as alternatives, not replacing the existing order, but balancing the roles played by the public and private sector agencies. The competition theory of management science may be adapted to the concept of complementation in place of the traditional view of competition. This theory explores the values of co-operation among organisations to best exploit the comparative advantage of each. In the light of above theories, this paper analyses the possibilities for public/private partnership using the example of SWM as a sub-sector. The paper discusses necessary conditions for harnessing optimal benefits from this arrangement. Poorly designed attempts for partnership may actually worsen the situation by opening new avenues of inefficiency and corruption. Other caveats and barriers for integration are also presented. The paper concludes that partnerships will not be effective and sustainable unless proper incentives for both sectors are built into the design. Finally, the authors debate whether there is a need for a facilitating agency for designing and nurturing partnerships.

Experiences with Electronic Conferencing : a case study of electronic discussions on gender and waste management

Reports important lessons learned in the organization of electronic conferences and proposes a step by step guide to planning similar conferences on other topics. Discusses various benefits from staging electronic discussions and indicates key indicators for success for similar conferences. The lessons learned are mainly drawn from the experience of holding electronic conferences on solid waste management in 1997 and 1998, mainly from the most recent conferences on Gender and Waste Management held between 9th–26th of May 1998 on the solid-waste-management-recycle discussion list.

The informal sector: What is it worth?

Just how important are informal recycling and primary collection activities - not only for improved solid waste management, but also for social development in the South?

Public sector delivery of waste management services: cases from the Indian Sub-Continent

Abstract This paper discusses the role of public sector institutions in the delivery of urban services, with a particular focus on waste management in the Indian Sub-Continent. Public sector institutions are the major stakeholders in the delivery of urban sevices. They hold the major responsibilities, funds and employ a large number of staff. The public sector institutions are also exposed to political influence and the institutional changes are often politically or donors driven. However, since new institutions such as non-government organisations and private sector are taking important roles in the actual delivery of services, there is a greater need to understand the existing linkages to promote integration. The informal sector also provides services to a large number of population. In order to promote efficient and effective delivery of urban services, it is important to work on the integrated approaches involving key stakeholders.

Crossfire: ‘The involvement of the local and small private sector is critical for improving watsan services to the urban poor’

Dr Mansoor Ali works for Practical Action in the urban services programme and the views expressed here are his personal views and not those of Practical Action. Steve Broomfi eld is head of utilities at UNISON.

Improving waste management in small towns of Azerbaijan

In countries in transition like Azerbaijan, waste management services that were once provided by the state have largely been abandoned. Extra work must be done by NGOs in building a sense of responsibility for the environment and for recycling.

Cleaning up a dirty business - improving waste governance through partnerships

As urban areas grow, the problem of solid waste management in developing countries takes on alarming dimensions. Partnerships between public sector supervisors, private sector service providers and local people may be the way to harness both the skills and resources to meet this challenge.