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

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 cooperation 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. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.