1.1 Basic urban services are key to the well being of the urban poor. The focus of PPP initiatives on basic services remains a strongly relevant poverty alleviation focus. Community surveys undertaken in PPP initiatives confirmed the relevance of basic urban services to the urban poor. Services like solid waste collection, water and sanitation were what the poor demanded.
1.2 The pro-poor PPP focus is strategically consistent with the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (especially poverty eradication and environmental sustainability, and also contributing to reducing child mortality, improving maternal health and combating diseases improved living conditions).1
1.3 While first phase IPGs and National Programmes are more process-oriented, immediate tangible benefits were identified in several cases for the urban poor, principally related to improvement of basic services, cleaner and better living conditions, and new employment opportunities.
1.4 It was found that pro-poor PPPs offer multiple benefits for the urban poor:
1.4.1 better access to services
1.4.2 increased employment opportunities
1.4.3 understanding how to transform an environmental problem into a business opportunity
1.4.4 freeing up of local government's resources to be used more directly to address urban poverty
1.4.5 narrowing the gap between local communities and the local authority
1.4.6 empowerment such as learning new skills, gaining confidence and trust, understanding how to deal with local authority officials and overseeing services provided by providers
1.5 The initiatives have laid the ground for innovation, including exposing weaknesses in current service systems and provoking new approaches.
1.6 Creating systemic change and creating enabling conditions for PPPs is likely to have beneficial multiplier effects for the urban poor in the longer term, although systemic change can also be supported by projects with immediate tangible impact (see later).
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1 An independent evaluation of one National Programme found strong direct contributions to four of the eight Millennium Development Goals: eradicate poverty, promote gender equity and empower women, ensure sustainable environmental management and build sustainable global partnerships.