Scope and Focus

In order to meet these municipal capacity building objectives (and not withstanding these general development goals), the scope of this sourcebook is focused on particular areas of the debate. First, the work is clearly concerned with the implementation of partnerships at the local or municipal level of government. This does not deny the importance of policy-making and the influential role of national-level regulatory frameworks and policies on municipal initiatives. These are critical, and are covered in depth elsewhere.5 However, while this macro level emphasises the importance of getting the preparation right, little support is actually provided for municipalities and other public sector implementing bodies. This book therefore supplements this body of material by addressing the micro level - it looks at how policies are implemented by those who have to implement them.

Second, the research seeks to explore private sector participation in relation to the broader municipal objectives of effective governance and management. In the rush towards private sector participation in a particular sector, there seems little encouragement for municipalities to stand back and look at the whole picture. Therefore, the book pursues a theme that links private sector participation with municipal reform, management and poverty reduction.

Third, the work has an urban focus. In the context of increasing decentralisation and rapid urbanisation in many parts of the world, this series is concerned with the problems of resource-deficient urban local government. While these deficiencies tend to be amplified in secondary cities and towns, the emphasis here is not on size but on the lessons that are relevant for dissemination to smaller municipalities, where financial and human resources are particularly constrained. It therefore includes reference to larger cities if initiatives seem relevant and replicable. In terms of overall scope, this urban focus includes the peri-urban context. It is often peri-urban areas that lack access to network services and pose major challenges to governments and private service operators.

Fourth, the work promotes an approach to service partnerships that is inclusive of a wide range of urban actors (such as non-governmental organisations (NGOs), informal service providers and community organisations) in varying and complex roles. Given that no two contexts are the same, it is therefore unlikely that any solution will fit all situations. This book does not fall into the privatisation camp, which promotes private sector solutions regardless of context and capacity. Instead, it aims to expose the various alternatives, open up the options and promote partnership solutions that are contextually specific and lead to sustainable improvements for the poor.

Most importantly, this work focuses on how partnerships can address the poor. It is particularly concerned with those urban contexts overwhelmingly troubled by poverty and service constraints. It is concerned with marginalisation processes, and the political economy of allocating resources and delivering basic services to the poor. While it acknowledges the indirect benefits that reforms can bring, it is also specifically concerned with maximising the potential of direct and targeted improvements for the poor.

Given the primary objective of municipal capacity building in relation to the poor, illustrative material in this book is limited to those physical services that fall within the responsibility of municipalities, and which have the most significant impact on the quality of the lives of the poor in cities. These include water, sanitation and solid waste. This is not to deny that some municipalities may not deliver all these services, that some municipalities may have responsibility for other key services affecting the poor such as energy and transport, or that private sector participation in non-basic municipal services often creates a platform for change. It is hoped that many of the descriptions apply to a much broader range of municipal activities, and that the illustrative material can provide pointers for these initiatives.

A number of parameters have defined the scope and boundaries of the work. First, the research and outputs are concerned with partnerships that include actors in the for-profit private sector.6 This limitation does not exclude a role for NGOs - indeed, the book actively promotes such roles - but it seeks to consider the nature of partnerships that involve the complexities of profit, and the benefits that the for-profit sector can bring. Notably, the approach includes the informal sector where possible. Indeed, 'private sector' can refer to the formal or informal sector, international or local, or large or small enterprises. Key definitions are provided in Box 1.1.

The detailed structure, organisation and sequence of the book are covered in Chapter 2. Each chapter is located within a strategic framework for capacity building. A broad range of detailed illustrative material supplements the text throughout. This is a primary characteristic of this series, a tool developed to make concepts and issues tangible and real for municipal decision-makers. Illustrations are drawn from 15 cities and towns in countries as diverse as Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, India, Laos, Nepal, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.