Options and alternatives are essential to the livelihood strategies of the poor, but are frequently missing from their lives. As a result they may attempt to make such options available by opting for an inadequate service during good times, because it allows them to go without during a crisis. Ensuring that the poor have access to choice is an empowering aspect of any development initiative. Yet often, choice is implicitly removed by not providing information or building awareness of the choices available. This book has presented some of the types of choices that can be pursued through partnership arrangements. These include, for instance:
• whether to have service improvements or not;
• which service improvements to have;
• what level of service to have;
• where the poor can make payments; and
• how and when they can make payments.