Developing a partnership strategy also requires the capacity to envisage the roles, responsibilities and relationships of the wide range of actors potentially involved in a service partnership. The easiest solution for municipalities is to create a bilateral partnership with a private sector operator (or NGO or CBO). Yet the complex nature of developing cities and the diversity of inhabitants establishes a context that requires multi-faceted solutions, and the municipality is ultimately the actor responsible for the vision, and for applying this vision to a working partnership. The challenge is to weave a coherent tapestry of functions, actors and roles.
In those situations where partnership visions are broad and inclusive, the understanding and coordination of actors may well be an implicit part of developing the partnership. Building a comprehensive strategy requires clarity - a good understanding of the problem, the existing assets and untapped capacities. Yet in many municipalities, engineers educated in the 'old school' approach will lead service partnerships, and their knowledge of NGOs (for instance) may be limited or coloured by biased judgements about their capacity and purpose. The same engineer may still be driven by the 'provider' role and may not have taken on board the importance of consultation with trade unions, community organisations and other interested consumer groups. The question then arises as to where the responsibility for an inclusive process lies.
Stutterheim, the example described in Box 11.1, is an interesting case in this respect. It illustrates how the incapacity to perceive roles for all actors can constrain the potential of partnership arrangements. Stutterheim is a town with both a PPP (in water and sanitation) and an effective and well-established community forum, yet the operations of the two initiatives are divergent. No attempt has been made to capitalise on the opportunities of both private sector and community initiatives, to bring these together into an arrangement that brings broader benefits to the town. The potential roles of stakeholders have not been identified or applied to the service delivery process.
Chapter 6 provides a detailed discussion of the various stakeholders, their potential roles and strengths and weaknesses. Building the capacity of the municipality to formulate and execute effective partnerships requires both an understanding of human and organisational resources and an ability to apply these resources within the partnership strategy.