Notwithstanding the importance of political commitment at higher levels of government (discussed in Chapter 10), experience suggests that partnerships flourish if there is marked commitment within a municipality and its immediate local environment. Strong, committed leadership helps to maintain focus and motivate those involved to overcome problems and find solutions. A general level of competence and vision on the part of managers and leaders is essential if the opportunities of partnership approaches to service delivery are to become understood. Yet the very nature of this championing process means that partnerships can become tied to individuals, and that creates ownership problems when those individuals are transferred.
• Lead champions The commitment of top political leaders or officials is particularly vital for the development of alternative forms of municipal service delivery. Such local champions help raise awareness of private sector participation as an option, manage their councillors or officials through difficult times, technical complexities or political resistance, mobilise communities, and generally ensure that the vision of private sector participation remains intact. They act as champions for efforts at organisational improvement that normally attract little support. It is they who ensure that councillors and officials, as well as the community, receive sound information about the private sector participation option, and that informed debate occurs. In this way, fertile ground is developed for conceptualising, developing and implementing private sector participation. The absence or frailty of such champions often curtails partnerships - if not completely, then at least in terms of their scope and momentum.
• Support networks In municipalities promoting change, champions often develop a network of support for private sector participation at different levels and sections of the municipality. If the capacity exists, senior managers appoint middle management to undertake changes in day-to-day operations, and apply new processes and learning to specific municipal functions. They can mobilise managers and staff to push for change, articulate some of the guiding ideas and encourage those within the organisation and outside who are trying new things. Inspired by lead champions, internal supporting networks at other levels play an important role in putting policies and new approaches into practice.
• Clear mandates It is often easier to establish partnerships if the leadership has a clear mandate with firm control. Local coalitions may ultimately help to achieve broad-based commitment, but in coalitions, political differences often get resolved through compromise and delays in decision-making. This weakens the focus on the vision, and more powerful mobilisation of key parties is needed to bolster the partnership and its management.
• Continuity Political changes will also affect the focus of partnerships. For example, one council may enter into partnerships for a particular reason, with specific political objectives in mind. If the leadership is replaced, the successor council might have different priorities, or even be differently disposed towards private sector participation. This is why the commitment of top officials must be decisive, because they deal with councils across political changes. If the leading officials are committed to partnership approaches and understand the intent, they can ensure that councils are well informed and understand the basis for and nature of partnerships. The joint commitment of key officials and top politicians helps to ensure that partnerships stay on course despite considerable opposition and scepticism. The levels of ideological cleavage and political trust between different political regimes have significant effects on private sector partnerships. In countries where the entire basis of a previous local government is in question, its successors may not be keen to uphold or further develop partnerships. From the point of view of potential partners, it is important to provide certainty that the municipality will respect the integrity of contracts. A perception that a change in political leadership will put contract compliance at risk jeopardises levels of interest in partnerships among potential partners.
Ultimately, to instigate sustainable partnerships municipal managers must build momentum and commitment towards partnerships among their staff. They will need to champion the approach and establish team-building mechanisms able to take the partnership approach forwards. In the words of a town clerk who instigated a water concession, 'it is necessary to build a change-friendly environment and to remove any bureaucratic inertia that hinders us from solving the problems of the municipality through whatever means we have'.