FSM ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT
Sanitation Service Chain Action Research.
Project Background
The project focuses on understanding how public sector interventions can enhance the cost-effectiveness, coverage, and safety of the faecal sludge management (FSM) service chain, particularly in the emptying and transport stages. It will provide data and insights to help city authorities make better-informed decisions, enhancing the cost-effectiveness and safety of fecal sludge collection and transport in hard-to-reach areas. Various emptying solutions and models will be tested to assess their performance, cost savings, and the level of protection they offer to sanitation workers and the community
Project Overview
Partners in Development, a South African research and development engineering consultancy, working in association with Pit Vidura of Rwanda, Opero Services of Kenya, SSWARS-iC of Uganda and CaDev_Catalyst Development of Zambia is carrying out a three-year research programme with four city service authorities, looking at how to reduce costs while improving the safety of and coverage of faecal sludge emptying and transport services.
Project Objectives, Outputs and Outcomes
Key outputs will include information and data that enable city authorities to make better informed decisions with a view to improving the cost-effectiveness and safety of faecal sludge management for all parts of their cities. Likewise, published research methodologies, learning briefs, cross-city research findings and other public goods should help other authorities, donors, and project leads to replicate and expand on work developed under this research.
Expected outcomes are the development of meaningful relationship-backed and skill- enabled public-private partnerships within and across cities that help city authorities to better advance their service mandates in resource constrained and constantly changing contexts. This supports the overall desired outcome of fostering public service markets where small and medium-sized enterprises serving the poorest members of the city can improve their businesses and expand safe service coverage in partnership public authorities.
Project Focus
The project is concerned with understanding the public sector interventions that can best influence the following: