Synergizing Soft Systems Methodology, Qualitative System Dynamics and TRIZ to Enhance Policy Implementation for Solid Waste Management in Vietnamese Municipalities

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ABSTRACTThe growing urban population and high population densities burden trash collection and treatment facilities, especially in developing countries. Vietnam also faces waste contamination because most landfills are already overburdened, and other waste treatment systems have yet to be proven efficient. Policies and emergent measures have been implemented to curb the issue of contamination by garbage; however, the efforts are not as efficient as perceived. This research studied the present policies in solid waste management in Vietnam in a bid to develop a good conceptual model for policy implementation by assessing critical components and their relationships and defining essential paths required for effective implementation. This research methodology combines Soft System Methodology, Qualitative System Dynamics and TRIZ Inventive Principles to help take advantage of the merits of these methods in improving the efficiency of solid waste policy implementation. These were presented in interesting findings on the factors that affect policy implementation through a causal loop diagram, the root definition and a two‐level conceptual model composed of 13 activities to support the effective implementation of waste management policy. They include: making the policy goals more explicit, knowing the implementation plan, setting up monitoring groups with citizen groups playing the main roles, and the regular evaluation of effectiveness from implementation activities. Effective policy implementation strengthens sustainable solid waste management in that policy objectives are turned into action. Although this is a rather new approach, it gives useful results and can be used to formulate plans or programs of implementation. Future studies should be done with enlarged scope of studies in other localities in order to perform complete assessment of the national situation about waste management and also provide a conceptual model of policy implementation at both the national and local levels.