Tackling society's “detritus”: Stakeholder partnerships and Urban service delivery in India

Abstract

In view of the emerging debate on a coordinated‐management perspective for resolving development improvidence, there is now a broadening of the scope of decentralization, emphasising not only vertical restructuring of powers and resources but also analogous horizontal restructuring at the local level to include collaborators outside the government arena. Grounded on this perspective, the present paper examines the process of stakeholder partnerships in urban service delivery, especially on urban environment maintenance service through refuse collection and disposal. The paper is reflective in nature, drawing on a case study of solid waste management processes in Bangalore, India. It examines the characteristic of stakeholder partnership in the delivery of public services, draws insights into the enabling environment and thereupon attempts to identify future interventions to strengthen the delivery of public municipal services. The paper argues that much more needs to be understood if institutional pluralism in local government is to become an effective development strategy.