Paper short abstract:

Ghana adopted PPPs in managing its solid wastes due to private sector efficiencies, and budgetary constraints. However, such PPPs have not lived up to expectations, with poor stakeholder engagement as a major cause. The study investigated the processes of private sector engagement in PPP.

Paper long abstract:

The SDGs recommend that different sectors and actors work together in a unified manner by sharing financial resources, knowledge and expertise. This is enshrined in SDG 17 which requires countries to strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise global partnership for sustainable development.

Acknowledgment of private sector efficiencies, budgetary constraints, and increased waste generation compelled Ghana to adopt PPPs. However, such partnerships for managing public goods have not lived up to expectations, thus dipping the confidence of stakeholders about the effectiveness of strategic partnerships in addressing developmental challenges. Notable among the causes of PPP failure was poor stakeholder engagement in selecting private sector players. This study focused on solid waste management, one of the first sectors to adopt PPP model to address sanitation and environmental challenges in Ghana.

Qualitative research design was adopted and 62 research participants were used. Narrative analysis was used for data analysis. The study found that the PPP contract between the local government authorities and the private sector was centrally prepared and executed. This denied local actors, including Assemblypersons, citizens and local Assemblies the opportunity to make critical inputs and have their interests represented and maximised in the contract. Local actors felt less involved in the partnership and were oblivious about the tenets of the contract. Centralisation of the contractual arrangement stifled competition among private sector players, which is key in ensuring positive association between cost and service quality. The study recommended the deeper engagement of local actors in contractual arrangements surrounding strategic partnerships for development.