Investigation into institutional, technical and social aspects of sanitation service provision in the policy context of free basic sanitation: a case study of informal settlements of South Africa

Abstract

Access to sanitation services is recognised as a human right enshrined in the Constitution of South Africa. It has been translated into the Free Basic Sanitation (FBSan) service policy, through which many informal settlements in South Africa have been provided with basic sanitation facilities. However, for many residents, access to these facilities remains challenging. Although municipalities have attempted to address the persisting sanitation challenges, this has often been done without adequately addressing pertinent core issues around sanitation service provision. As the focus is predominantly on the supply of the facilities to achieve coverage the institutional set up (organisation of sanitation services) and technical (technology selection and appropriateness) and explicit consideration of social (users’ practices and behaviours) aspects of the sanitation, service provision has been neglected. As a result, many residents are angry or disappointed in their sanitation facilities and all too often seek undesirable alternative practices. This study examines how and to what extent the institutional, technical and social aspects of sanitation service provision inform (whether facilitate or hinder) the provision of sanitation services, access and long-term sustainability within the specific policy context of FBSan. A case study approach using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies was adopted. The sample consisted of four hundred and seventeen (417) respondents comprising informal settlement residents, community leaders, municipal officials, sanitation entrepreneurs and civic organisation representatives. The theoretical framework was comprised of the Institutional Analysis Development (IAD) framework and the co-production approach. Data was analysed using content analysis around specific themes. The data revealed inadequate stakeholder and decision-making processes, inappropriate technology choices and unpredictable and undesirable user practices, which together meant that access to sanitation was denied to far too many residents in our sites of investigation. Our data also shows that sanitation technologies are tightly interlocked with the management arrangements and particular conditions in a given context. These results confirm that the provision of sanitation services within the FBSan policy context is complex in nature and contested because of the various interrelated factors. Deploying facilities without thorough stakeholder engagement on one hand and without a deep knowledge of the specific context of the informal settlement on the other leads to inappropriate facilities. The study proposes alternative institutional and management arrangements which require knowledge of the sanitation practitioners, their roles and responsibilities and the way they engage with residents in informal settlements. The study also suggests guidelines for decision-making processes and for the selection of appropriate sanitation technologies as well as the proper management of sanitation facilities. This study posits that knowledge and understanding of the relationship between institutional, technical, and social aspects of sanitation provision can contribute to a constructive means of improving access and long-term sustainability of sanitation services in informal settlements. This study contributes to a body of knowledge by highlighting the importance of understanding the interconnectedness between institutional, technical and social aspects of sanitation. It uses both the IAD framework and the co-production approach to suggest alternative arrangements for improving sanitation service provision in informal settlements of South Africa.