The Political Foundation for Collaboration: Municipal Solid Waste Management in Hong Kong

Much recent research on collaboration in public management looks at how to achieve effective public policy and service delivery through collaboration among government and non-governmental actors. This paper argues that... [ view full abstract ]

Much recent research on collaboration in public management looks at how to achieve effective public policy and service delivery through collaboration among government and non-governmental actors. This paper argues that collaboration does not take place in political vacuum. Various decisions in the collaboration process, such as who to collaborate with, what to collaborate on, how collaboration may be funded, and when it should end, involve important political implications which public managers cannot afford to ignore. This is especially the case in relatively open and pluralistic governance systems where non-governmental actors are often policy advocates, lobbying for their public causes as well as private interests. How do various political considerations affect the process of collaboration? How to foster a political foundation which facilitates long-term cross-sector collaboration? This paper, through the case of municipal solid waste management in Hong Kong in the last two decades, seeks to answer these questions and elaborate on how politics may affect collaboration. It traces the evolution of institutional arrangements and interaction dynamics among the Hong Kong government and major environmental groups in their collective search for a sustainable waste management strategy. Practical management strategies will be discussed on how to foster a viable political foundation for effective collaboration.