Small Local Service Provision for Fecal Sludge Management

Most cities in low- and middle-income countries are unable to keep up with rapid urbanization and provide citywide coverage of sanitation services. In the absence of reliable public service provision, a significant proportion of the 1.8 billion people without access to safely managed sanitation receive informal services from small, local providers. USAID URBAN WASH is partnering with the National Water and Sanitation Council (NWASCO), the national WASH regulator in Zambia, to conduct implementation research in several cities where utilities are actively considering leveraging private emptiers to expand services. This research will inform decision-making regarding fecal sludge management (FSM) service delivery by:

• Understanding the choice made by utilities to engage private emptiers, and the conditions that influence this choice.
• Understanding how utilities implement engagements with private emptiers.
• Measuring and understanding the impact of engaging private emptiers for FSM service delivery.

This report provides background information on FSM services in Zambia, summarizes key evidence gaps, and details the planned research methods.

Related Resources

• The Role of Small, Local Service Providers in Inclusive Citywide Water and Sanitation
• Pathways to Inclusive City-Wide Water and Sanitation Services
• Two Viable Models for Rural Fecal Sludge Management