Leveraging hybrid partnerships to improve municipal service delivery in South Africa

• In Event: New Directions in Nonprofit Governance and Management

Abstract

Hybrid partnerships, characterised by collaborations between public, private, and civil society actors, have emerged as a promising approach to addressing multifaceted challenges in Africa. Despite the existing municipal service delivery challenges, the recognition of hybrid partnerships as an alternative form of service delivery mechanism is not yet being recognized to its fullest potential in South African local government. The gap between the pressing needs of communities and the untapped opportunities for collaboration between the public and private sectors presents a critical issue that requires immediate attention and action. This paper analyses the key drivers and barriers to hybrid partnerships in South African municipal service delivery. The paper is guided by the Hybridity/hybrid phenomenon, which is an offspring of New Public Management (NPM), which focuses on the application of market-based methods to enhance public service delivery. Drawing on a comprehensive review of scholarly literature, policy documents, and case studies, the paper finds that the key drivers of hybrid partnerships include the need to improve service quality and efficiency, access to additional resources and expertise, and the need to promote social and economic development. The paper also identifies a number of barriers to effective hybrid partnerships, including power imbalances, opaque regulatory and legal frameworks, lack of accountability and transparency between the partners, differing priorities, limited understanding of the concept of hybridity, and weak institutional capacity. The paper contributes to a better understanding of the factors that give rise to hybrid forms of service delivery and how these factors impact their design and operation. Contributes to the literature on theoretical and conceptual understanding of hybrid forms of service delivery. Lastly, the paper makes a number of recommendations for policymakers and practitioners on how to promote and support effective hybrid partnerships in South Africa.

References

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Authors

• Stellah Lubinga, University of Pretoria

• Tyanai Masiya, University of Pretoria