The project focuses on understanding how public sector interventions can enhance the cost-effectiveness, coverage, and safety of the faecal sludge management (FSM) service chain, particularly in the emptying and transport stages. It will provide data and insights to help city authorities make better-informed decisions, enhancing the cost-effectiveness and safety of fecal sludge collection and transport in hard to reach areas. Various emptying solutions and models will be tested to assess their performance, cost savings, and the level of protection they offer to sanitation workers and the community

Expected outcomes are the development of meaningful relationship-backed and skill- enabled public-private partnerships within and across cities that help city authorities to better advance their service mandates in resource constrained and constantly changing contexts. This supports the overall desired outcome of fostering public service markets where small and medium-sized enterprises serving the poorest members of the city can improve their businesses and expand safe service coverage in partnership public authorities.