Inter-municipal cooperation in Brazil: the case of solid waste consortia

Abstract This article aims to describe the engagement of local governments in intermunicipal cooperation and the costs of these arrangements for municipalities. Based on a multiple-case research design, three consortia operating in the Brazilian solid waste sector between 2013 and 2017 were selected and examined. The main findings show that the costs of the intermunicipal cooperation and the costs related to the participation of the municipality in these arrangements increased in the period. However, a parameter estimator calculation shows that such costs are likely to be reduced in the near future. It can also be concluded that smaller local governments (either by population or by km2) are more likely to benefit from intermunicipal cooperation. The study discusses both theoretical and practical implications.

摘要 本研究旨在阐述地方政府参与跨市合作的情况，以及此类合作安排给各市政当局带来的成本。本研究采用多案例研究设计，选取并考察了2013至2017年间巴西固体废物处理领域的三个合作联合体。主要研究结果显示，此期间跨市合作的成本，以及市政当局参与此类合作安排的相关成本均有所上升。不过，参数估计量计算结果表明，此类成本在未来有望降低。研究还可得出结论：无论以人口还是国土面积（平方公里）衡量，规模较小的地方政府更有可能从跨市合作中获益。本研究同时探讨了该主题的理论与实践启示。