Application of SWOT and 5W2H tools for analysis of solid urban waste intermunicipal consortia

Abstract Municipalities, especially small and medium-sized ones, lack the financial resources and technical staff necessary for the efficient and sustainable management of solid waste. The National Policy for Solid Waste, regulated by Federal Law 12.305/2010, recommend public consortia as a tool to universalise services in this sector. However, not many research studies have been done on the operational difficulties and opportunities provided by this type of institutional arrangement. The aim of this article is to analyse the potentials and challenges posed by the implementation of inter-municipal consortia for the management of solid urban waste. The methodology consisted of a bibliographic survey on the subject, technical visits to three public consortia, documentary analysis, and use of quality management tools (SWOT and 5W2H). The main challenge encountered by the researchers was the public administrators' lack of commitment to the participatory management of the consortia. On the other hand, the community as a whole benefits when consortia succeed in promoting integrated actions, inter-municipal articulations, financial gains and improved technical capacity.