Quality analysis of solid waste management services in Ghana: A gap score approach

Ghanaian cities are caught in a double bind. On the one hand, their solid waste management (SWM) needs are rapidly growing; on the other hand, state-sponsored funding sources are unable to meet the increased demand for quality services. The alternative has been to incorporate the private sector lauded for operational capacity in service delivery. In Ghana, research on private sector participation has usually focused on capital injection, while service quality issues are infrequently discussed. In this study, the gap score analytical framework is used to assess the service quality provided by private SWM companies using 400 household heads who responded to a 23-item questionnaire on five quality dimensions. The gap score for all quality dimensions was − 0.31, indicating poor service quality though individual quality dimensions had variations. For instance, gap scores for Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance, Empathy and Tangibles were − 0.26, − 0.47, − 0.24, − 0.23 and − 0.13. These results, it is argued, provide food for thought in future engagements with private companies in national development.