Managing WASH infrastructure across local governments: a comparative case study of Indonesian, South African and Swiss municipalities

Purpose This research aims to analyse the management of public WASH infrastructure across different local governments through the lens of a proposed conceptual framework, and explores specific and common challenges, with the aim to enhance understanding of the current public infrastructure practices and design value-adding strategies that effectively meet societal WASH demands. Design/methodology/approach The study employs a comparative case study (CCS) design combined with qualitative content analysis (QCA). Data collection involved semi-structured interviews with public officials and WASH infrastructure managers in eight cities across Indonesia, South Africa and Switzerland. To support the triangulation of findings, supplementary documents were reviewed. Findings The study reveals the presence of relatively advanced practices in selected functional pillars of the proposed conceptual framework across the analysed local governments. However, persistent gaps in financial planning and implementation capacities point to a disconnect between strategy formulation and execution. The results further highlight that variations in management practices are more pronounced across functional pillars than across local governments while also indicating the importance of reliable funding systems for supporting long-term infrastructure investment. While funding remains important, effective public WASH infrastructure management ultimately depends on a holistic perspective and interrelated capacities. Originality/value This study contextualizes broader discussions to address WASH demands focusing on weaknesses in the management of public infrastructure. It represents the first study to provide cross-contextual comparative analysis of WASH infrastructure management at local government levels. It also develops a conceptual framework for systematically comparing infrastructure management across diverse contexts.