Case study atlas
Building a Cleaner Future: Kiribati's Solid Waste Management Journey
Designing a third phase of solid-waste support aligned with Kiribati’s strategy and shaped through local stakeholder workshops.
The challenge
New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) has been supporting solid waste management initiatives in Kiribati since 2011. Following a review that identified challenges in previous phases, MFAT sought to design a third phase of support drawing on lessons learned and working closely with I-Kiribati key stakeholders.
What we did
- Kirsty Burnett and Dr Fiona Kotvojs collaborated with GHD Ltd to design the third phase of the MFAT’s investment. This involved aligning with Kiribati’s new solid waste management strategy and its strategic goals. By bringing key stakeholders together through in-country workshops led by I-Kiribati, the team fostered a realistic and innovative approach to address priority outcomes.
- The GHD team facilitated workshops with government, private sector, and community stakeholders to determine key outcomes and corresponding activities. Recognising that waste management is a collective issue, the team proposed integrating waste management into the education system. Schools could engage students by providing and managing rubbish bins and monitoring progress through projects, thereby instilling a sense of responsibility and awareness.
- After funding was secured from MFAT, an options report was crafted to distinguish viable strategies. The final design document, featuring a detailed theory of change, was developed in consultation with the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agricultural Development based on the preferred strategies.
Outcomes
Benefits for stakeholders The resulting Design Document and Monitoring, Evaluation, Results and Learning (MERL) Framework were closely aligned with the Government of Kiribati’s strategy, addressing previous phases' barriers. By involving local stakeholders in monitoring, the design enhanced accountability and fostered a sense of ownership within the community.
Feedback Kirsty and Fiona’s familiarity with MFAT’s business processes (including the better business case framework) and on-the-ground knowledge of Kiribati ensured that our deliverables were practical and met the needs of the ultimate client, that is, the people of Kiribati. They pushed back on any unrealistic ‘ambition’ and kept the process and the result ‘honest’. — Sonia Chirgwin, Waste management specialist, Team Leader
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