Inter-Organizational Bench-Learning to Respond to Climate Change and Reduce Trade-Offs in Urban Drinking Water Supply: The Case of Grade 2B Municipalities in Oromia National Regional State, Ethiopia

Abstract

Most studies on drinking water supply seem to focus on efficiency analysis and have failed to analyze effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and trade-offs in performance management. Using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Free Disposal Hull (FDH) novel reference technologies, we analyzed the efficiency, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness, and the social, economic and ecological performance (TBL elements) of 29 municipalities in drinking water supply, in Oromia National Regional State. The results from 42 (efficiency), 173 (effectiveness), and 37 (cost-effectiveness) DEA and FDH models on production model criterion and TBL elements reveal that performance of many municipalities was weak, and the municipalities encountered trade-offs on the production model criterion and TBL elements. We argue that inter-organizational bench-learning can improve performance, reduce trade-offs, and respond to the effect of climate change on the drinking water supply. To this end, we argue for the need to map peers for inter-organizational bench-learning. We identified five inter-organizational bench-learning strategies and drew implications. The article contributes to performance management literature and the debate on sustainable development.