Breaking sectoral silos: an integrated planning framework for water, sanitation and solid waste in small towns in Uganda

Water, sanitation, and solid waste management are intertwined urban services with clear physical interactions throughout their service chains. Despite synergies to maximise positive interlinkages and minimise negative interactions, few systematic planning frameworks integrate these three service chains during planning. While existing sectoral frameworks emphasise integration, no procedural framework guides an integrated approach to planning water, sanitation, and solid waste management into a coordinated, financially viable, modular service delivery plan. The proposed Integrated Planning Framework (IPF) encompass five stages: (1) an enabling environment assessment; (2) an integrated baseline assessment; (3) road-mapping and solution profiling; (4) modular and coordinated planning; and (5) implementation and adaptive management. It aligns key actors, manages interlinkages across services, co-develops a roadmap with community buy-in, and was tested and validated in two Ugandan towns. Lessons include the need for political-economy change, pragmatic sequenced action, and municipal leadership.