Efficiency and adaptability to environmental conditions in the provision of drinking water services in small sized municipalities : a comparative analysis of direct and private management
Campos-Alba, Cristina M. (Universidad de Granada)
Higuera Molina, Emilio José de la (Universidad de Granada)
Giménez, Víctor (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament d'Economia i d'Història Econòmica)
Zafra-Gómez, Elisabeth (Universidad de Granada)
Zafra-Gómez, José Luis (Universidad de Granada)

Date:	2026
Description:	11 pàg.
Abstract:	In recent decades, the debate over the optimal mode of public service delivery has gained increasing relevance, particularly in the case of drinking water supply. This study offers a comparative analysis of the technical efficiency of direct and private management models, explicitly incorporating environmental factors as conditioning elements. A non-parametric order-m methodology based on the Free Disposal Hull (FDH) model is employed, enriched with conditional models, metafrontiers, and an order-m variant using simulation to mitigate the influence of outliers and strengthen the robustness of the results. Efficiency is estimated over a four-year period, allowing for the assessment of both average performance and adaptability. Findings indicate that, on average, direct management achieves higher levels of technical efficiency. However, private management exhibits greater adaptability to contextual changes, suggesting it may be more suitable in dynamic or complex environments. This research contributes to the ongoing discussion on public service efficiency and underscores the importance of accounting for environmental factors in service performance evaluations.
Grants:	Agencia Estatal de Investigación PID2024-161667OA-I00 Agencia Estatal de Investigación PID2024-159788NB-I00 Agencia Estatal de Investigación PID2024-155856NB-I00 Agencia Estatal de Investigación PID2021-128713OB-I00
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Published in:	Environmental research, Vol. 297 (15 May 2026) , art. 124035, ISSN 1096-0953

DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2026.124035
PMID: 41698635

11 p, 525.4 KB

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