Individual communities starting up new programs, however, have a significant amount of control over their results. For example, a community interested in achieving the greatest possible reductions in waste can design its rate structure to maximize the waste reduction incentive. If minimizing illegal diversion is critical, a strong public education and outreach effort backed up with a strict policy of enforcement is often effective. While the impact of PAYT in individual communities is difficult to forecast, planners often can design their programs to achieve the results they need. In addition, monitoring and evaluation often plays a key role in helping communities to realize their program goals.
Planners usually gather and analyze data on their program's performance following implementation.
If key results have not been achieved, the program often can be modified as needed. Periodically analyzing their PAYT program helps planners to understand its impact and make any needed improvements. Additional resources For a summary of recent research, visit the Fall 1997 issue of the PAYT Bulletin . Additional studies are presented in their entirety in the research section of this Web site. The results of the first year of our program were amazing.