An incentives-based residential recycling programme was designed and implemented for improving residential waste sorting in Shanghai city, but showed very limited success in its performance. To identify why, this study systematically analysed each step of implementation using key informant interviews and site observations. Results show that policy intentions were retained in the policy devolution processes from Municipality to District, and then to Street (ward) levels, but the incentives concepts were effectively nullified in the further devolution to community-level governance. The local implementers focused on formal key performance indicators (KPIs) in order to satisfy inspections. However, the KPIs, which had been devised to allow ease of measurement, were found to unintentionally cause divergence from the policy intention of incentivisation of residents. Furthermore, high scores for these KPIs masked the implementation failure. This identification of the effective derailing of a policy via conscientious implementation is worth highlighting for avoidance in other programmes, in recycling or elsewhere.

为了改善上海市的住宅垃圾分类，设计并实施了一项基于激励的住宅回收计划，但效果非常有限。找出原因, 本研究使用关键知情人访谈和现场观察系统地分析了实施的每个步骤。结果表明，政策意图在从市政府到区，再到街道（区）层面的政策下放过程中得到了保留，但在进一步下放到社区层面的治理中，激励概念被有效地抵消了。当地实施者专注于正式的关键绩效指标 (KPI) 以满足检查。然而，为了便于衡量而设计的关键绩效指标被发现无意中导致与激励居民的政策意图背离。此外，这些 KPI 的高分掩盖了实施失败。