Critical Reflections on Public Private Partnerships

There is little evidence to support the presumed benefits of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in reducing poverty and addressing inequalities in the provision of and access to public services. This book investigates how PPPs have played out in practice and what the implications have been for inequalities, drawing on empirical case studies in education, healthcare, housing, and water. It also makes a vital contribution to the current discussion over the future of social provision.

Format: Hardback
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 22 December 2020
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Despite the widespread enthusiasm within policy circles regarding the purported benefits of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in mitigating poverty and addressing inequalities in the provision and access to public services, there exists a dearth of concrete evidence to substantiate these claims. In order to address this gap, this book adopts a cross-sectoral comparative approach, delving into the real-world experiences of PPPs across various sectors, including education, healthcare, housing, and water. By examining a diverse range of empirical case studies from both international and national contexts, the book aims to unravel the roles of PPPs as financing mechanisms and explore the similarities and differences between these sectors.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has posed profound questions about the future of social provision, and this book makes a significant contribution to the ongoing discourse by examining the emergence and expansion of PPPs in the context of this rapidly evolving landscape. Through its comprehensive analysis, the book offers valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities associated with PPPs in the Global South, making it an essential resource for researchers, scholars, policymakers, and practitioners engaged in development-related policy.

The book is organized into five chapters, each dedicated to exploring different aspects of PPPs and their impact on social provision. In the first chapter, the authors provide an overview of PPPs, defining them as partnerships between public and private entities that involve the sharing of risks and resources for the development and delivery of public services. They argue that PPPs have gained popularity in recent years due to their perceived ability to bring efficiency, innovation, and private sector expertise to public sector projects.

Chapter 2 delves into the historical background of PPPs, tracing their origins in the United Kingdom in the 1980s and their subsequent expansion in various countries around the world. The authors highlight the different models of PPPs, including build-operate-transfer (BOT), build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT), and public-private partnerships for infrastructure (PPP-I), and discuss their advantages and disadvantages. They also examine the role of PPPs in promoting economic development, particularly in developing countries.

Chapter 3 focuses on the evaluation of PPPs, examining the various methods and frameworks used to assess their performance and impact. The authors discuss the challenges associated with measuring the social benefits of PPPs, particularly in the context of addressing inequalities. They propose a framework for evaluating PPPs that takes into account the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of projects.

Chapter 4 explores the role of PPPs in the provision of education, healthcare, housing, and water services in the Global South. The authors examine the experiences of different countries in implementing PPPs in these sectors and discuss the successes and challenges encountered. They highlight the potential benefits of PPPs in improving access to quality services, particularly for marginalized communities, and discuss the risks associated with PPPs, such as the potential for privatization and the concentration of power in the hands of private companies.

Chapter 5 concludes the book by discussing the future of PPPs in the Global South. The authors argue that PPPs have the potential to play a significant role in promoting social provision and addressing inequalities, but that their success depends on a range of factors, including the design and implementation of PPPs, the level of government involvement, and the broader policy environment. They suggest that policymakers and practitioners should carefully consider the social, economic, and environmental implications of PPPs and work towards developing policies that promote inclusive and sustainable development.

In conclusion, this book provides a comprehensive and insightful examination of the role of PPPs in the Global South, challenging the prevailing narrative that they are a panacea for poverty and inequality. By adopting a cross-sectoral comparative approach, the book offers valuable insights into the real-world experiences of PPPs across various sectors and highlights the challenges and opportunities associated with these partnerships. Through its analysis of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the book also contributes to the ongoing discussion over the future of social provision, making it an essential resource for researchers, scholars, policymakers, and practitioners engaged in development-related policy.

Weight: 572g
Dimension: 160 x 242 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367235666