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Public-Private Partnerships in Developing Countries: The Emerging Evidence-based Critique

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  • James Leigland

Abstract

Advocates of public-private partnerships (PPPs) for infrastructure services in developing countries have long battled criticism of these arrangements by civil society groups. The view among PPP advocates generally has been that these criticisms are mostly ideological polemics that mix opinion with selected but often misinterpreted facts. But over the last two decades, as the experience with PPPs has increased in both developed and developing countries, a different kind of critique has emerged, one that is based on non-ideological empirical research, and is sometimes expressed by PPP advocates. These studies often focus on individual aspects of PPPs, and usually do not claim to be “PPP evaluations” or express opinions on the overall value of PPPs. Taken together, a powerful, evidence-based critique of PPPs is emerging, but one that is more measured than much of the criticism of the last two decades. This new critique recognizes many cases in which PPPs have not been successful, but also some situations in which PPPs can generate value for money. Because of its critical tone, some of this research is now regularly cited by the civil society critics of PPPs, giving their arguments more weight than was the case a decade ago. This paper attempts to summarize some of the most compelling examples of this kind of emerging critique, and uses the summary to assess the practicality of the G20’s recent advocacy of large, “transformational” PPPs as tools for dealing effectively with infrastructure challenges in low-income countries.

Suggested Citation

  • James Leigland, 2018. "Public-Private Partnerships in Developing Countries: The Emerging Evidence-based Critique," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 33(1), pages 103-134.
  • Handle: RePEc:oup:wbrobs:v:33:y:2018:i:1:p:103-134.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/wbro/lkx008
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    Cited by:

    1. Nabi, Mahmoud Sami, 2021. "لتشع تونس من جديد [Making the Tunisian Resurgence]," MPRA Paper 107225, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Jorge Fleta‐Asín & Fernando Muñoz, 2021. "Renewable energy public–private partnerships in developing countries: Determinants of private investment," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(4), pages 653-670, July.
    3. Jane Mpapalika, 2020. "Alternative Financing Instruments for African Economies," 2020 Papers pmp2, Job Market Papers.
    4. Clara Paola Camargo-Díaz & Edwin Paipa-Sanabria & Julian Andres Zapata-Cortes & Andres Mauricio Briceño-Chaves & Cristian Fernando Serna-Castaño, 2023. "Review of Financing Mechanisms to Promote Decarbonization Alternatives in Rail and Inland Waterway Transport," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-17, January.
    5. Goran Amović & Rado Maksimović & Sonja Bunčić, 2020. "Critical Success Factors for Sustainable Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in Transition Conditions: An Empirical Study in Bosnia and Herzegovina," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-29, September.
    6. Afieroho Ulohomuno Eze & Li Yongkui & Han Yilong & Radujkovic Mladen, 2023. "Exploring the social legitimacy of urban road PPPs in Nigeria," Organization, Technology and Management in Construction, Sciendo, vol. 15(1), pages 23-33, January.
    7. Nizkorodov, Evgenia, 2021. "Evaluating risk allocation and project impacts of sustainability-oriented water public–private partnerships in Southern California: A comparative case analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    8. Lusekelo Yonah Mwakapala & Baiqing Sun, 2020. "A Simple Mediation Model for Public–Private Partnership Implementation in Developing Countries: A Case of Tanzania," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(2), pages 21582440209, June.
    9. Tracy Pickerill, 2021. "Investment Leverage for Adaptive Reuse of Cultural Heritage," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-20, April.
    10. Välilä, Timo, 2020. "An overview of economic theory and evidence of public-private partnerships in the procurement of (transport) infrastructure," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    11. Fleta-Asín, Jorge & Muñoz, Fernando, 2020. "How does risk transference to private partner impact on public-private partnerships’ success? Empirical evidence from developing economies," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    12. Zhao, Jianfeng & Greenwood, David & Thurairajah, Niraj & Liu, Henry J. & Haigh, Richard, 2022. "Value for money in transport infrastructure investment: An enhanced model for better procurement decisions," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 68-78.
    13. Elena Borin & Luca Rossato, 2023. "Sustainable Management of International Partnerships for Cultural Heritage Digitization in Brazil," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-17, October.
    14. Kangsoo Kim & Jinoh Kim & Donghyung Yook, 2021. "Analysis of Features Affecting Contracted Rate of Return of Korean PPP Projects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-21, March.

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