Managing public-private partnerships

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) have sprouted like mushrooms after a rain. The trend seems likely to accelerate, as PPPs are advocated in areas as diverse as education, prisons and infrastructure. Governments will ultimately be held accountable for delivery of public services, whatever the contract form. How are they managing these complicated and long-term contracts?

Many countries have organized special units that cut across existing agencies to handle all of a country's PPPs. The arrangements for these so-called PPP units vary by country, and consensus on how they should function has yet to emerge. We're running an online discussion on the topic, based in part on a recent World Bank policy note on the subject.

The policy note describes PPP units in Canada, India, Europe, South Africa, Australia and the Philippines. Managing diverse PPPs is one area where rich countries haven't necessarily advanced much further than developing countries, yet it's important for both groups. So, please join the discussion on whether and how PPP units should be organized.