A. Introduction to the "Spectrum" of Public-Private Partnerships

Bradford Gentry
UNDP/Yale Collaboration for the Urban Environment
USA

The first question to ask when considering the role that PPPs can play in expanding environmental infrastructure projects is, "what do we mean by partnerships?" In order to frame this question in the right context it is useful to employ the "Spectrum Approach" developed by the Yale/UNDP Collaboration for the Urban Environment (see Figure 3.1). The idea behind this approach is that it is better to provide a menu of viable options that have worked under different circumstances than to impose prescribed solutions when consulting with municipal leaders. An appropriate arrangement needs to be found for the individual context of a given city.

On opposite ends of the spectrum, either the public sector or the private sector can take responsibility for providing all of the public services. Most PPPs take place somewhere in between, and it is within these margins that the debate has to take place about what the different roles are.

Figure 3.1

The following conference presentations were selected because they represent different elements of the spectrum. The first describes a joint venture involving private companies and the City of Windhoek, Namibia; the second presents the achievements of a concession contract for the water supply and sanitation system in Cartagena, Colombia; the third surveys the variety of innovative arrangements in the informal sector, specifically emphasizing the role of Small Scale Independent Providers (SSIPs) and community-based organisations; and the fourth draws on the professional experience of a consultant with extensive knowledge of small to medium-sized utilities in Germany and abroad. Altogether, these presentations reflect the range of options available to decision-makers and project partners.

Once it is clear that defining constructive partnerships requires a relatively open mind, the next question is: "How can ODA instruments help to select the appropriate option for a given municipality and then build capacity for implementing a lasting partnership?" Answering this question involves sharing the kind of experience-based knowledge represented in the examples that follow.

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