Private-sector participation in water service provision: revealing governance gaps

Abstract

This short paper reviews trends in private-sector participation in water infrastructure in the past 20 years and identifies the key governance lessons learnt from policy dialogues in selected countries, particularly based on the OECD Checklist for Public Action (OECD, 2009a OECD. 2009a. Private sector participation in water infrastructure. OECD checklist for public action, OECD Studies on Water. Paris: OECD Publishing. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]) and the OECD Multilevel Governance Framework (OECD, 2011a OECD. 2011a. Water governance in OECD countries: A multi-level approach, Paris: OECD Publishing. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]). It highlights the contribution of better multi-level governance to creating the conditions for success of private-sector participation. It concludes that addressing the gaps generated by the institutional fragmentation in the water sector requires putting in place coordination and capacity-building mechanisms, regardless of the ownership of water operators.