Public-Private Partnerships in education: Conditions for success

• In Event: Fostering effective and enabling regulation of non-state schools

Proposal

PPPs have become a widespread form of education delivery in low- and middle-income countries, pursued by governments as a cost-effective model of expanding education access and quality in resource-constrained environments. However, despite promising evidence that PPPs successfully increase enrollment and expand access for out-of-school students, the evidence is mixed on whether PPPs improve learning outcomes for the most disadvantaged students. Further, while PPPs frequently expand access, they may disproportionately serve upper-middle-income students and increase inequity.

An evidence brief, Public-Private Partnerships in education: Conditions for success, is a literature review on PPPs in primary and secondary education in low- and middle-income countries that identifies the necessary conditions for the effective implementation of PPP models. The brief draws upon findings from a range of regional contexts and identifies four of the most common factors positively affecting the success of PPPs in improving learning outcomes.

One of the four conditions for PPP success identified in the brief is the capacity of the government to oversee, monitor, and enforce established policies and regulations. Government oversight is essential to ensure that PPP programs remain equitable for the most disadvantaged learners. In particular, regulation can help ensure that private providers do not engage in inequitable practices, such as only admitting fee-paying students.

However, enforcing regulation can be particularly challenging in low-resource environments where governments may have more limited capacity to engage with private providers. Despite the challenges, there are examples of governments successfully expanding their capacity to regulate PPP contracts within limited resources.

Author

• Natalie Davirro, Opportunity EduFinance