Reconsidering the Organizational Landscape for Local Public Goods Provision: Insights from the Water and Transport Sectors in Latin America and Asia

• In Event: Politics and Interests in Public Goods and Services Provision

Abstract

The political science and economics literatures on local public goods provision are vast, and point to myriad factors that help explain cross-sectional variation in the quality and reach of public services and infrastructure in the developing world. These literatures largely neglect, however, to explore the intricate—and often political—interrelationships between state and non-state providers of services at the local level.

In this paper, we argue that examining the interrelationships between state and non-state service providers in particular sectors can help improve our understanding of the underlying factors actually driving differences in the reach, quality, and frequency of vital services. To make this argument, we focus on mass transportation and urban water and sanitation, which are both characterized by hybrid service provision—that is, the simultaneous operation of state and non-state service providers, often catering to the same consumers. This paper first develops a typology of hybrid service provision systems in the developing world applicable to both the mass transportation and urban water sectors. We then contend that understanding the underlying organizational settings for service delivery is crucial for understanding the key factors actually driving differences in service reach, quality, and frequency. For example, different political and technical factors will affect decision-making regarding the frequency of bus services provided by independent owner-operated mini-buses than state-regulated concessionaires, where politicians can intervene more directly. The paper illustrates these points with case studies from the Latin American and Asian context.

Authors

• Alison E Post, University of California/Berkeley

• Vivian Bronsoler, Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) Latin America & Caribbean Office