The Report of an Issue Mapping Process

The Provisions of Infrastructure Services in Developing Countries

Prepared by The Meridian Institute, November 2005

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Acknowledgement

This Issue Mapping report into the provision of infrastructure services in developing countries was funded by the Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF), a multi-donor technical assistance facility aimed at helping developing countries improve the quality of their infrastructure through private sector involvement.

Disclaimer

The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this report are entirely those of the authors and should not be attributed in any manner to PPIAF or to the World Bank, to its affiliated organizations, or to members of its Board of Executive Directors or the countries they represent. Neither PPIAF nor the World Bank guarantees the accuracy of the data included in this publication or accepts responsibility for any consequence of their use.

Summary

PPIAF funded the Meridian Institute to undertake an independent “issue mapping” study to clarify opinions among the various stakeholders involved in the ongoing debate on public and private provision of infrastructure services. Meridian interviewed a cross section of opinion leaders to determine the key factors and experiences shaping their views. The issues mapping effort is not intended to be a statistically significant study, but rather to qualitatively assess these varying opinions and contribute to the development of deeper understanding of the global debate on public and private infrastructure provision. Key points from the study were:

1. Interviewees exhibited an evolving understanding of the problem that moves away from a focus on public versus private provision to a focus on outcomes.  The debate has now begun to reflect the complexity of the challenges inherent in the development and provision of infrastructure services in developing countries
   
2. Ideological factors continue to influence stakeholders’ perception of reality and press the debate toward the poles. 
   
3. The means by which decisions are made and implemented are critical to their acceptance.  Access to and transparency around the decision making process, accountability among those responsible, and an ability to build a sense of ownership and understanding among citizens was viewed as imperative to successful projects.   
   
4. Local capacity and good governance are important for effective public management of infrastructure development efforts.
   
5. The influence of and response to political factors significantly impact infrastructure development.
   
6. Financial and economic issues continue to be important, but the complexity hinders understanding and agreement among stakeholder groups.  Issues associated with managing risk, securing access to capital, and balancing benefits and costs were important to all stakeholders, but different levels of understanding created confusion among the groups.
   
7. Different concepts of “successful” projects were apparent.  As a result, stakeholders recognized a need to develop standards that can be used to measure success.
   
8. There are important differences among the infrastructure sectors.

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Issue Mapping Process: Useful Links

• Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility website
• The Global Water Partnership
• Consumers International
• Public Services International
• Public Services International research unit publications
• Building Partnerships for Development of Water and Sanitation
• Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor
• Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council