Introduction

Abstract

Abstract Since the 1990s, the development community has recommended the use of public–private partnerships (PPPs) for improving infrastructure services in the poorest countries. The interest in PPPs is now stronger than ever because they are widely perceived to be critical to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). But after three decades of experience, a powerful, evidence-based critique of PPPs in the poorest countries is emerging, largely from the practitioner-generated evidence on project performance. This critique is more measured than much of the ideologically based censure of PPPs by civil society groups over the previous two decades. But it highlights numerous cases where PPPs have not been successful. This chapter introduces this topic by explaining what PPPs are, how they work, and where they have been used since the early 1990s. The focus of this book is on Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), but insights from other regions are also included.