Infrastructure In Developing Countries Research Articles

Is Public–Private Partnership (PPP) a Preferred Strategy for Procuring Smart Infrastructure in Developed Countries: An Empirical Study of the Perceived Benefits, Barriers and Recommended Strategies

Attention to Smart Infrastructure (SI) has risen due to its advantages, including better access, increased quality of life, and simplified maintenance management. To develop SI, Public–Private Partnerships (PPPs) are identified as potentially beneficial procurement strategies, which boost capacities to manage risks by pooling diverse resources. However, the applicability of PPP in SI developments in developed countries is scarcely researched. This may be due to underestimating the other potential benefits from PPP, although developed countries may have their own funding to develop SI. Hence, this research aims to evaluate the significant factors influencing the success of PPP in SI projects in developed countries based on public-sector satisfaction (S1), private-sector satisfaction (S2), and end-user satisfaction (S3). A comprehensive literature review was followed by expert interviews and an international survey, focusing on developed countries. The Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) technique was applied to map the connections amongst the influencing factors and S1, S2, and S3. The results reveal that legal and political-related factors significantly impact on S2 and S3, while social barriers significantly impact on S1. The effect of the constructs and factors on S1, S2, and S3 along with their rankings are unveiled in this research paper, providing a sound basis to increase success levels and minimize shortfalls in PPP to boost SI developments in developed countries.

Is China’s Development Finance a Challenge to the International Order?

China is a major funder of developing country infrastructure, lending $40 billion annually through policy banks. Lending does not favor the belt and road above other regions. China’s lending is indifferent to risk, that is, it is uncorrelated with indices of political stability and rule of law. Some major borrowers with poor governance are beginning to have debt sustainability problems, while other borrowers are in good fiscal shape. Chinese banks have been reluctant to follow global environmental norms but seem to be evolving in that direction. Chinese actions seem more a revision of the global system than a challenge to it.

Drivers of Conflict in Developing Country Infrastructure Projects: Experience from the Water and Pipeline Sectors

Despite the considerable scholarship focused on infrastructure investment in the developing world and the substantial sums of money spent each year on developing-country infrastructure, little attention has been given to understanding the drivers of conflict that shape the trajectory and cost structures of these massive investments. The manifestation of conflict among stakeholders in infrastructure projects ranges from the renegotiation of contract terms by project partners to popular protests among consumers of privatized services. The principal objective of this research is to identify combinations of country, project, and stakeholder factors that are associated with the emergence of legal and political conflict within natural gas and oil pipeline projects and water supply concessions and leases. The analysis includes data from 26 infrastructure projects spanning 31 countries and uses an analytical approach derived from Boolean algebra. Country-level character- istics, such as extent of democracy and rate of international NGO membership, are found to be important elements in the recipes for conflict among water supply projects but not for pipeline projects. Local impacts such as service price increases (water supply) and limited provision of oil and gas to the project host country (pipelines) are also important drivers of conflict for both subsectors. The involvement of one or more international financial institutions is also associated with the emergence of conflict in projects. Contrary to expectations, public consultatio ni s associated with conflict in both subsectors. Overall, the study findings suggest that several factors associated with conflict in infrastructure projects can be minimized with careful project design. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000333. © 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers. CE Database subject headings: Infrastructure; Water pipelines; Construction management; Partnerships; Fuzzy sets; Public participa- tion; Conflict; Developing countries. Author keywords: Infrastructure; Pipelines; Water supply; Construction management; Public-private partnerships; Fuzzy sets; Public participation; Conflict; Developing countries.

Community Investment Programs in Developing Country Infrastructure Projects

Private sector infrastructure companies operating in developing countries can positively affect the social, environmental, and economic fabric of local communities by providing infrastructure services and through community investment programs focused on economic development, poverty reduction, social inequality reduction, and environmental improvements. Community investment programs, as part of the corporate social responsibility concept, can take the form of philanthropy or charitable donations, employee volunteerism, and partnerships. The paper highlights how companies and communities benefit from these programs and presents an approach for designing, implementing, and reporting such programs. Program ideas for infrastructure projects and case studies are presented. Potential challenges, issues, and opportunities for community investment programs in developing countries are discussed. By going beyond the minimal requirement to mitigate project-related negative social and environmental impacts, private sector companies can be models of social responsibility and good corporate citizenship.

Reassessing Risk in Developing Country Infrastructure

Private investment in developing country infrastructure has grown rapidly in the last decade, yet hazards still exist that may undermine the stability of investment projects. This article reviews data and surveys recent cases that underscore the emergent threats faced by companies seeking to develop and manage infrastructure projects. Using a framework to classify the multiple roles of government in both facilitating and impeding investment, it proposes strategies for investors and developers to assess and mitigate these continuing risks. Its recommendations include leveraging international agreements, drawing on multilateral project finance, pursing first-mover positions and engaging all relevant stakeholders. The paper concludes by drawing implications for management research and practice.

Model of an Information and Decision Centre for Developing Countries

Developing Countries (DCs) are typically faced with weak infrastructures. The lack of reliable transport and communication systems compounds the general misery of disease, ignorance and poverty which in most African DCs has not only not been overcome - as had been hoped for at the time of independence from colonial powers - but has become worse in the last three decades. Partly, this deterioration must be attributed to a fundamental lack of information and inappropriate decision- making practices, characterized by distinct deficiencies with regard to stakeholder participation, transparency and accountability.Information and Decision Centres (InfoDeCs) are designed to help DCs address common problems, resulting from over-centralization, lack of power-sharing, insufficient participation of civil society in development planning, and uncontrollable migration from rural to urban centres due to the typical neglect of rural development.The authors have developed the InfoDeC concept as an expansion of the Multipurpose Community Telecentre (MCT) approach started by IDRC, ITU, and UNESCO in five African countries and have designed a low- cost prototype of an InfoDeC for the district capital of Bagamoyo in Tanzania. The design was based on the University of Dar es Salaam's management decision centre implemented in 1996. The paper presents reasons and rationale for InfoDeCs as intelligent hubs of the future information infrastructure of DCs, summarizes their technical and organizational functions, and assesses their potential for economic and social development.