Resources on public-private partnerships

Bankwatch does not take responsibility for the content of external sources, nor should their inclusion here be taken as an endorsement of their content - they are simply resources which we believe have something to add to the debate.

(jump to: reports | books)

Websites

www.remunicipalisation.org
A Corporate Europe Observatory and Transnational Institute website that is tracking the wave of remunicipalisations in the water sector.

www.eib.org/epec
The European Investment Bank's European PPP Expertise Centre, aimed more at promoting PPPs but provides useful statistics and resources.

www.epsu.org/r/237
The European Federation of Public Service Unions offers analyses of PPP issues on the European level and includes a useful factsheet on PPPs (pdf)

www.monbiot.com/category/privatisation
George Monbiot was one of the first people to bring the wider issues around the Private Finance Initiative to the public in the UK.

allysonpollock.co.uk
Allyson Pollock is one of the UK's foremost PPP critics, focusing on health care policy.

www.psiru.org
The Public Services Research Unit International (PSIRU) researches the privatisation and restructuring of public services around the world, with special focus on water, energy, waste management and healthcare.

www.unison.org.uk/pfi
The UNISON UK public services trade union offers analysis of the UK Private Finance Initiative.

www.gurn.info/en/topics/public-private-partnerships
The Global Union Research Network (GURN) is a platform for trade unionists and researchers dealing with the challenges of globalization from a labour perspective. Their website includes an extensive section on PPPs.

www.waterjustice.org
Waterjustice.org is a platform for discussions on alternatives to water privatisation and how to finance public water. Their website offers a selection of resources on water PPPs.

www.gemeingut.org (german)
Gemeingut in BürgerInnenhand (common goods in citizens' hands) is a German association fighting against privatisation of the commons of our society. In a dedicated PPP section on their website, GiB publishes statements, news and reports concerning (mostly, but not exclusively) German public-private partnerships.

Reports

Gayle Allard and Amanda Trabant, Instituto de Empresa, Spain:
Public-Private Partnerships In Spain: Lessons And Opportunities (pdf)
International Business & Economics Research Journal
February 2008, Volume 7, Number 2

Robert Bain:
Review of lessons from completed EIB projects financed by the EIB (pdf)
April 2009

Andreas Brenck, Thorsten Beckers, Maria Heinrich, and Christian von Hirschhausen
Public-private partnerships in new EU member countries of Central and Eastern Europe (pdf)
EIB Papers, Volume 10, No. 2, 2005

Katharina Gassner, Alexander Popov and Nataliya Pushak
Does Private Sector Participation Improve Performance in Electricity and Water Distribution? (pdf)
World Bank / PPFIAF
2009

Manthan India
Database of Failed Privatisation Projects in Water Supply and Sanitation (pdf)
September 2011

Armin Riess et al
Innovative financing of infrastructure –
the role of public-private partnerships: Lessons from the early movers (pdf)
EIB Papers Volume 10 No 2, 2005

Campbell Thomson, Judith Goodwin
Evaluation of PPP projects financed by the EIB (pdf)
European Investment Bank
March 2005

UK House of Commons Public Accounts Committee
Eighty-First Report: Equity Investment in privately financed projects
18 April 2012

UK House of Commons Transport Committee:
The London Underground and the Public–Private Partnership Agreements
Second Report of Session 2007–08 (pdf)
16 January 2008 (An update from March 2010 is available here.)

UK House of Commons Treasury Select Committee
Seventeenth Report: Private Finance Initiative
18 July 2011

UK National Audit Office
Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General: Procurement of the M25 private finance contract
19 November 2010

UK National Audit Office
The Operational Performance of PFI Prisons
18 June 2003

Books

George Monbiot
Captive State: The Corporate Takeover of Britain
Pan Books, October 2003

- a little out of date now but gives a highly readable account of some of the UK's most shocking PPPs. More up to date commentaries on PPPs can be found at www.monbiot.com

Christian Wolmar
Down The Tube, The Battle for London’s Underground

Aurum Press, November 2002

- an in-depth critique of the London Underground PPP which correctly foresaw its demise. Several updates since the book have appeared are available on Christian's website