DUSP Courses 1998

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11.947 Private Sector Participation in Infrastructure

11.947: Private Sector Participation in Infrastructure

(with emphasis on water supply and sanitation)

Course time: First meeting on Wednesday, 9/8 at 9:00 am; regular session time TBA

Course location: Room 2-103

Prof. Jennifer Davis
Office: 9-320
E-mail: jd@mit.edu
Phone: 253-1516

Course background and description:

Over the past two decades, developing country governments, encouraged by donor agencies such as the World Bank, have been promoting increased private sector participation in the provision of public services such as water supply, sanitation, gas and electricity service, and transportation. The rationales for increasing private participation in infrastructure (PPI) take many forms, including economic, political, and social justifications. Critics of PPI aver that many anticipated gains are never realized, while many of society,s most vulnerable groups are negatively impacted when public services are taken over by private providers.

This course is designed as a seminar in which participants will review and analyze the literature on private participation in infrastructure in several public services, but with emphasis on the water and sanitation sector. We will review both theory related to PPI, including justifications for private versus public provision of services and principal-agent theory, as well as more applied issues regarding implementation of PPI and impacts on different stakeholder groups. We will make extensive use of case studies from both developed and developing countries around the world to examine PPI in theory and practice.

Students will be expected to complete three short writing assignments during the term, and to complete one larger end-of-term assignment. Each student will also prepare for and lead class discussion on one or more topics during the term.

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This syllabus may have been updated. To ensure that you're looking at the most recent version, please hit "Reload."
11.947 Private Sector Participation in Infrastructure
11.947: Private Sector Participation in Infrastructure (with emphasis on water supply and sanitation) Course time: First meeting on Wednesday, 9/8 at 9:00 am; regular session time TBA Course location: Room 2-103 Prof. Jennifer Davis Office: 9-320 E-mail: jd@mit.edu Phone: 253-1516 Course background and description: Over the past two decades, developing country governments, encouraged by donor agencies such as the World Bank, have been promoting increased private sector participation in the provision of public services such as water supply, sanitation, gas and electricity service, and transportation. The rationales for increasing private participation in infrastructure (PPI) take many forms, including economic, political, and social justifications. Critics of PPI aver that many anticipated gains are never realized, while many of society,s most vulnerable groups are negatively impacted when public services are taken over by private providers. This course is designed as a seminar in which participants will review and analyze the literature on private participation in infrastructure in several public services, but with emphasis on the water and sanitation sector. We will review both theory related to PPI, including justifications for private versus public provision of services and principal-agent theory, as well as more applied issues regarding implementation of PPI and impacts on different stakeholder groups. We will make extensive use of case studies from both developed and developing countries around the world to examine PPI in theory and practice. Students will be expected to complete three short writing assignments during the term, and to complete one larger end-of-term assignment. Each student will also prepare for and lead class discussion on one or more topics during the term.