CURRICULUM

Over the course of twelve days, participants will analyze and discuss over thirty cases drawn from a variety of infrastructure initiatives in both industrialized and industrializing countries.  This comprehensive and comparative approach helps participants gain a deep understanding of the dynamics that determine the success or failure of infrastructure projects and the complex relationship between private infrastructure providers and government.  Participants further develop the skills and judgment required to formulate and implement well-structured plans that will stand the test of time.

Recently added case studies include the New Dehli water and electricity systems, toll road projects in Mexico and Pennsylvania, the Bujagali dam in Uganda, Partnerships Victoria in Australia, and the Tamil Nadu Urban Development Fund.

The program focuses on developing expertise in four key areas:

• Choosing the appropriate public-private partnership model:  These sessions assess the economic and political strengths and weaknesses of various forms of private and public involvement –  including ownership, management, and selective or partial contracting – and the circumstances under which each is most effective.  These sessions will also explore the limits of privatization and consider the alternative of reforming public infrastructure provision using incentive structures to increase effectiveness.
• Building and maintaining political support:  Reforms in infrastructure provision affect many stakeholders and are often controversial. These sessions help participants analyze the political environment for reform, including the importance and difficulties of gaining support from parties including the poor, organized labor, and others who may not be directly involved in negotiations.  Other topics include understanding how support is maintained or lost, and the important role that regulatory and other institutions play in this regard.
• Navigating private finance and capital markets:  The desire to attract private capital is often a key practical consideration shaping public-private partnerships. These sessions explore different sources and types of private and multilateral financing, how borrowers and lenders attempt to reduce or manage risk, and how the structure of the financial deal affects the subsequent behavior of both the government and the private provider.
• Regulating to protect consumer interest:  Private involvement in infrastructure is complicated because infrastructure is often thought to have the characteristics of natural monopoly. These sessions examine the variety of strategies and institutions used to control private monopolies, and ways to assess the potential for competition in infrastructure markets. Three basic regulatory strategies – private contracts, concession contracts, and discretionary regulation – will be examined, along with various hybrids and variants.