EU water policy under the 10th European Development Fund has shifted its focus away from Public Private Partnerships (PPP) in water management in ACP countries towards Public-Public (PuP) Partnerships. PUPs are new partnerships developed between public water operators, communities, trade unions and other key groups, without profit motive and on a basis of equality. The Overseas Development Institute (Josephine Tucker and Roger Calow) and Ecologic Institute (Darla Nickel and Thomas Thaler) conducted a study for the European Parliament that provided an evaluation of the comparative advantage of different partnership approaches in water policy.

The study A Comparative Evaluation of Public-Private and Public-Public Partnerships for Urban Water Services in ACP Countries [pdf, 980 KB, English], conducted by the Overseas Development Institute and Ecologic Institute, provides an evaluation of different partnership approaches in water policy. It is based on a literature review of published and unpublished research (econometric analyses, case studies and review papers), and an in-depth examination of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) and Public-Public Partnerships (PuPs) in Ghana and South Africa.