The initial phase of MSP research began with a ‘mapping exercise’ of alternatives to privatization in an effort to establish conceptual and methodological foundations for future, more detailed studies. This preliminary research identified a wide range of alternatives in each of the sectors and regions we cover, constituted a typology, and defined a set of criteria to evaluate the ‘success’ of these initiatives. The results of this mapping exercise have been written up in a book – Alternatives to privatization: Public options for essential services in the Global South– published in February 2012. The book establishes theoretical models for what does (and does not) constitute alternatives to privatization, and what might make them ‘successful’, backed up by a comprehensive set of empirical data on public services initiatives in over 50 countries. This is the first global survey of its kind, providing a rigorous and robust platform for evaluating different alternatives in electricity, primary health, and water and sanitation in Asia, Africa and Latin America, and allowing for comparisons across regions and sectors.
