How broker organizations can facilitate public–private partnerships for development

SummaryBroker organizations increasingly facilitate the partnering process of public–private partnerships (PPPs) for development. In this paper, we argue that their function goes beyond simply match-making between partners and develop a theoretical framework for the broker organizations’ roles throughout the PPP life cycle. Research on 19 broker organizations shows that these organizations act in the roles of convener, mediator, and learning catalyst. We analyze how and why they can facilitate the partnering process through these roles and discuss the research findings in the light of the social capital, collaboration, and inter-organizational learning literatures. The discussion highlights the benefits of broker organizations in the partnering process of PPPs and how those organizations’ roles can best be performed.

► Broker organizations can facilitate the partnering process in PPPs for development. ► Our findings suggest that they act as convener, mediator, and learning catalysts. ► They use their bridging ties to connect actors and promote the PPP approach. ► They facilitate the development of bonding social capital between partners. ► Moreover, they share best practices and promote learning processes among partners.