Partnering with community—an option for infrastructure procurement

This paper is about community partnered procurement (CPP) of infrastructure. It looks at a changing role for the community in a general sense, but for householders in settlements in particular. The paper puts CPP in the broad context of different procurement options. It describes the mechanisms, both conventional and unconventional, governmental and non-governmental, that have been adopted to deliver improved urban services in partnership with community. The mechanisms and processes of agreements, procedures and contracts, which are the basis for implementation of infrastructure improvement in low-income communities, are also introduced. The specific focus of the paper is the situation where communities have undertaken the role of the contractor. The paper provides both general experience and case study evidence from Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India. The potential benefits and implications of adopting CPP are described.