Global Financing to Public Private Partnerships in Education: The Interconnected Policies of International Organizations

Francine Menashy

Private engagement in education is growing at an unprecedented rate worldwide, intensifying an already polarized debate on the role of non-state actors. Concurrently, international agencies are increasingly collaborating, and have independently and collectively supported this rise in private participation. Wielding considerable influence in shaping the educational agendas of developing countries, three of the largest financiers to education – the World Bank, UNICEF and the Global Partnership for Education – have encouraged public-private partnerships. Moreover, these three organizations are closely related, with several joint initiatives, co-board membership and policy-making collaborations. However, questions persist concerning the power of individual organizations and actors to influence collective decision-making on such issues as private provision of education. This study uses a multi-layered research design, including content analysis, portfolio review, process-tracing and network analysis to examine global support to public-private partnerships through an examination of the World Bank, UNICEF and the Global Partnership for Education. The study will discern the drivers behind policies relating to private provision, the degree of support that private providers receive in aid, and the relationships and interplay between organizations.

About Francine Menashy

Francine Menashy is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Leadership in Education at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Her research centers on aid to education and private sector engagement, with a focus on the policies and operations of international financial institutions. Previously she held a position as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Comparative, International and Development Education Centre at the University of Toronto. Her research has been funded by such sources as the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, and the Open Society Foundation. She has published extensively on the topics of public-private partnerships, international education policies, and educational theory. In the past she has worked with an NGO in Laos, and as a teacher in Canada. Francine holds a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto/OISE.