Public-Private Partnerships in Education: Evaluating the Education Management Organisations Programme in Sindh, Pakistan

Abstract

The focus of this study was to investigate public-private partnerships (PPPs) in education, in this instance by evaluating the Educational Management Organisations (EMOs) Program in Sindh, Pakistan. The study was guided by the research questions that were intended to evaluate to what extent, how, in what way, and for whom the PPP mode of education through EMOs improves access to education, ensures quality and equity in education, and sustainability in the context of Sindh, Pakistan. We chose the realist evaluation as a methodological approach, applied New Public Management as a theoretical framework to answer the research questions, and adopted a mixed methods research design. The findings indicate that PPPs through EMOs have some advantages in terms of better governance of schools through autonomy and decentralisation. The schools’ accountability, monitoring, and evaluation have somehow improved. However, the broader impact of EMO reform still does not reflect in increasing access, overall quality, and ensuring equity.