Making the transition from pilot to scale: Examining sustainability and scalability issues in a public-private telecenter partnership in Sri Lanka

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are increasingly the vehicles of choice for the implementation of information and communications technology in the developing world. This is particularly true with regard to locally appropriate, shared-access models such as the telecenter franchise. However, the sustainability and the scalability of such initiatives remain in question. This article examines an innovative PPP project at a crucial developmental point: the period of transition from pilot to scaling stage. It identifies challenges and success factors seldom covered in the literature on such projects, then addresses the question(s) of sustainability and scalability, and explores the advantages of focussing on sub-urban areas and the small-and-medium-enterprise sector of emerging economies.