Networks of Regulatory Agencies as Regional Public Goods: Improving Infrastructure Performance

Abstract

Networks of sectoral regulatory agencies provide regional public goods (RPGs). In developed and developing countries, the telecommunications, energy, and water sectors have been re-structured (frequently liberalized) and reformed over the past two decades. Often with seed money from international organizations and donor countries, regulatory leaders at newly created commissions sought to learn from neighboring countries. Regional networks provided vehicles for sharing data and best-practice techniques, developing studies, providing training, distributing regulatory materials, and organizing meetings. Three properties of publicness of RPGs influence the provision of RPGs: non-rivalry of benefits, non-excludability of non-payers, and the aggregation technology. External donor funding and the mix of characteristics have influenced the pattern of network activities.

Keywords: regional public goods, regulatory networks, infrastructure, collective action