Rationale, funding, and governance models of public private partnerships in education: A comparison of the UAE and Jordan

This dissertation examines how national resources influence the adoption and implementation of technology-driven public private partnerships (PPPs) in education in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It specifically investigates (1) to what extent different modalities of funding of the two countries influence the models of PPPs that emerge in education, and (2) the role of various actors, and particularly non-state actors, at the policy adoption and implementation stages of the policy process.;The study utilizes a qualitative methodology, analyzing policy documents, media, and in-depth interviews with three types of actors (government officials, non-state actors, and other external actors), to capture different perspectives surrounding the two PPPs. The study finds that the two models of PPPs in the UAE and Jordan are determined in large part by their modalities of funding, which are a reflection of the national resources of the respective countries. Despite the differing funding streams, context and rationales for the reforms, both countries still choose to adopt similar program. While Jordan adopts an externally driven and funded reform to serve its political and economic needs, the UAE internalizes the reform, adopting it voluntarily and funding it internally in an effort to project a vision of modernity and relevance within global education policy circles. As a result, each of the cases takes on a different governance model. In Jordan, the PPP takes the form of a co-regulation model, where non-state actors play a decisive role in all aspects of the initiative. In contrast, the PPP in the UAE is characterized by a delegation model in which implementation is largely contracted out to the private sector, while decision-making is held in the hands of the government. These different regulatory frameworks ultimately have important implications for ownership, alignment, and the sustainability of each of the PPPs.