Resource Library

Contracting for Health Care Service Delivery: A Manual for Policy Makers

The last decade has seen a number of important changes in the mix of public and private services in the health sector and in the organization of those services throughout the developing world. Governments are looking for ways to increase efficiency in the use of public sector resources, improve the quality of health care, and extend health services to underserved populations. Public -private partnerships can help government agencies deliver more cost-effective health services to target populations. This guide offers a brief overview of the benefits—and limits—of using contracts for service delivery, and describes some of the steps that are key to good contract management. Although there exist a wide range of types of contracts, this guide focuses on performance-based contracting.