The World Bank Group’s Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) is an international partnership which aims to provide increased access to improved water and sanitation services for poor people living in rural and urban areas across the world. The WSP has tasked ECA to help provide guidance to World Bank Group task teams and governments of developing countries on how to support public institutions in effectively engaging the local private sector to deliver better water and sanitation services especially to the poor in rural growth centres and small towns. This study includes analysing specific socio-economic characteristics of small towns and challenges of water and sanitation service delivery to the poor; good practices in selected countries of public institutions; preparing draft operational guidelines to support public institutions, plus regional workshops to inform selected developing countries. This international study will focus on four case study countries: Bangladesh, Colombia, Philippines and Uganda.