The role of the public sector in establishing a supportive environment for private operators is absolutely essential, as set out in the OECD Checklist for Public Action (OECD, 2009d). Experience shows that private operators can play an important role as the “agents of positive change” in the institutional and legal frameworks. For example, while data on the performance of private operators in the Russian Federation do not show a superior performance by private operators vis-a-vis municipal water utilities, private operators have in many cases been “agents of positive change” in the sector (see Box 3.5 above for more details).