Understanding and Managing Public/Private Partnerships

Abstract

The paper develops the rationale for two distinct types of public-private partnerships. It develops the thesis of public-private partnerships as cooperative efforts between the private and public sectors in the areas of technical, professional, and educational activities as well as research, management, and public policy. “Soft” partnerships are needed to further the objectives of the civil-engineering profession, which is, to the writer, one of public service and public benefit. The paper also deals with the subject of privatization. Privatization is defined and examples of successful efforts are reviewed. The current status of privatization, the expanded complexity of privatization today, advantages, funding, and legal considerations are surveyed in general. Privatization is presented as a “hard” public-private partnership: hard in the sense that there is a specific contract between the public and private sectors. The overall thrust of the paper is that public-private partnerships are a good thing; that both soft and hard partnerships are needed and, in fact, prerequisites of each other; and that soft partnerships are necessary. Soft partnerships promote communications, understanding, and the development of common ground.