Abstract
Researchers ceaselessly theorize public private partnerships (PPP) as a major innovative means to unlock public sector investment gaps, yet their contribution towards improved public service delivery has sustainably remained low mainly due to poor PPP understanding and application. This study utilises extant conceptual and theoretical studies through content analysis to provide a more concrete understanding of the PPP concept and philosophy for their effective application. The study developed a list of common PPP defining features (e.g. partnership, long-term projects and contracts, incomplete contracts, function specific tasks) and eight PPP perspectives (i.e. procurement management, urban regeneration, infrastructure, policy, moral regeneration, financing arrangements, language game, development) for better understanding of the PPP concept. Importantly, the study introduces a new and overarching PPP perspective of procurement management. Additionally, it was established that Traditional Public Management theory is not compatible with PPP practices, and the study recommends new public governance, public value, new public service, and remotely, the new public management as the most appropriate theories underpinning PPPs with in a public sector setting. This research contributes towards improved understandability of the PPP phenomenon and its practical applicability for greater impact towards sustainable public service delivery.
Highlights
With majority of the countries across the globe having for decades faced budgetary constraints and pressure from the citizens to expand and improve public facilities and services (Shetterly, Duan, Krishnamoorthy, Kronenburg & Loutzenhiser, 2012), governments’ public infrastructure development monopoly is soon becoming history
It was established that Traditional Public Management theory is not compatible with private partnerships (PPP) practices, and the study recommends new public governance, public value, new public service, and remotely, the new public management as the most appropriate theories underpinning PPPs with in a public sector setting
This paper aims to provide concrete meaning to what PPPs are in order to avoid their misconstruction and misapplication in research and policy arenas, and to propose from a public sector perspective the most suitable theories for effective implementation of PPPs
Summary
With majority of the countries across the globe having for decades faced budgetary constraints and pressure from the citizens to expand and improve public facilities and services (Shetterly, Duan, Krishnamoorthy, Kronenburg & Loutzenhiser, 2012), governments’ public infrastructure development monopoly is soon becoming history. Starting from the early 1990s to-date, public private partnerships have relentlessly gained public sector popularity across the globe because of the consistent government financial constraints, and administration reforms such as governments playing “an enabling” rather than “an active” role in the provision of public services (Reim, 2009, p.2). This form of public service delivery transforms government departments from being owners and operators of public facilities to becoming procurers of the private sector services through long-term contracts that clearly stipulate the responsibilities of each party (Kalpana, 2014a; Willems, Van Dooren & Van den Hurk, 2017). This paper aims to provide concrete meaning to what PPPs are in order to avoid their misconstruction and misapplication in research and policy arenas, and to propose from a public sector perspective the most suitable theories for effective implementation of PPPs
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