Public–private partnership unit explained

A Public–private partnership unit (PPP unit) is an organisation responsible for promoting, facilitating and/or assessing Public-private partnerships (PPP, P3, 3P) in their territory. PPP units can be government agencies, or semi-independent organizations created with full or partial government support. Governments tend to create a PPP unit as a response to prior criticisms of the implementation of P3 projects in their country.[1] In 2009, 50% of OECD countries had created a centralized PPP unit, and many more of these institutions exist in other countries.

Definition

There is no widely accepted definition of what a PPP unit is. The World Bank defines a PPP Unit as an organization that “promotes or improves PPPs. It may manage the number and quality of PPPs by trying to attract more PPPs or trying to ensure that the PPPs meet specific quality criteria such as affordability, value for money, and appropriate risk transfer.” Heather Whiteside describes them as "quasi-independent" institutions operating at "arm's length" from the government, and "created to promote, evaluate and develop P3 projects and policies."

Overview

Different governments have encountered different institutional challenges in the PPP procurement process which justified the creation of a PPP Unit. Hence, these centralized PPP units need to address these issues by shaping their functions to suit their government's needs. The function, location (within government), and jurisdiction (i.e., who controls it) of dedicated PPP units may differ among countries, but generally, they include:

The United Kingdom's PPP units, the Treasury Task Force on PPP (1997) and later Partnerships UK (1998) were staffed with people linked with the City of London, and accountancy and consultancy firms who had a vested interest in the success of the country's PPP policy: Private Finance Initiative. This helped the government override the public sector's opposition to expanding P3s. These institutions played a central role in establishing P3s as the "new normal" for public infrastructure procurements in the country.[3] In contrast, the Infrastructure Investment Facilitation Center (1999) suffered from a lack of formal or informal power, and so was involved in less than half of the 3P projects developed in the country.

Effectiveness

A 2013 review[4] of research into the value of centralized PPP units (and not looking at the value of PPPs in general or any other type of PPP arrangement, as it was aimed at providing evidence needed to decide whether or not to set up a centralized PPP unit) found:

The author of the 2013 review[4] found no literature that rigorously evaluates the usefulness of PPP units. The literature does show that PPP units should be individually tailored to different government functions, address different government failures, and be appropriately positioned to support the country's PPP program. Where these conditions seem to have been met, there is a consensus that PPP units have played a positive role in national PPP programs.

Criticism

Centralized PPP units have been criticized for structuring their project assessments with a bias in favor of PPPs over traditional procurement methods, especially if Promoting PPPs as part of their mandate.[1] As P3 units are usually staffed with people linked with private financial, consultancy and accountancy firms who have a vested interest in the success of P3 policies, this creates an apparent conflict of interest.[3]

Some PPP units have been criticized for paying their executive staff well above the public sector's standard pay rate, which was deemed necessary for enticing people with financial experience to work for them.[5]

Some have questioned the usefulness of creating P3 units, as everything in their mandate could theoretically be accomplished by the government ministry responsible for public infrastructure.[4]

List of PPP Units

Country Territory PPP unit Duration
Australia New South WalesNSW Public–private partnerships
QueenslandProjects Queensland
VictoriaPartnerships Victoria1999–present
BangladeshNational 1999–present
Public–Private Partnership Authority2010–present
Belgium FlandersFlemish PPP Knowledge Center
WalloniaFinancial Information Cell
BrazilFederalPPP Unit
BahiaPPP Unit
Espírito SantoPPP Unit
Minas GeraisPPP Unit
PernambucoPPP Unit
São PauloPPP Unit
Rio Grande do SulPPP Unit
CanadaFederalPPP Canada2009–2018
British ColumbiaPartnerships BC2002–present
New BrunswickPartnerships New Brunswick
OntarioInfrastructure Ontario 2005–present
QuebecQuebec Agency for Public–Private Partnerships[6] 2004–2009
Saskbuilds2012–present
ChinaNationalPublic–private partnerships Center
Hong KongHong Kong Efficiency Unit
CroatiaNationalAgency for Public–Private Partnerships
Czech RepublicNationalPPP Association
DenmarkNationalDanish Business Authority
EgyptNationalPPP Central Unit
EstoniaNationalPublic Procurement Center
FranceNationalMission d'Appui aux Partenariats Public–Privés2004–2017
Germany Lower SaxonyPPP Task Force
North Rhine-WestphaliaPPP Task Force
GhanaNationalPPP Advisory Units
GreeceNationalSecret Secretariat for PPPs
HondurasNationalCommission for the Promotion of Public–Private Partnerships
National Hungary Central PPP Unit 2003–present
IrelandNationalCentral PPP Policy Unit
IsraelNationalPPP Unit (Ministry of Finance)
IndiaFederal Department of Economic Affairs PPP Cell 2006–present
Andhra PradeshUrban Finance and Infrastructure
AssamAssam PPP
BiharInfrastructure Development Authority
KarnatakaInfrastructure Development Department
MaharashtraRegion Development Authority
OdishaPPP Unit
PunjabInfrastructure Development Board
UttarakhandPPP cell
IndonesiaFederalIndonesia Infrastructure Guarantee Fund
PPP Directorate of Bappenas
ItalyNationalProject Finance technical unit
JamaicaNational 1980–present
JapanNationalPFI Promotion Office
KazakhstanNationalKazakhstan PPP Center
KenyaNationalPPP Unit
KosovoNationalPartnership Kosovo
KuwaitNationalPartnerships Technical Bureau
LatviaNationalCentral Finance and Contracting Agency
LebanonNationalHigher Council for Privatization and Partnerships
MalawiNationalPublic Private Partnership Commission
MalaysiaNationalPPP Unit
MauritiusNationalPPP Unit
MexicoFederal + RegionalProgram for the Promotion of Public–Private Partnerships in Mexican States2007–present
NamibiaNationalPPP Unit
NigeriaNationalInfrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission
New ZealandNationalNational Infrastructure Unit
PakistanFederalPrivate Power Infrastructure Board
Infrastructure Project Development Facility
PunjabPPP Cell
SindhPPP Unit
PeruNationalProInversion
National Public-Private Partnership Center (PPP Center) 1999–present
PolandNationalThe department for PPP in the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy
PortugalNational Project Monitoring Technical Unit2012–present
RussiaFederalPPP Development Center
SenegalNationalAgence nationale chargée de la promotion des investissements et des grands travaux
Unité Nationale d'Appui aux Partenariats Public–Privés
SerbiaNationalCommission for Public Private Partnerships
South AfricaFederal South African Treasury PPP Unit 2000–present
South KoreaNationalPrivate Infrastructure Investment Management Centre2005–present
Sri LankaNationalUtilities Commission of Sri Lanka, Board of Investment
UgandaNationalPPP Unit (MoFPED)
United Arab Emirates DubaiPPP Unit2015–present
United KingdomNational Treasury Task Force for PPP 1997–1998
Partnerships UK1998–2011
Local Partnerships2009–present
Northern IrelandStrategic Investment Board
ScotlandScottish Futures Trust2008–present
United States Puerto RicoPPP Authority
UruguayNationalPublic–Private Participation Unit2009–present
Source: World Bank[7]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Siemiatycki. Matti. September 1, 2015. Public-Private Partnerships in Canada: Reflections on twenty years of practice. Canadian Public Administration. en. 58. 3. 343–362. 10.1111/capa.12119. 1754-7121.
  2. World Bank (2007) "Public-Private Partnership Units: Lessons for their designs and use in infrastructure"
  3. Shaoul. Jean. Stafford. Anne. Stapleton. Pamela. 2007. Partnerships and the role of financial advisors: private control over public policy?. 2020-06-06. Policy & Politics. 35 . 3 . 479–495 . en. 10.1332/030557307781571678.
  4. Web site: Literature Review: Evaluating the Costs and Benefits of Centralised PPP Units. Alberto Lemma. EPS PEAKS.
  5. Book: Whiteside, Heather. Public-private partnerships in Canada. Fernwood Publishing. 2016. 978-1-55266-896-2. Halifax. 952801311.
  6. Web site: Cosette. Robert. La nouvelle Agence des partenariats public-privé du Québec.
  7. Web site: PPP Units Around the World Public private partnership. 2020-06-09. ppp.worldbank.org.