The use of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) by governments on all continents has been rapidly growing as government departments and their agencies continue to look for improvised means of providing high quality services. In South Africa, the demand for the replacement of the aging government infrastructure has led to the increase in the use of PPPs. The PPPs are not only used for the improvement of roads, but also in the provision of social services and many other services that are traditionally a responsibility of government. Government institutions typically enter into relationships with PPPs to address their needs and to meet specific objectives. It is, therefore, up to these institutions to choose an ideal model of procurement that best addresses their objectives of delivering effective services (Palmer, 2009:Online). Government institutions will, however, only enter into relationship with PPPs if the services can be transferred in a responsible way and if the risks for failure are limited. Inefficiencies in the disbursement of social assistance grants by the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has received much attention and criticism from the stakeholders as the company contracted to perform the work on behalf of SASSA continues to provide poor quality services. In assessing a PPP, countries providing social security transfers need to take into consideration a partner that will assist in establishing and implementing the payment design and distribution mechanism that is capable of facilitating the cost effective, reliable and practical delivery of cash to the grant beneficiaries. A comprehensive review of literature and empirical investigation was carried out to respond to the research study’s set objectives. The study explored a wide-ranging survey of PPP projects in developed and developing countries focusing on the use of the PPP model in the South African context with specific reference to the disbursement of social grants by the SASSA. Alternative procurement methodologies in government were also reviewed. An analysis of relevant procurement theories was undertaken to form the basis of the research study. The mini-dissertation explores if there are any advantages for the government, and more specifically the SASSA, in using PPPs as opposed to traditional procurement methods. The study attempts to establish if a private partner can be encouraged to provide long-term investment in terms of expertise; well qualified staff; technology; infrastructure; and creation of an environment conducive for highly effective service delivery where the return on such investment is not guaranteed. / MA (Public Administration), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2011 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Public-Private Partnership (PPP) is a popular instrument for public service delivery. It is important that public managers will be able to recognize when a PPP would be an appropriate service delivery option, and will be able to maximize a PPP‘s chances of success when it is the chosen service delivery instrument. The research question addressed in this dissertation is: ―What are the critical factors that can be replicated that separate successful PPPs from PPPs that do not deliver or that collapse? In this dissertation critical success factors for PPPs are identified through a step-by-step process in which different sources of success factors are analysed and where successively identified sets of success factors are compared and combined in a repetitive layered process of synthesis. A list of success factors is created and expanded through an iterative process of evaluation, removal of duplications, combination of related success factors and listing of unique success factors. Success factors are found in literature while describing the PPP concept and partnership mechanics and management. Success factors are identified in partnership literature, in public governance literature, in private sector collaboration literature, in entrepreneurial studies and in a collection of perspectives on success. These perspectives include those of stakeholders, of private operators, of the third sector as well as perspectives from disciplines and knowledge and practice frameworks such as project management, corporate governance, enterprise risk management and organisational design. Additional success factors are identified in a discussion on the evaluation of partnerships, where it is shown that success factors can be derived from evaluation based on characterization, from partnership definitions, from the perspective of programme evaluation, from measuring the performance of business improvement districts, from alternating focus partnership evaluation (sector by sector, theme-based, local-level) and from service delivery evaluation. The evaluation of partnership examples also provides insight into success factors. The final filtering and synthesis of evidence uses the results of questionnaires, from which success factors are derived, to conduct a final distillation and produce the final list of success factors identified. A total of 466 individual success factors are identified in this dissertation, these factors are grouped into 43 distinct categories. The two most critical success factors for PPPs are identified as firstly delivering a publicly needed service and secondly achieving the objectives of the partnership. The answer to the research question described above is that critically, two conditions must be met to make a PPP successful, and that is that the goals of the PPP must be achieved and that a public need must be satisfied. There are many additional success factors which can further define success and degrees of success, all of which are descriptions of desired conditions from the perspective of stakeholders. The exploratory and hypothesis-generating study culminates in a hypothesis that states that if public managers are faced with a choice of service delivery options, and the use of a PPP is one option, and if the manager applies the categories of recommended critical success factors identified in this dissertation, the manager will be able to determine whether a PPP would be an appropriate service delivery vehicle, and furthermore, if PPP is chosen as service delivery vehicle, the public manager would, through the application of the success factors identified in this dissertation, have a greater chance of successful implementation of the PPP through purposeful collaboration. The study contributes to the public management body of knowledge by covering new ground in terms of the evaluation and management of public-private partnerships. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Publiek-Privaat Vennootskappe (PPVe) is 'n gewilde instrument vir die lewering van openbare dienste. Dit is belangrik dat openbare bestuurders sal weet wanneer 'n PPV 'n goeie opsie sal wees vir openbare dienslewering en hoe om 'n PPV se geleentheid vir sukses te verhoog as dit die gekose dienslewerings-instrument is. Die navorsings-vraag wat in hierdie proefskrif aangespreek word is: Wat is die kritieke sukses-faktore wat gerepliseer kan word wat suksesvolle PPVe onderskei van PPVe wat nie presteer nie of wat ineenstort? In hierdie proefskrif word kritieke suksesfaktore vir PPVe geïdentifiseer deur 'n stap-vir-stap proses waardeur verskillende bronne van suksesfaktore ge-analiseer word en agtereenvolgende stelle van suksesfaktore vergelyk en gekombineer word in 'n herhalende, gelaagde proses van sintese. 'n Lys van suksesfaktore word geskep en uitgebrei deur ‗n iteratiewe proses van evaluasie, die verwydering van herhalings, die kombinasie van verwante faktore en die lys van unieke faktore. Suksesfaktore word gevind in literatuur terwyl die PPV konsep en vennootskap meganismes en -bestuur beskryf word. Suksesfaktore word geïdentifiseer in vennootskap literatuur, in openbare bestuur literatuur, in privaatsektor samewerkingsliteratuur, in entrepeneur studies en in 'n versameling perspektiewe op sukses. Hierdie perspektiewe sluit in die van belanghoudendes, van private operateurs, van die derde sektor sowel as perspektiewe van dissiplines en kennis en praktyk raamwerke soos projekbestuur, korporatiewe bestuur, ondernemingsrisikobestuur en organisatoriese ontwerp. Bykomende suksesfaktore word geïdentifiseer in 'n bespreking oor die evaluasie van vennootskappe, waar dit aangedui word dat suksesfaktore afgelei kan word van karakter-gebaseerde evaluasie, van die prestasiemeting van besigheidsverbeteringsdistrikte ("Business Improvement Districts"), van alternatiewelik-fokusende vennootskap-evaluasie (sektor-vir-sektor, tema-gebasseerd, plaaslike vlak) en van dienslewerings-evaluasie. Die evaluering van vennootskap voorbeelde voorsien ook insig in suksesfaktore. Die finale filtrasie en sintese van bewyse gebruik vraelyste, waarvandaan suksesfaktore afgelei word, vir 'n finale distillasie en die saamstel van 'n finale lys van geïdentifiseerde suksesfaktore. In totaal word 466 indiwiduele suksesfaktore in hierdie proefskrif geïdentifiseer, wat in 43 aparte kategorieë gegroepeer word. Die twee mees kritieke suksesfaktore wat uitgewys word is om eerstens 'n benodigde publieke of openbare behoefte te bevredig of diens te lewer, en tweedens om die doelwitte van die vennootskap te bereik. Die antwoord op die navorsings-vraag wat hierbo beskryf word is dat daar krities aan twee voorwaardes voldoen moet word om 'n PPV susksevol te maak, en dit is dat die vennootskap se doelwitte moet bereik word en dat ‗n openbare behoefte bevredig moet word. Daar is verskeie bykomende suksesfaktore wat sukses en die mate van sukses verder kan definieer, waarvan almal beskrywings is van verlangde toestande uit die oogpunt van belanghebbendes. Die uitset van die verkennende en hipotese-vormende studie is 'n hipotese wat lei dat, indien openbare bestuurders met 'n keuse van dienslewerings opsies gekonfronteer word, en indien die gebruik van 'n PPV een van hierdie opsies is, en indien die bestuurder dan die kategorieë van voorgestelde suksesfaktore wat in hierdie proefskrif geïdentiseer is toepas, sal dit vir die bestuurder moontlik wees om te bepaal of 'n PPV 'n toepaslike diensleweringsvoertuig kan wees, en verder dat, indien 'n PPV die gekose diensleweringsvoertuig is, die openbare bestuurder deur die toepassing van die susksesfaktore wat in hierdie proefskrif geïdentifiseer is 'n groter kans sal hê vir suksesvolle implementering van die PPV deur doelgerigte samewerking.

Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study gives an analysis of urban water services provision in Zimbabwe in general. The case study of Harare Municipality was used to get an in-depth analysis of urban water provision in an urban set-up and assess the possibility of private sector engagement for water provision. The engagement of the private sector through Public- Private Partnerships (PPPs) in the provision of public services has become a common practice in many countries. The overall benefits noted for the use of these partnerships include increased effectiveness and efficiency of service delivery. The private sector has been favoured for the provision of services, given the financial and expertise benefits that it brings into public service delivery. Water services delivery in many countries in Africa has been dogged by a plethora of problems that include, water losses, poor revenue collection, lack of cost recovery, inadequate financial investment to expand water infrastructure and overall inability to meet demand resulting from urban expansion. Given these challenges, PPPs provide an option for service delivery. These partnerships have been in the form of leases, management and service contracts, as well as concessions for the provision of public services. Private sector participation (PSP) in service delivery in different forms is rooted in various theoretical ideologies that include New Public Management (NPM), Public Value, New Governance and Network Governance. The reduction of the role of government in the provision of public services; the adoption of private sector management style; the use of networks in service provision and participation of the stakeholders are key principles in these theoretical ideologies. These principles have thus been adopted through public sector reforms for service delivery. Case studies from Senegal, Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania are applied in this study, to take note of key lessons on the engagement of the private sector for provision of urban water services, as well as the key determinants of successful partnerships. The institutional and legal framework of reforms undertaken in these countries are analysed as part of the enabling environment for successful partnerships. Data collection for this study was done through key informant interviews, covering water administration issues, water provision challenges and private sector engagement in Harare. The obsolete water infrastructure and inadequate financial levels have affected water provision and coverage in Harare. Unaccounted for water was found to be above 30 percent for the City of Harare, whilst water production levels are much lower than demand. Attempts at engaging the private sector for improving water provision through a concession for the Kunzvi Dam Project have not gone beyond the signing of the contract. What is clear is that there is a lack of a regulatory framework; political willingness, lack of trust, economic uncertainty, lack of financial sustainability and a performance monitoring framework. These are key factors in ensuring a viable public- private arrangement. For private sector involvement to be successful, in the context of this study, the recommendations include the need for a regulatory framework for PPPs in Zimbabwe, establishment of a regulator through policy, political willingness and transparency. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie bied ’n algemene analise van stedelike watervoorsieningdienste in Zimbabwe. Die gevallestudie van die Harare-munisipaliteit word gebruik ten einde ’n in-diepte analise van stedelike watervoorsiening in ’n stedelike omgewing te bekom en om die moontlikheid van privaatsektor-betrokkenheid ten opsigte van watervoorsiening te assesseer. Die betrokkenheid van die privaatsektor deur middel van Openbare-Privaatvennootskappe met die oog op die verskaffing van openbare dienste het in vele lande wêreldwyd algemene gebruik geword. Die algehele voordele vir die gebruik van sulke vennootskappe sluit verhoogde doeltreffendheid en deeglikheid van diensverskaffing in. Die privaatsektor geniet voorkeur vir die voorsiening van dienste gegewe die finansiële en kundigheidsvoordele wat dit aan openbare dienslewering toevoeg. Die lewering van waterdienste in vele lande in Afrika word deur ’n oormaat probleme geteister wat waterverliese, onvoldoende betalings, gebrek aan kosteverhaling , onvoldoende geldelike beleggings om waterinfrastruktuur uit te brei, en die algehele onvermoë om aan die aanvraag weens stedelike uitbreiding te voldoen, insluit. In die lig van die vermelde uitdagings bied Openbare-Privaatvennootskappe ’n opsie vir dienslewering. Dié vennootskappe is in die vorm van huurkontrakte, bestuurs- en dienskontrakte, sowel as konsessies vir die verskaffing van openbare dienste, vergestalt. Deelname deur die privaatsektor aan dienslewering in verskillende vorme is gewortel in verskeie teoretiese ideologieë wat Nuwe Openbare Bestuur, Openbare Waarde, Nuwe Leiding en Netwerkleiding insluit. Die vermindering van die regering se rol in die voorsiening van openbare dienste; die aanvaarding van privaatsektor-bestuurstyl; die gebruik van netwerke ten opsigte van diensverskaffing en die deelname van belanghebbendes, is sleutelbeginsels in hierdie teoretiese ideologieë. Hierdie beginsels is dus deur openbare sektorhervormings met die oog op diensverskaffing aanvaar. Gevallestudies uit Senegal, Kenia, Suid-Afrika en Tanzanië is in hierdie studie toegepas met die oog daarop om sleutellesse rakende die betrokkenheid van die privaatsektor ten opsigte van die voorsiening van stedelike waterdienste ter harte te neem, sowel as die sleuteldeterminante van geslaagde vennootskappe. Die institusionele en wetlike raamwerk van hervormings wat in vermelde lande onderneem is, is geanaliseer as deel van die geskikte omgewing vir geslaagde vennootskappe. Data-insameling vir hierdie studie is gedoen deur sleutel ingeligte onderhoude wat wateradministrasie-aangeleenthede, watervoorsiening-uitdagings en privaatsektor-betrokkenheid in Harare dek. Die afgeleefde waterinfrastruktuur en onvoldoende finansiële stelsels het watervoorsiening en dekking in Harare geraak. Daar is bevind dat die onverantwoordbaarheid ten opsigte van water in die stad Harare bo 30 persent was onderwyl waterleweringsvlakke veel laer is as die aanvraag daarvoor. Pogings om die privaatsektor te betrek by die verbetering van watervoorsiening deur middel van ’n konsessie vir die Kunzvi Dam-projek, het nog nie verder gevorder as die kontrakondertekening nie. Wat duidelik is, is dat daar ’n gebrek aan ’n reguleringsraamwerk bestaan, daar is geen politieke wil nie, daar heers algemene gebrek aan vertroue, ekonomiese onsekerheid en ’n gebrek aan finansiële volhoubaarheid, en daar bestaan nie ’n prestasiemoniteringsraamwerk nie. Hierdie is sleutelfaktore ten einde ’n lewensvatbare openbare-private ooreenkoms te verseker. Om privaatsektor betrokkenheid – in die konteks van hierdie studie – geslaagd te maak, sluit die aanbevelings die volgende in: die behoefte aan ’n reguleringsraamwerk vir Openbare-Privaatvennootskappe in Zimbabwe, die totstandkoming van ’n reguleerder deur middel van beleid, ’n politieke wil en deursigtigheid.

Thesis (MDF)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / Globally, the demand for public infrastructure has been growing. However, governments have not been able to meet this demand due to limited fiscal revenue. Many governments have turned to the private sector to finance, build and operate infrastructure projects through public-private partnerships (PPPs). Despite the great demand and the availability of capital to develop these projects, many have failed the PPP test due to a number of constraints. This paper is meant to research the viability of water PPPs by considering the case of the Kunzvi Water Development Project (KWDP), which is in its infancy stage. The literature review from developed and developing countries shows a number of critical success factors which were applied to this study. These critical success factors were rated by key stakeholders in the KWDP – from the government and private sector to development finance institutions (DFIs). A questionnaire was then given to each group to assess the critical success factors. The results show that political commitment and support, macroeconomic environment, and the legal and regulatory framework were the top three critical success factors. The respondents rated the first as strong, but the macroeconomic environment was rated as weak. The paper recommends that government improves the nature of the political support going forward as more involvement will be required as the project develops. The paper also recommends that the government engages DFIs to provide financial and technical support to develop the project as the government may not be able to afford professional services. This paper highlights the views of the respondents but the author also noted limitations even though the project is still in its early stages. Hence, further review may be needed as the project progresses, and/or the lessons learnt may have to be studied and compared with similar projects in a similar context.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Politics and Public Administration / Master / Master of Philosophy

This thesis articulates how the Kuh-Ke-Nah network (K-Net) shaped broadband development in remote indigenous communities. K-Net operates under the not-for-profit stewardship of Keewaytinook Okimanak (KO) Tribal Council. Located in Northwestern Ontario, KO brought K-Net to life amongst its six member First Nations in the mid 1990s. As K-Net evolved and expanded its membership, KO established a governance model that devolves network ownership and control to community networks in partner First Nations. This governance model reflects KO’s use of social enterprise to organize K-Net’s community-based broadband deployment amidst necessary partnerships with government programs and industry players. K-Net’s social enterprise has rapidly grown since 1997, when its core constituents fought for basic telephone service and internet access in Northern Ontario. In the space of less than a decade, K-Net communities have gone from a situation in which it was common for there to be but a single public payphone in a settlement, to a point where over thirty now have broadband internet services to households. Technologies now under K-Net control include a C-Band satellite transponder, IP videoconferencing and telephony, web and email server space, and a variety of terrestrial and wireless links that effectively connect small, scattered First Nations communities to each other and the wider world. K-Net’s governance model encourages member communities to own and control community local loops and internet services under the authority of a local enterprise. Community ownership and control over local loops allows First Nations to collaborate with KO to adapt broadband applications, such as telemedicine and an internet high school, to local challenges and priorities. K-Net’s aggregation of demand from disparate users, within and across member communities, creates economies of scale for the network’s social enterprise, and allows a dynamic reallocation of bandwidth to meet social priorities. Based on four years of research with K-Net stakeholders under the Canadian Research Alliance for Community Innovation and Networking (CRACIN), my thesis documents the evolution of K-Net’s governance model as a reflection of its social enterprise. Drawing from Community Informatics and the Ecology of Games, I trace K-Net’s history and organization to assess how KO, its partners, and K-Net’s constituents, cooperated to make social enterprise viable for member First Nations.

This is a study of several contentious issues in Canadian health policy involving the interaction of public and private payers and for-profit (FP) and not-for-profit (NFP) providers; the influence of health professionals on market structure; and the role of foreign investment. A case study was used, the Ontario physiotherapy market in 2003-2005, with its complex mix of payers and providers and foreign investment opportunities. Key market features were: fragmented but substantial payer influence, effective though uncoordinated cost control across payers, constrained labour supply, and fragmented patient referral sources. These features increased the complexity of providers’ interactions with patients and payers, reducing standardization and therefore favouring local, professional-owned small business FP providers (FP/s) for ambulatory care. NFP Hospitals’ market share declined. The findings generally confirmed expected behavioural differences between FP and NFP providers but expected differences between investor-owned FP providers (FP/c) and FP/s providers were not generally found. FP/s dominated the market, and FP/c providers appeared to mimic FP/s market behaviours, competing in local sub-markets. With no single or dominant payer, cost control difficulties were expected, but all 11 payer categories (public and private) used various cost control mechanisms, resulting in significant collective but uncoordinated influence. Generally, no payer alone supported a provider’s operations. The dominant labour suppliers, regulated physiotherapists, were scarce and exerted significant pressure, affecting market structure by asserting individual preferences and professional interests. FP/s dominance resulted, supported by the traditional patient referral source, physicians in small practices. Very little foreign investment was found despite little protection for domestic providers under NAFTA. In sum, this study showed FP and NFP provider stereotypes are subject to payer pressure: FP/c organizations can adapt by mimicking FP/s, and payers can modify NFPs’ assumed community orientation. Labour shortages and historical referral patterns can make individual professionals and their preferences more influential than their collective profession without diminishing the importance of professional interests. The degree and structure of payer control can make a market unattractive to foreign investors. Finally, this market – neither a planned or standard market – had a service provision pattern more broadly influenced by professionalism and practitioner interests than policies or prices.

<p>Public-private partnerships to provide services are a relatively new policy initiative in Mexico, and have shown contrasting results. This research has endeavored to analyze the possible determinants behind the failure, or the success, of the choice of a specific mode of service provision. By using contracting literature based on transaction costs, and looking specifically at the case of AGSAL, a joint venture established between Saltillo, a northern Mexican city, and INTERAGBAR, a private investor, for the provision of water, this study showed that characteristics of the transaction at stake. More specifically, it showed that specificity of the investments that support a given transaction, the unanticipated changes in circumstances surrounding an exchange, either from physical assets or its ownership rights, and the frequency and duration with which parties engage in the transaction.</p>

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.

A number of studies show that school facilities in the United States are deteriorating and that a substantial outlay of financial capital is required to bring school facilities to good overall condition. The current economic environment, marked by slow growth, high unemployment, and low tax revenues has highlighted widespread issues with the financial condition and fiscal sustainability of local governments. While studies show that the success of the educational process is related to the condition of school facilities, providing a safe and effective educational environment for students and teachers is a great challenge for local governments. Alternative sources of funding for the rehabilitation of old schools, which would reduce the need for long-term debt financing, are worth exploring. Federal and state historic rehabilitation tax incentive programs have proven to be successful in bringing private capital, economic activity, and jobs to distressed areas around the country, while being largely fiscally self sustaining. Current legislation, however, does not make the federal tax credit program easily accessible to public schools, and a significant court decision has the potential to undermine the viability of the entire Virginia program. This study examined the financial costs and benefits of historic tax credit financing for school construction in Virginia, investigated administrative issues related to the private-public nature of the program, and finally analyzed the relevant public policy issues. The study followed a case study methodology of two schools in Virginia which utilized historic tax credit financing, and four schools which utilized traditional financing for renovation. This study will expand the body of knowledge of modern education financing and enrich the existing literature by introducing a financing alternative that includes a private-public partnership. The study will also be of great value to policymakers, public administrators, the investor community, and the public at large as they evaluate financing alternatives for school construction.