A dissertation interim report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Building. / Public Private Partnerships (PPP) are a unique model for countries that wish to deliver infrastructure services to the communities they serve. This unique form of procurement combines the efforts of both the public and private sectors. PPP procurement allows governments with resource constraints to access private sector funds to implement their infrastructure and services delivery programmes. South Africa has taken a decision to adopt PPP’s as an alternative to the traditional form of infrastructure delivery. PPP’s are however a fairly new way of procurement for government departments. The delivery of PPP’s has therefore come with its own unique challenges that need to be addressed in order to make this type of procurement effective. South Africa has adopted world-class PPP procurement guidelines which are on par with those of established PPP markets. The PPP procurement process is outlined in the National Treasury’s PPP Manual and Standardised PPP Provisions. The PPP Manual provides guidelines for the implementation of the full project life-cycle of a PPP. PPP procurement forms an important part of the project lifecycle, and ensures that the outcomes of a PPP are met, being affordability, value for money, and equitable risk transfer for the contracting parties. The aim of this research was two-fold. Firstly, this research aims to investigate the time performance of the procurement process for PPP projects in South Africa. Secondly, the research aims to determine the factors that influence the time performance of the procurement process for these projects. The case study research strategy was identified as the most suitable method of addressing the research aims. The justification of the use of the case study strategy was based on the type of research questions posed, the extent of control the researcher had over behavioural events, and the ability of case studies to address the contemporary as opposed to historical events. In addition, the case study strategy was considered advantageous because it follows a rigorous methodical path that protects against threats of construct, internal and external validity. To this end, four cases were selected for the research. The cases selected were as follows:  Maropeng and Sterkfontein PPP Project;  Department of Statistics South Africa (DSSA) New Head Office Accommodation PPP Project;  Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) New Head Office Accommodation PPP Project; and  Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (DRDLR) New Head Office Accommodation PPP Project. The cases were initially analysed individually, and thereafter a cross-case analysis was conducted. The cross-case analysis was used to identify trends and associations across cases, together with any differences worth highlighting. Analytical procedures were used to analyse the time performance of the PPP procurement process from Request for Qualification (RFQ) to Financial Close. Planned and actual procurement timelines were collected from the PPP procurement documentation (i.e. RFQ and RFP documentation) and the interview respondents respectively. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect qualitative information on the factors that the respondents deemed to have influenced the time performance of the procurement process for the selected cases. The interview questions were based on insights gained from the literature review related to the factors that influence the time performance of the PPP procurement process. It is envisaged that the insights gained from the research will go a long way to improving the time performance of the procurement process for PPP projects in South Africa. An improved time performance of the procurement process can lead to quicker delivery of PPP projects to marginalised communities where the need for infrastructure services is the highest. Keywords: Construction, Procurement, Public Private Partnerships, Time Performance, South Africa.

In modern days, along with restricted traditional funding sources and massive demand of infrastructure investment comes a significant gap of funding. Institutional investors are considered reliable sources of financing for infrastructure due to the long-term investment horizon and asset/liability management (ALM) requirement. Hence, institutional investors start to embrace infrastructure as an attractive asset class because infrastructure assets are able to generate long-term, stable, and predictable cash flows and diversify investors’ portfolios. As a result, financial innovations to encourage institutional investment have become an important issue. Asset-backed securitization (ABS) of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) infrastructure project’s receivables has been promoted in China since Dec. 2016 as an alternative financing instrument to encourage institutional investment to finance infrastructure projects. Traditional approaches of project financing are considered less attractive vis-à-vis the innovative PPPABS financing method, regarding liquidity, steady operational asset, risk sharing, bankruptcy remoteness, long maturity, and standardization. Despite these advantages, lack of knowledge and experience is still preventing project participants from seeking finance opportunities with PPPABS. In order to provide a guideline for practitioners to understand this innovative financing method, this thesis proposes a feasibility assessment framework for financing PPP infrastructure projects through ABS. Firstly, a list of 25 critical success factors (CSFs) of PPPABS is identified through a literature analysis, case studies, and expert interviews. Then a questionnaire survey is designed to collect opinions on these 25 critical factors from not only PPP stakeholders but also capital markets. Preliminary analysis is performed then to have a basic understanding of the data, including descriptive analysis, agreement analysis, and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Furthermore, after applying factor analysis to reduce the dimensions of the model, 5 principal components are derived, including “Effective ABS issuance and lifetime management”, “Clear regulatory guidance”, “Robust PPP and concessional arrangements”, “Supportive capital market conditions”, and “Reliable underlying asset quality”. Based on this finding, an assessment framework and index are proposed for PPPABS financing. Afterward, a case study of the pilot batch of PPPABS in China is presented as validation of the framework. By investigating the causal relationships among the critical factors of successful PPPABS financing, an advanced model is constructed to assist the project participants to quantify the feasibility. A focus group is conducted to collect rating data from experienced experts who have participated infrastructure ABS issuance and management intensively. Structural equation modeling (SEM) method is used to analyze the rating data of PPPABS products on the market. Hypothetical models are then examined, and the best-fit model for illustration is verified and proposed. Causal relationships in this model are investigated and proved to be significant. The result indicates that “Capital market conditions”, “Underlying asset quality”, and “Regulatory guidance” are exogenous variables and affect the overall feasibility of PPPABS indirectly. Furthermore, both “ABS issuance and lifetime management” and “PPP and concessional arrangements” are endogenous variables, affecting the overall feasibility directly. The path coefficients are employed to calculate the weights allocated to each principal factor and to create the feasibility assessment index. In the end, the pilot batch of PPPABS launched in China is used again to illustrate the application in practice and validation of the advanced assessment model. As an in-depth work to understand critical pricing determinants of PPPABS, a regression analysis is performed to build a financing cost estimation model for practitioners. This work can serve as a fundamental guideline in this particular research area of ABS financing for infrastructure projects. And the proposed framework shall support the decision-making process for not only the project managers who consider financing through ABS, but also the institutional investors who consider investment opportunities in PPPABS products.

The multitude of public-private partnership (PPP) designs and interpretations reflects the lack of an authoritative definition of PPP. What each definition of PPP has in common is an emphasis on collaboration and shared decision-making towards a common goal. To explore what partnership means to PPPs that are focused on health system strengthening, the researcher conducted a literature review and two case studies: one on Labs for Life, and another on a partnership between the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Sysmex, and the Namibian Ministry of Health. The emphasis on collaboration led the researcher to use collaborative governance as a conceptual framework, drawing from a paper by Chris Ansell and Alison Gash (2007). The two PPPs varied greatly in how external factors (e.g. power and prehistory) impacted the partnership, and to what extent the PPPs embraced the collaborative process. The PPPs were similar in many ways, too – both acknowledged the importance of building trust through cultural understanding and expectation management. Third parties were key in both partnerships, enabling the collaborative process. The results of this study underscore the heavy burden that the word, partnership, carries; if public-private partnership implies the purposeful application of collaborative governance, then this study supports an alternative term: public-private interaction (PPI). This new term removes the assumption that all partners are fully equal and that decision-making processes are collaborative and consensus-oriented. Indeed, PPPs (or PPIs) come in all shapes and sizes and degrees to which they are true to collaborative governance. These findings contribute to an evidence base of lessons-learned that will enable PPPs/PPIs to focus on health system priorities while honestly assessing the relevance and application of collaborative governance.

This dissertation employs an organizational approach to examine how reentry organizations seek to provide social value as public-private partnerships with the mission statement of aiding the reintegration of the formerly incarcerated. With the help of a case study of a reentry organization in Cleveland, Ohio, I examine the sociological significance of the discursive “brokerage metaphor” of reentry organizations as brokers of the social and cultural capital the formerly incarcerated require as catalysts for their reintegration back into society. Based on ethnographic data and in-depth field interviews collected over a period of 16 months in Cleveland, Ohio, my research finds that the “brokerage metaphor” for reentry elides important factors which play an integral role in the organizational behavior of reentry organizations and the sociological experience of reentry for the formerly incarcerated. These other factors notably include the competitive and regulatory organizational environment of the reentry organization, and the intersectional identities of formerly incarcerated women. These external factors reveal the paradox of the public-private partnership represented by the reentry organization wherein some obstacles that stymie the objectives of the reentry organization might be attributed to its public partner, the government. Furthermore, my research finds that besides the brokerage of social and cultural capital, reentry organizations as public-private partnerships provide other tangible benefits for achieving the reentry of the formerly incarcerated, such as a remove from the carceral continuum that invites participation and creates the space for community-building. This dissertation research advances a new direction for the study of public-private partnerships wherein the lens of inquiry is not merely on the private partner, rather, the spotlight is also trained on the external impediments that prevent the organization from achieving full social value. This direction for research bodes well for determining appropriate and effective ethical policy interventions to addressing pressing social problems through public-private partnerships and social enterprise.

Thesis (M.S. in Management)--Naval Postgraduate School, September 2003. / Thesis advisor(s): Joseph G. San Miguel, Rodney E. Tudor. Includes bibliographical references (p. 81-83). Also available online.

Thesis (M.S. in Management)--Naval Postgraduate School, December 2002. / Thesis advisor(s): Ron Tudor, Rodney E. Tudor. Includes bibliographical references (p. 63-64). Also available online.

This research proposes a methodological framework for the probabilistic evaluation of the financial viability of transportation infrastructure projects procured as Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). In doing so a methodological approach is undertaken. First, this research investigates the various risks of PPP projects, in particular the investment risk in terms of both the depth and its corresponding methods of evaluation, yielding a new method for more accurate estimation. Second, it examines the multiple facets of financial viability, stemming from the different meaning that it has for the various project stakeholders, i.e., the public authority, the lenders and the equity investors. From this study a connection between the financial viability and the investment risk is established for the purpose of using the latter for the assessment of the former. Based on this established connection, this research proposes a general methodological framework that can be used for the probabilistic evaluation of the financial viability of other types of revenue-generating transportation infrastructure projects, procured as PPPs. This framework proposes the evaluation of the financial viability through the estimation of the project's investment risk, using available numerical and/or analytical approximation techniques such as the Method of Moments. The general methodological framework is then utilized for the specific case of highway toll-road concession projects, where detailed and specific quantitative models are devised for the determination of the costs and revenues of these projects. Additionally, and by capitalizing on similar models found elsewhere in the literature, this dissertation also proposes a process to increase the accuracy of the Maintenance and Rehabilitation cost estimates, borrowing concepts stemming from reliability and stochastic processes. The findings of this research are expected to help all project stakeholders with their evaluation of whether or not a project under consideration is capable of achieving their respective financial targets. The proposed methodology can be used as a quantitative tool for project evaluation and investment appraisal by all project stakeholders. However, as in any decision support methodology, the purpose of the proposed framework is not to replace decision makers but to help them make better and informed decisions. / text

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

Post-disaster reconstruction, critical in restoring the affected community, provides new opportunities to redevelop the disaster affected region for economic growth, future vulnerability reduction and sustainable development as well. However, previous studies reveal that these opportunities have not been fully exploited. Many reconstruction projects have performed poorly due to various political, administrational, social, and policy/regulation-related reasons. To address the spotlighted gaps in post-disaster reconstruction, Public-Private-People Partnership (4P) is proposed and developed to procure more sustainable public infrastructure and to improve the overall performance of disaster management (DM) through integrating preparedness and mitigation into reconstruction processes. Public- Private Partnerships (PPP), which have demonstrated superior performance compared to the traditional approach in many infrastructure projects, are the practical and theoretical foundation of the proposed 4P. The integrated 4th P-‘people’ refers to major stakeholders who play critical roles in reconstruction, namely Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), local communities, academia, professional groups and media. A 4P framework, comprising of a procurement framework and a partnership framework, was developed based on the consolidated findings from a literature review and empirical data. The procurement framework provides a three-stage procurement process to deliver a typical 4P project, including planning for post-disaster reconstruction procurement, establishing framework agreement and 4P delivery. Through pre-disaster arrangements formally linking potential participants in advance, it enables targeted 4Ps to mobilize faster, while being more efficient and sustainable. The partnership framework provides the corner-stone of establishing sustainable and successful relationships among multiple participants, to ensure smooth execution of 4P projects. Developed on significant findings from previous research on partnerships/relationship management in the construction industry, it describes the partnership structure, role of each major participant and institutional and relational strategies to improve the partnership/relationship. A comprehensive research design enabled collection of the data required to achieve each objective of this research project. The first-round semi-structured interviews were conducted to mainly investigate the feasibility of applying PPP in reconstruction and integrating ‘people’ into PPP, so as to narrow down the potential scope of the proposed 4P. Findings from the first-round interviews, current practice and pitfalls in the DM cycle especially in reconstruction were examined in the subsequent two parallel sets of questionnaire surveys targeting DM and PPP professionals. The results derived from 14 first-round interviews and 81 responses received in the questionnaires clearly suggest that 4P has great potential to deliver better performance in reconstruction projects of certain types. Nine second-round interviews helped to test and improve the established preliminary 4P framework. In addition, to further probe into the role of ‘people’, case studies of ‘Project Mingde’, which comprises of three construction projects including a Sichuan reconstruction project, were implemented. The proposed 4P framework, developed based on the above research, was validated through a focus group meeting. It is concluded that the 4P approach could help realize better performance and sustainable redevelopment in appropriate reconstruction scenarios, as well as contribute to improving the overall DM. The 4P framework also provides a basic methodology and conceptual foundation to procure 4P projects in industry with pointers for future development in academic research. / published_or_final_version / Civil Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy

To solve the conflict between limited fiscal funds and increasing demands to strengthen infrastructure construction, Public Private Partnership (PPP) was introduced by the Chinese government as an effective approach to make use of private investment to implement infrastructure projects. To provide services or facilities for public use, in PPP, participants pool their skills and resources while at the same time sharing the risks and rewards. The application of PPP could not only ease the government’s financial pressure, but also improve the efficiency of infrastructure construction and ensure the service quality of projects. Although PPP produces these benefits, the complexity and long-term features of PPP projects expose participants to more risks than in traditional projects. Therefore, risk management of participants is critical to the success of PPP projects. As an innovative procurement approach involves a variety of stakeholders over a long time span, it is necessary to investigate how to appraise and recognize PPP project success. In addition, although risk management has attracted much attention, few studies examine the detailed link between various dimensions of risk management and PPP project success. This research therefore intends to fill these two gaps. Compared with countries in the West, PPP was introduced into China relatively recently. A comparative study was employed in this research in order to understand the Chinese situation and to make use of the experience of other countries to critique PPP project performance in Mainland China. In this study, a two-pronged research program—comprising quantitative and qualitative approaches—was used to test and validate the tripartite theoretical model which was set up based on Transaction Cost Economics (TCE), Resource-based View (RBV) and Relational Exchange Theory (RET). In the quantitative study, questionnaire surveys were conducted concurrently in Mainland China and other places. Hierarchical Multiple Regression was used to explore the relationships posited in the research framework. To provide supportive and complementary evidence to the quantitative data, a case study of a PPP project in Mainland China was undertaken. Open-ended interviews and the thematic analysis technique were adopted in the case study. Taken together, the findings indicated that although the facets of risk management significantly affect project success, there are subtle different influences on different stakeholders’ benefits. For example, the uncertainty of social issues and economic issues will affect public partner’s benefits while the uncertainty of political & institutional issues, economic issues and project specific issues are directly influence private partner’s benefits. To maximize their own interests, different stakeholders should pay more attention to the influencing factors that are specifically associated with them. Meanwhile, it is demonstrated that individual efforts on risk management also contribute to the benefits of other stakeholders as well as to the whole industry development. In addition, the comparative study suggests that public partners of PPP projects in Mainland China could refer to the risk management experience of public partners from other countries to make an appropriate risk management commitment and better manage risks. On the other hand, private partners of PPP projects in Mainland China need to pay more attention to the macro-control of the government so as to protect their rights and interests. / published_or_final_version / Real Estate and Construction / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy