The Not So Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Public–private partnerships have been adopted extensively in Ireland for over 12 years. This article analyses the practice of PPP procurement at the level of local government. It adopts economic and governance perspectives on PPP which highlight challenges with procurement under PPP such as complexity, uncertainty, hold-up, transparency and accountability. These perspectives provide a basis for an analysis of three cases of PPP procurement. Two cases from the water services sector illuminate problems arising from the complexity of value for money assessment at the ex ante contracting stage. These cases were also characterised by governance problems stemming from central government's role as policy advocate and steward of public funds. The case of PPP to deliver social housing also demonstrated the challenges of procurement under conditions of economic uncertainty and difficulties with achieving appropriate levels of risk transfer. All three cases demonstrate the value of stakeholder consultation in terms of meeting the governance challenges faced when adopting PPP

Accountability · Business · Corporate governance · Economic growth · Economics · Economy · Good governance · Government (linguistics · Government procurement · Management · Political science · Private sector · Procurement · Public economics · Public sector · Stakeholder · Transparency (behavior · Value (mathematics · Value for money · Law · Legal Issues in South Africa · Public Administration · Public Procurement and Policy · Public-Private Partnership Projects · Accounting · Finance · Marketing

• Public–private partnership in Public Administration discipline

  Open Access•Huanming Wang, Wei Xiong et al.•Public Management Review•2018

  Incluir item

• Neoliberalism and health care

  Open Access•Julien Mercille•Critical Public Health•2017

  Incluir item

• Governing public–private partnerships

  Open Access•Wei Xiong, Bin Chen et al.•Australian Journal of Public…•2019

  Incluir item

• E-Government Innovation Initiatives in Public Administration

  Open Access•Marcelo Koji Kawabata, Alceu Salles Camargo•Administration & Society•2023

  Incluir item

• Governance rules for managing smart city information

  Open Access•David Landsbergen, Amanda M Girth et al.•Urban Governance•2022

  Incluir item

• Beyond the financial logic

  Open Access•Martijn van den Hurk, Marlies Hueskes•Environment and Planning C…•2017

  Incluir item

• Public–private partnerships and beyond

  Open Access•Annalisa Caloffi, Stephen Pryke et al.•Environment and Planning C…•2017

  Incluir item

• Austerity as epiphenomenon? Public assets before and beyond 2008

  Open Access•Helen Whiteside, Heather Whiteside•Cambridge Journal of Regions…•2018

  Incluir item

• The Importance of Institutional Capacity and Negotiation Capacity in Affordable Housing Agreements

  Katrina Raynor, Georgia Warren‐myer et al.•Housing Theory and Society•2022

  Incluir item

• Evaluating the Costs, Quality, and Value for Money of Infrastructure Public‐private Partnerships

  Open Access•Ole Helby Petersen•Annals of Public and Cooperative…•2019

  Incluir item

• Conceptualising European Privatisation Processes After the Great Recession

  Open Access•Julien Mercille, Enda Murphy•Antipode•2016

  Incluir item

• The evolution of public–private partnership in Ireland

  Open Access•Gail Sheppard, Matthias Beck•International Review of…•2016

  Incluir item

• Stakeholder engagement and the future of Irish public–private partnerships

  Open Access•Gail Sheppard, Matthias Beck•International Review of…•2022

  Incluir item

• Public–Private Partnerships

  Germà Bel, Trevor Brown et al.•Local Government Studies•2013

  Incluir item

• Local governments and their arm’s length bodies

  Open Access•Marieke Van Genugten, Sandra Van Thiel et al.•Local Government Studies•2020

  Incluir item

• Cost-Saving or Cream-Skimming? Partner Ownership and the Project Returns of Public-Private Partnerships in China

  Open Access•Jie Tan, Zhirong Jerry Zhao•Journal of Chinese Political…•2024

  Incluir item

• Reluctant state capitalism

  Open Access•Donal Palcic, Eoin Reeves et al.•Environment and Planning A…•2023

  Incluir item

• What is privatization? A political economy framework

  Open Access•Julien Mercille, Enda Murphy•Environment and Planning A…•2017

  Incluir item

• Managerial Dilemmas

  Open Access•Gary J Miller•Managerial Dilemmas•1992

  Incluir item

• Theory of the firm

  Open Access•Michael C Jensen, William H Meckling•Journal of Financial Economics•1976

  Incluir item

• The Fundamental Institutions of Capitalism

  Ernesto Screpanti•Fundamental Institutions of…•2001

  Incluir item

• Public–private partnerships in the US and Canada

  Aidan R Vining, Anthony E Boardman et al.•Journal of Comparative Policy…•2005

  Incluir item

• The Role of the State as Guarantor of Public Services

  Open Access•Gabriel Obermann•Annals of Public and Cooperative…•2007

  Incluir item

• The State of the Practice of Value for Money Analysis in Comparing Public Private Partnerships to Traditional Procurements

  Open Access•Dorothy Morallos, Adjo Amekudzi•Public Works Management & Policy•2008

  Incluir item

• Privatization, Information and Incentives

  Open Access•David E M Sappington, Joseph E Stiglitz•Journal of Policy Analysis and…•1987

  Incluir item

• Public–Private Partnerships

  Open Access•Graeme Hodges, Graeme A Hodge et al.•Public Administration Review•2007

  Incluir item

• Public–Private Partnerships and the Public Accountability Question

  Open Access•John Forrer, James Edwin Kee et al.•Public Administration Review•2010

  Incluir item

• The Practice of Contracting in Public Private Partnerships

  Open Access•Eoin Reeves•Public Administration•2008

  Incluir item

• Post-Contractual Lock-in and the UK Private Finance Initiative (PFI)

  Open Access•Chris Lonsdale•Public Administration•2005

  Incluir item

• Private Finance Initiative – a good deal for the public purse or a drain on future generations

  Rob Ball, Maryanne Heafey et al.•Policy & Politics•2001

  Incluir item

• Perspectives on contractual relationships and the move to best value in local authorities

  Bruce Walker, Bruce N Walker et al.•Local Government Studies•1999

  Incluir item

• Governing the Hollow State

  H Brinton Milward, Keith G Provan•Journal of Public Administration…•2000

  Incluir item