“You can’t expect insights, even the big ones, to make you suddenly understand everything. But I figure: Hey it’s a step in the right direction if they leave you confused in a deeper way.”
Lilly Tomlin
Is Value for money analysis more than an academic exercise?
Being a Certified PPP Professional I have studied and appreciated the APMG PPP Certification Guide. Most of this widely endorsed Body of Knowledge makes sense and helps to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of preparing and implementing PPP projects. However, the suggested approach to Value for Money analysis can be debated in terms of its practicality and usefulness.
Rome wasn’t built in one day, nor is a PPP Market
Having been involved already in a dozen or so emerging PPP markets developing their PPP Frameworks, the most often complaint from the political leadership is the apparent lack of progress. Politicians, intrinsically impatient as they are, want to see results within their reign.
The PPP Bid Costs Challenge
In response to one of my PPP posts I received a question from a much-appreciated former colleague on the excessive levels of the costs for bid preparation in a PPP. “What happens if the contractor's cost of preparing a PPP proposal is so sky high, that he cannot afford to lose the bidding”. A valid question that is worthy of some further reflection.
The Curious Case of PPP
To PPP or not to PPP, that’s the question. At least it looks as if there are some conflicting views on the use of PPP (to put it mildly). Whereas the likes of the World Bank, ADB, EBRD, IsDB, IADB, AfDB and the UN are supporting many governments throughout the world with the development of PPP frameworks and projects, organisations like Eurodad and the European Court of Auditors are promoting a cease to the use of PPP.
Eurodad presents another PPP hoax
We live in a time where it can be difficult to distinguish between fake news and real news. Eurodad, a European association of Civil Society Organisations is contributing to this confusion with its recent publication of a report on PPP called “History RePPPeated; How public private partnerships are failing”.
The first known PPP was set in stone
Having become intensively involved in the Certified PPP Professional (CP3P) program I often get the question during my trainings what the first PPP has been. An intriguing question. After all it is often quoted: “The past is where you learned the lesson. The future is where you apply the lesson, don’t give up in the middle”.
PPP Review by the European Court of Auditors finds a mare’s nest
This year the ECA published a report criticising the use of PPP. A report often referred to by politicians who favour a more conservative approach to delivering public services. However, upon a closer look of the report the plausibility of the analysis presented and its conclusions may be questioned.
