An Investigation Into The Public-private Partnerships Projects In The United Kingdom

The Public-Private Partnership (PPP) commonly known as Private Finance Initiative (PFI) has become a universally used technique for delivering public services in the United Kingdom. The fundamental necessities for venturing into a PPP method are that the method must offer enhanced value for money (VFM) than traditional procurement and offer reasonable price (i.e. affordable) throughout the duration of the contractual agreement. There has been strong and numerous criticism, debates, arguments'for and against'PPP from the time it was initiated in 1992.Thus, this research study will challenge to add to the fierce argument over the useful benefits and actual costs of the method. The aims and objectives of this study were achieved with the aid of comprehensive literature review, detailed analyses, and random interviews with experts from both the public sector and private sectors and finally an extensive large scale data collection was conducted through a medium of questionnaire survey with well informed administrators of educational establishments'(i.e. schools). The study measured the degree to which VFM and reasonable price are fundamentally demonstrated by the accessible PPP projects and the performance of the PPP private sector suppliers in the UK.The study took holistic approach to look at several other PPP issues and concerns such as the transfer of risks, reliability and integrity of the public sector comparator (PSC) which is very important to the evaluation of VFM in the UK.In other to improve the entire readability of the work, the study was clearly structured so that it would be easy to follow. The chapter two analyzed the existing literature on the performance of PPP projects, aims and objectives of PPP, Value for Money in the PPP contract.Then, chapter 3 discusses the research methodology and other research methods and techniques while chapter 4 looked at the inventory (audit) reports by the official inventory (audit) bodies such as the National Audit Office (NAO). Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO), H.M Treasury, Audit Commission and Audit Scotland. The chapter also scrutinized the published research carried out by non-audit organisations, individual and non academic researchers. Furthermore, chapter 5 looked at the New Public Management (NPM) and Private Sector Participation in the United Kingdom. In effect to call for analysis of the fully functional PPP projects chapter 6 of the study brought out further proof on VFM and reasonable price from the results of questionnaire analysis and investigation of the opinions of consumers/users of PPP amenities and services in educational establishments.The investigation of earlier research analysis showed diverse proof as regards to the performance of PPP Projects. There were facts and figures of both good and bad VFM delivered by the associated projects. The results analysis from the investigation exhibited that majority of the consumers were pleased with the quality of the PPP amenities and services rendered in their various educational establishments and they showed high inclination that PPP amenities rendered were superior prior to the era of no PPP amenities. The investigation also proposed that there was diminutive agreement in the opinions abut the VFM achieve from the PPP methods. In general, the study showed that there was inconclusive proof about the outcome of the PPP methods.Last, this study has presented findings that can be adopted for future studies. It has also updated our knowledge and understanding on the continuous evolving trends of PPP as well as opened up the practical concerns of other fields.