Attracting Investors to African Public-Private Partnerships : A Project Preparation Guide

Abstract

What transforms a Public-Private
 Partnership (PPP) project from a desirable project on a
 government 'wish list' to an attractive investment
 opportunity in the eyes of a potential private sector
 partner? This guide seeks to enhance the chances of
 developing effective partnerships between the public and the
 private sectors by addressing one of the main obstacles to
 the effective delivery of PPP projects: having the right
 information on the right project for the right partners at
 the right time. This guide starts with a review of the
 meaning of the term PPP, which can be difficult to define
 (chapter two). This is followed by a look at the foundation
 blocks for engaging with the private sector (chapter three),
 an assessment of the issues relevant to project selection
 (chapter four), and a review of the actions involved in
 preparing projects for market, including how the process
 should be managed (chapter five). The particular issue of
 managing advisers is examined in chapter six, while chapter
 seven looks at how the public sector should interact with
 the private sector during the project selection and
 preparation phases, to ensure that decisions made during
 these phases are based on a realistic view of what the
 private sector can provide. The last two chapters look
 briefly at the issues of engagement with the private sector
 during the competitive procurement, or tender, stage
 (chapter eight) and after the contract has been signed
 (chapter nine). While contract signature is often regarded
 as the conclusion of the process, the true success of the
 project will depend on the delivery of quality services.