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Should Value for Money Be the Sole Criteria in Opting for PPP Option for Infrastructure Projects?

Victor Izebhor

DOI https://doi.org/10.21552/epppl/2022/1/6

Keywords: public-private partnership, traditional public procurement, value for money, public sector comparator, infrastructure finance


Countries are increasingly using Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to deliver infrastructure projects and there are a number of reasons why governments around the globe utilise PPPs in delivering infrastructure projects amongst which is the financial benefits of the project. In PPP projects, it is necessary for the host government to carry out an analysis to show that the proposed project is a viable venture. It has been argued by various practitioners and academics that the critical question from the government’s viewpoint is whether the project demonstrates good Value for Money (VfM) sometimes also called Value for Investment (VfI). This article examines the concept of VfM, PPPs as distinguished from traditional procurement. It also expatiates on the use and focus of VfM assessment in the PPP decision-making process and puts the VfM analysis into a broader, context by expanding its subsets which is a mix of both quantitative and qualitative analysis and the tools used in assessing if an infrastructure project demonstrates VfM, this paper also looks at the different criticisms, constraints and limitations submitted by different academics, institutions and practitioners on why VfM should not be the only factor to be contemplated in determining if PPP is the best option for delivering infrastructure projects or if the project should be skewed towards traditional infrastructure procurement. The article proffers key recommendations which can guide government institutions, agencies, and industrial sectors in using and improving the VfM analysis. The concluding section answers if VfM should be the sole criteria in reaching the determination of skewing projects towards PPP or Traditional Procurement.
Keywords: public-private partnership, traditional public procurement, value for money, public sector comparator, infrastructure finance

Victor Izebhor, LLB (Babcock); LLM (South Wales); Research Associate, Global Centre for Law, Business and Economy; Legal Adviser and PPP Consultant; Ratio Consulting Limited. For correspondence: <mailto:izebhorvictor@gmail.com>.

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