Public-Private Partnership Projects: A Panacea for Infrastructure Deficit?

Abstract

This paper aims to study the nature of public private partnership projects in the infrastructure sector and their role in addressing infrastructure deficit especially in developing economies. The paper highlights the arguments for and against adoption of infrastructure public private projects as well as the critical success factors for the same. The methodology used in this study is an in-depth review of extant literature on public private partnerships from various parts of the world in different stages of the development spectrum to examine the application of the public private partnership model in the delivery of public infrastructure projects. The study established that public private partnership projects have been used successfully to bridge the shortfalls in public sector's efficiency and financial limitations and have proved effective in infrastructure development. The public private partnership model is however complex in nature and requires certain enabling factors. This paper adds value to the available body of knowledge on infrastructure public private partnerships projects by relating the study to the Kenyan context and offering an assessment of the gains made in adoption of this model as well as offering recommendations for the model to be sustainable.