The guide describes the characteristics of public private partnership and the various forms it can take, and addresses the following topics:
• the potential benefits and risks of public private partnership as well as common fallacies related to this form of service delivery
• broad guidelines as to when public private partnership should be considered
• the legislative changes as well as the legislative authority that local governments now have for involvement in public private partnerships
• the unique policy, procedural and organizational issues of public private partnerships compared to traditional approaches to service delivery and infrastructure projects
• ways local government can prepare for public private partnerships, including the adoption of policies, the revision or elaboration of existing procedures and identification of required organizational changes
• guidelines to help local governments select the appropriate approach for the delivery of services and infrastructure, including an evaluation of the types of projects and aspects of service delivery that lend themselves to public private partnerships
• overall criteria to help determine potential public private partnership opportunities
• the process of designing an effective implementation strategy for public private partnerships, including advice and guidelines on how to establish a project team, refine the scope of a project, select the preferred procurement process, establish a schedule for the delivery of the service, design an appropriate communications strategy and obtain the necessary approvals
• detailed guidelines on the selection of a private sector partner, including the evaluation of proposals and various options for selecting a private partner depending on the nature and scope of the project or service to be delivered
• advice and suggestions to help local governments negotiate effective contracts in the public interest
• the legislative requirements of the Municipal Act on the ratification of contracts to ensure that the public interest is maintained, including when and how local governments must involve electors in key decisions
• issues related to working with the private partner, such as communications, reporting, accounting and performance monitoring