One of the key responsibilities of local government is the provision of services to its constituents. To carry out this responsibility, local governments have established the required institutional framework, including policies, regulations, standards and procedures, as well as required staffing and organizational resources. Many of the existing policies, standards and procedures developed by local governments are relevant to public private partnerships. However, public private partnerships also introduce new variables into the process. These variables will require local governments to:
• revise existing service delivery and financing policies
• ensure that public private partnership has a "home" within the local
develop new procedures to ensure that public private partnership arrangements are conducted in a fair and transparent manner, minimizing the risks to local government and protecting the public interest
While local governments will need to make adjustments if they wish to become involved in public private partnerships, this should be done in a manner that does not require major organizational restructuring. Suggestions are provided later in this guide as to how local governments can prepare for service delivery through public private partnerships.
A greater challenge for local governments wishing to enter into public private partnerships will be in dealing with prevailing attitudes-both within local governments as well as outside of them. Without effort devoted to educating stakeholders on the risks and benefits of public private partnerships, it is doubtful that public private partnerships will have a prominent role in the delivery of services.