Where the interface risk relates to the effect that contracted services have on the core services, for example, where sub-standard ancillary service provision (such as sub-standard maintenance and/or cleaning in hospital wards) prejudices government's ability to deliver its core hospital services, then this risk falls to the private party.
Conversely, interface risk falls on government where the risk relates to the effect the core services have on the contracted services. For example, the private party may face interface risk if changes in clinical practice result in a high turnover in operations that tie up operating theatres and in turn decrease the time available for cleaning services to be provided or increase the amount of cleaning required. This may inhibit the private party's ability to deliver the contracted services to specification or at their projected cost.
It is important for government to identify and clearly specify its core services and the contracted services in the project brief and the project agreements. This allows the private party to better identify the interface risks that it has been allocated. For example, in a project for court accommodation services, the private party will be obligated to provide court accommodation services which allow for the delivery of specified core services. Failure to comply should result in abatement of the service charge (and possibly a claim against the private party under an indemnity provision for any consequential losses).