Similar to the lack of uniformity in PPP definitions, there is no strict definition of a PPP unit. The World Bank defines a PPP unit as "any organization designed to: promote or improve PPPs [...]; [and] has a lasting mandate to manage multiple PPP transactions, often in multiple sectors."22 One study emphasizes this role as servicers on PPP-related matters to public entities "within or connected to government that provides services related exclusively to PPPs to other governmental bodies […]."23 Another describes a PPP unit as "any organization set up with full or partial aid of the government to ensure that necessary capacity to create, support and evaluate multiple public/private partnership agreements is made available and clustered together within government."24
Based on these studies and the evidence from around the world, several characteristics emerge: A PPP unit is a public entity (government, public/private corporation, or nonprofit) that supports other government agencies to procure projects through a PPP process; it is not the procuring agency. It is a "dedicated" agency, meaning that it has a permanent structure dealing with multiple projects versus ad-hoc teams put together in ministries and departments to deal with procurement through a specific PPP project. It may support government agencies in procuring PPP projects that span multiple sectors or in just a specific sector, such as transportation.