As the experience of other federal structures shows, federal PPP units appear later in the process of building PPP capacity, given that states are in charge of procuring transportation projects. Yet a federal PPP unit would be useful in providing technical assistance to states and other public entities that cannot develop internal capacity to deal with the projects themselves. This does not exclude the assistance of private consultants, but it provides a guarantee that public sector employees who are experts on the matter have reviewed the business case. This type of assistance should come on a request basis rather than regulations or conditions for federal funding, which will make it even more difficult for state agencies to pursue PPPs.
The Federal Highway Administration has started building capacity in the Office of Innovative Program Delivery (IPD) in this direction. Upon request, staff from IPD could provide a general first presentation on alternative financing for a project proposed by a state agency. IPD can present in a workshop how the project would be financed under several alternatives, including the PPP option. They show the pros and cons of the financing options considered and present different types of PPP, appropriate for that specific project (design-build, long-term concession, etc.) In addition, they provide examples from other states on PPPs conducted. While this is a start, IPD does not have the resources and the staff to assist other public entities in the procurement and management of a PPP.102
An important lesson for the United States is that some national PPP units are integrated in agencies in charge of overall investment and infrastructure strategy. PPP units help other agencies to procure projects through a PPP process, ensuring well-defined procurement processes with clear performance indicators. For best results, any capital project should be assessed for alternative financing, procurement and delivery methods, in order to ensure best Value for Money. Therefore, the work of a PPP unit is integral in the capital strategy of a state or national government. Following this principle, both the UK and Australia have integrated the functions of a PPP unit into newly created institutions in charge of the country's infrastructure strategy.