1 Our study has been based on surveys of authorities and contractors responsible for 121 PFI projects where contracts had been let prior to 2000. We received responses from 90 per cent of authorities and 75 per cent of contractors who received our survey at the end of 2000. Some authorities or contractors were unable to meet the deadline for responses to our survey, for example, due to recent changes in personnel on the project. Authorities and contractors were very willing to share their experiences with us and to contribute to a discussion of the principles which should influence best practice in managing PFI relationships.
2 We collected and analysed the information from authorities and contractors on PFI projects through questionnaires to assess whether authorities were managing their relationships to secure a successful partnership. We also discussed with a number of authorities and contractors issues which they had raised in their responses. We examined the steps authorities have taken within their PFI contracts to establish a successful partnership with their contractors, the knowledge and skills which staff currently involved in PFI contract management possess and the issues which they have been facing in their particular projects. The topics covered through the questionnaires are described below.