8.2 Project Steering Committee

A Project Steering Committee should be established by the delivery agency to direct the PPP project and deal with key issues. Terms of reference should be drafted and agreed at the outset. The Committee's brief may differ depending on the project phase:

• Procurement phase - to guide project development and deal with key issues; and

• Contract management phase (that is, the construction period and at least the first two years of operations) - to provide high-level oversight of implementation and management of the contract.

The composition of this Project Steering Committee is at the discretion of the department or agency. However, the relevant PPP authority should be invited by the department or agency to make an experienced officer available to contribute knowledge of the handling of commercial, financial and process issues in PPP projects and to facilitate government approvals. Key tasks during the procurement phase will include guiding the content of key documentation and overseeing the evaluation and selection of a preferred bidder.