Attachment G: Final Interview Questions

Please read this coversheet before agreeing to participate in the research

What is the title of this research project?

"How can partnership, risk and performance management practices be better utilised by the public partner to improve the operational performance of PPP, leading to improved Value-for-Money outcomes?"

If I agree to participate, what will I be required to do?

This research requires participants to commit to an interview that will last 60-90 minutes. It is expected that this timeframe will be sufficient for answering questions relating to partnership, risk or performance management. As part of the interviewing process, the researcher will record the interview and return the edited transcript to you for validation before including it as part of the research project.

Participants are encouraged to share their views in answering questions relating to more than one management discipline. This will involve a longer session or subsequent meeting, depending on your availability.

What are the risks or disadvantages associated with participation?

The researcher will strictly follow current and relevant RMIT University ethics standards in conducting the research and interviews. You have the right to contact the investigator's supervisor, Dr Guillermo Aranda-Mena (ph: 9925 9512, email: guillermo.aranda-mena@rmit.edu.au) and / or the RMIT College of Design and the Social Context Human Ethics Advisory Network Chair to lodge a question and / or complaint, and seek advice on how your concern will be dealt with.

What will happen to the information you provide?

All electronic data will be stored in secure folders (e.g. password protected or hidden folders with a selected user group) at the School of Property, Construction and Project Management at RMIT University. The data will be retained for five years upon completion of the project after which time the electronic data will be deleted / destroyed in a secure manner.

What are my rights as a participant?

Your rights as a participant include the following:

-  interviewees partake in this research voluntarily and have the right to withdraw from the interviewing process at any time;

-  interviewees have the right to have any unprocessed data withdrawn and destroyed on request;

-  the research process will ensure that interviewees' confidentiality and anonymity will be protected at all times. Only generic identifiers will be used in the final thesis and other publications; and

-  the research will not involve the use of deception.

The interview questions / prompts

Contextual notes:

-  The interview questions outlined below have been developed as discussion prompts that relate to key areas of PPP operations from a public sector perspective.

-  Generally, the first question relating to each of the partnership / risk / performance management sub-issues e.g. 'management commitment and support' is asked as a way to test (support or refute) the theoretical underpinning and case study findings of the research project against real-world PPP experiences.

-  The purpose of asking the second question is to identify additional factors that have not been uncovered during literature review and case study development that may impact on the achievement of Value-for-Money outcomes during PPP operational phases.

-  The aim of the third question is to identify policy measures, principles and / or treatment actions that may improve management of the sub-issues within PPP operating environments.