The reference tool is a guide that builds on global research into projects and the lessons that can be learned from their performance throughout construction and operations. It provides practical advice for public officials responsible for the management of PPPs after financial close.
The Global Infrastructure Hub (GI Hub), a G20 initiative, and its consultants, Turner & Townsend, have created the reference tool by collecting and analysing data from 250 PPP projects, supported by in-depth analysis of the contract management practices from a select number of case study projects and a detailed literature review.
The reference tool is intended to be user-friendly and interactive, providing guidance to public sector teams around the world responsible for contract management of PPPs from financial close to handback. It is designed to supplement other resources currently available to help with oversight and governance of PPP projects. It is also designed to help drive enhancements to structural arrangements in the pre-financial close stages of a project, by highlighting some of the most common challenges and issues faced by projects.
The reference tool covers critical issues of contract management, including the establishment of the contract management team; routine contract management issues; as well as non-routine issues that can have major implications for a project - for example, instances of dispute, contract renegotiation, insolvency or termination. The case studies demonstrate leading practices from successful projects and highlight the lessons learned.
The reference tool also gives insights into the circumstances that may result in disagreements between the Procuring Authority and the Project Company, and provides leading practice guidance on managing such issues. Importantly, the reference tool also addresses matters that are not typically addressed in a PPP contract, but are important for the Procuring Authority in managing the delivery of a project, for example public stakeholder engagement.
While the reference tool is not a prescriptive PPP management manual, it is a guide that provides insight into the potential issues inherent in PPPs, and provides leading practice recommendations on how to resolve them during the implementation phase (including design, construction and delivery of the project assets) and operations phase (including operation and maintenance during service delivery). It is not a route to a single solution. The reference tool should enable the user to gain an overview of typical pitfalls and an insight into critical issues in terms of underlying causes, potential impacts on the PPP contract and possible approaches to proactively manage risk.
It is not a replacement for any existing guidance document, but rather a supplemental resource focused on leading practice contract management post-financial close which is informed by systematic research and analysis, and real case study examples. Finally, it is not a model to provide a rating of the maturity of a Procuring Authority's capabilities or to identify where gaps exist. However, the reference tool may highlight organisational issues that require improvement to ensure more effective contract management.