Public Private Partnerships is an arrangement between Government or statutory entity or Government owned entity on one side and a private sector entity on the other, for the provision of public assets and/or related services for public benefit, through investments being made by and/or management undertaken by the private sector entity for a specified period of time, where there is a substantial risk sharing with the private sector and the private sector receives performance linked payments that conform (or are benchmarked) to specified and pre-determined performance standards, measurable by the public entity or its representative.
As compared to traditional modes of development of infrastructure, PPP projects represent an elemental shift in the approach to service delivery or the creation of infrastructure. This shift often requires sector reforms and transition to new ways of functioning that requires a change in the mind-sets of all parties involved. Effective management of this change involves interactions, negotiations and resolution of probable conflicts in stakeholder objectives. Thus, an effective communication strategy is integral to successful PPP project development and execution.
A well thought out communication strategy can add to a PPP project's success if it is used continuously to engage with stakeholders to convey the benefits of the project to them, to understand their concerns and expectations, and to ensure that necessary measures are undertaken to address them.