4.3.13 However good the relationship between the GPE and the PPP provider, and however stable the services being delivered, problems will arise over the PPP contract life. As such, procedures for handling these problems should be agreed. Clear reporting and escalation procedures help maintain the good relationship between the two parties. The objective is a relationship in which the GPE and the PPP provider co-operate to ensure that problems are recognized quickly and then resolved quickly and effectively.
4.3.14 If a dispute cannot be resolved at the level where it arises, it will be necessary to involve a higher level of authority. This escalation process needs to be managed. Escalation procedures should allow for successive levels of response depending on the nature of the problem and the outcome of the action taken at lower levels. Every effort should be made to resolve the problem at the lowest practicable level. The levels of escalation should match those of the interfaces established between the PPP provider and the GPE. A crucial role of the contract manager is to try to ensure through prompt efforts that protracted disputes are avoided.