Finding 5 Service providers and contract managers are a valuable and underutilised source of improvement initiatives for future PPPs. There is room to incorporate their operational phase experience into the planning phase of new projects. The planning of future PPP projects can be improved to help achieve better outcomes by: • involving contract managers in the early stages of the procurement process to identify and assess additional benefits associated with the choice of a procurement model • engaging with additional service providers during bidding and design refinement phases of the project • improving contract management practices to ensure a consistent level of expertise among contract managers within and across state governments • ensuring that all contracts provide flexibility provisions to manage future changes as the community's service needs evolve, and • building strategies in the PPP arrangements that promote open and smooth communications between service providers and FM operators during operational phase. |
Throughout the workshop process, service providers and contract managers constructively identified opportunities for evolution and continued improvement in the PPP model. The participants displayed an in-depth understanding of the effect facility design and operation had on ultimate service delivery to consumers. For most participants, the workshops were their first opportunity to provide formal feedback on their PPP facilities. The findings are summarised below.