The first step in developing a strategy for PPP implementation is determining a project's scope. "Scope" refers to the defined features and functions of the project. Even the simplest of public policy problems can build into a widely-scoped project.
Even projects with an apparently limited scope can build laterally into a multifaceted project. A project to reduce the impact of cardiovascular disease, for example, might start with a limited scope: a marketing campaign to encourage reduced calorie consumption. But as the project grows, it might need to include education programs, public exercise programs in public parks, and increased health screening and monitoring. This increased scope, obviously, drives costs upwards-however, it also presents new opportunities for the private sector to step in and remove some costs borne by the public sector. Increased project scope can also result in the inclusion of multiple government ministries in a single project, or coordination between national and provincial governments.
The increased complexity of a far-reaching project can increase a project's impact, but large PPPs with too wide a scope can become financially unwieldy, and are more vulnerable to barriers and obstacles-both corporate and governmental. This is why many PPPs start off as smaller-scale pilot projects.