Educational programs should not be intended as solitary events, but rather as first steps in larger PPP strategies. As such, it is essential that educational programs be accompanied by a facilitation process in order to turn the concepts and frameworks taught in classrooms and workshops into actionable projects.
Facilitation should establish priorities, level the playing field, and chart a course of action for PPP projects. Specific projects should be assessed and designed with viability in mind, adhering to the conceptual frameworks contained within this Guide. Facilitation should, eventually, lead to tangible commitments from public- and private-sector partners.
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NOTE
Why Would the Private Sector Want to Help Governments Build Capacity?
We have discussed how governments, fearful of being out-negotiated by their private-sector counterparts, are often apprehensive about engaging in public-private partnerships. This apprehension can severely limit progress. By engaging with the frameworks and skills outlined in this Guide, governments should be able to build internal capacity and improve their abilities as negotiators. But this may lead you to wonder: why would the private sector want to invest in making governments into better negotiators?
Though it might seem that the private sector is making a mistake in empowering their public-sector counterparts to seek better deals, this is not necessarily the case. For several key reasons, this can be beneficial for both the public and private sectors.
First, it assures that governments will be prepared to engage in PPPs in the first place. Simply put, a government that feels unprepared for the challenges posed by a PPP is unlikely (due to political risks) to enter into deals at all. The private sector, eager to access the opportunities offered to them by PPPs-which can be win-wins that do not come at the expense of government priorities-is highly motivated to strengthen their government partners.
And as we have discussed, the Business Roundtable's updated "Statement on the Purpose of a Corporation" includes commitments to investing in employees, dealing fairly and ethically with suppliers, and supporting local communities. Of course, it remains to be seen how much these words will translate into action, especially when such voluntary agreements lack any sort of enforcement mechanisms to ensure these commitments are met.
Finally, engaging in PPPs has an additional benefit to the private sector we haven't yet mentioned: it can reduce the impact of regulation. Governments who do not feel empowered to negotiate effectively with the private sector will likely turn to blunter tools such as taxation and regulation. Thus, counter-intuitive though it may be, in many ways, empowering governments to negotiate better is actually in the best interest of the private sector. However, it should be noted that PPPs are not self-administering. They still require strong regulatory and governance mechanisms to monitor and enforce these agreements.
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