A best practice framework for public-private partnership implementation for construction projects in developing countries : a case of Ghana

Abstract

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to develop a best practice framework for PPP implementation for construction projects in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach - This study adopted a multi-stage critical review and analysis of past studies on the attributes of PPP implementation (i.e. critical success factors/success criteria for PPP, reasons/drivers for adopting PPP, obstacles/implementation constraints in PPP and risks in PPP) with much focus in Ghana. Furthermore, other governments' and international PPP guidelines were reviewed for cross validation purposes. In addition, questionnaire survey with PPP experts in Ghana was conducted to validate the proposed best practice framework. Findings - From the search, 16 publications in leading construction management journals were identified. A thorough content analysis of the identified papers produced 151 best practices for construction PPPs in Ghana. The best practices were then incorporated into the PPP process in Ghana to develop the best practice framework. Research limitations/implications - The major limitation lies in the fact that few publications were targeted for analysis; however, the findings are still useful for future reference because the PPP concept is still developing in Ghana, therefore few publications are found in leading construction management journals. Another limitation is that the best practice framework was not validated using real-life cases, thus it is suggested that future research will adopt the framework and test it on real projects to measure its effectiveness. Originality/value - The outputs of this study considerably inform local practitioners in developing countries particularly Ghana and other African countries of the strategic measures that need to be carefully considered within the PPP process so as to implement successful construction PPP projects. The best practice framework also helps to standardize the practice of PPP in Ghana.