Partnership arrangements in public-private partnerships: Insights from Irish road public-private partnerships

This chapter evaluates the existing literature on the different partnership arrangements that develop in public-private partnerships (PPPs). An overview of PPPs and the key stakeholders that come together to create these partnerships is provided. This is then followed by a discussion of the Irish PPP structure with particular emphasis on Ireland’s PPP roads sector. An overview of some of the key stakeholders and their relationships in Irish road PPPs is examined. The role that PPPs have played in improving Ireland’s road network is then highlighted. Within the PPP structure three types of partnerships are discussed: the relationship between the public sector bodies responsible for PPPs; the relationship between the procuring authorities and the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV); and fi nally the relationship between the SPV members. We draw on examples from the international literature on the extent to which these partnerships have developed worldwide. A number of factors from the literature, such as fl exibility, cooperation, trust and risk transfer, that may contribute towards successful partnerships in PPP are described.