Modernising Public Services through Public-Private Partnerships

Hon Mary Nagu, Tanzania's Minister of State in the President's Office involved in Public Service Management

More than 30 participants from 10 Commonwealth countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have completed a seminar on public-private partnerships (PPPs) in the United Republic of Tanzania. PPP is increasingly seen as an alternative instrument for service delivery, as governments try to modernise their public service and become more efficient.

The seminar, organised by the Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management (CAPAM) and the Centre of Specialisation in Public Administration and Management (CESPAM), was held in Arusha from 6 to 9 December 2005. It was hosted by the Government of Tanzania with support from the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation. Mary Nagu, Tanzania's Minister of State in the President's Office involved in Public Service Management, said in her opening remarks that what the government must do and what the private sector could do in building stronger PPPs need to be understood.

Art Daniels of CAPAM took participants through the life-cycle of a PPP, from programme development to implementation and evaluation, looking at case studies of best practice in human management, change management and productivity improvement. He also shared his perspectives on negotiating and procurement skills, and oversight, which included evaluation and monitoring.

Juliet Kairuki of the SADC Banking Association presented the Legal, Regulatory and Financial Frameworks required in initiating the PPP process. The Commonwealth Secretariat Adviser on PPP, Dr Srinivas Sampath, identified key issues and challenges faced by the public sector in structuring and managing PPP, including the fundamentals of project finance and development. Dr Sampath emphasised the need to assess the commercial viability of any PPP in the light of the long-term objectives of the country and the government's capacity to deliver and manage its risks.

The participants were engaged in a group exercise that focused on the development of a commercially viable business model through strategic thinking by examining revenue and utilisation models, the implementation structure, risk management and the bidding process.

 

CNIS - Commonwealth News and Information Service Issue 265, 14 December 2005

Related News:

• CAPAM
• SADC
• CESPAM