A review of Australian PPP governance structures

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to critique specific governance requirements of public‐private partnerships (PPPs) with the objective of understanding what constitutes sound governance of these projects and conceptualises a framework that sets out the structure, resources, communication, reporting and monitoring systems that are essential for PPP governance that is consistent with an organisations corporate or strategic vision. Design/methodology/approach – General governance requirements are explored through a literature review of corporate, major capital projects and long‐term PPP arrangements. These governance requirements have been cross‐analysed based on the literature, interviews with senior project managers and investigation of different governance arrangements used on Australian PPP projects. Findings – It is concluded that the governance principles and requirements for PPPs is similar to best governance practice but there are significant differences between how traditional projects and PPPs are governed due in part to the multiple parties responsible for the governance. Practical implications – The conceptual framework developed provides a succinct summation of how sound governance would sensibly be shared between the government and the private sector for PPPs. Originality/value – Three distinct PPP governance models are provided and these are a valuable thought starter for the ongoing management of PPPs.