Public–private partnerships and public sector management reform: a comparative perspective

Public–private partnerships involve organisations from the public and private sectors working together to provide public services. This introductory issue of the International Journal of Public Policy comprises two papers that consider PPP at the theoretical level, and seven papers that explore partnership arrangements in four different countries: the UK, Australia, USA and France. In some countries the term PPP is used to describe partnerships that provide infrastructure and associated services. In other countries the term is used to refer to quite different arrangements for the delivery of a range of services. The purpose of this introduction is to consider how the socio-economic, political and administrative experiences of the featured countries have influenced the ways in which the nature and purpose of PPP are understood. Our analysis of those partnership models is framed by the new public management and network models. Extant definitions of PPP are examined and assessed for their applicability to the diversity of arrangements featured in this special issue.