Public-private partnerships: spreading the three Rs |
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Authors: | Steve McCoy-Thompson |
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Affiliation: | The author is a Senior Economist with Bechtel Consulting of Bechtel Corporation, San Francisco, CA, USA. Previously, he worked for International City/County Management Association, a non-profit professional association of senior appointed local government officials around the world. |
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Abstract: | The privatization of government services is a complex, long-term endeavor with significant contractual, financial, operational and political considerations. This article addresses the very different perspectives of government and business toward privatization and identifies areas for negotiation based on examples in the water, solid waste, housing, energy and telecommunications sectors. The article also addresses the fundamentals of privatization—risks, responsibilities and rewards—and the ways in which business and government assess and allocate (or spread) these elements. The article then stresses that each entity must move beyond these basic assessments to better appreciate the legitimate perspectives of their counterparts at the negotiating table. Only then may a critical blending of goals and expectations begin to emerge and form the foundation for a successful privatization programme. |
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