Successful delivery of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in the construction projects of Sri Lankan higher education sector

Abstract

To gain economic advantages in the competitive world, governments tend to adopt new financing methods in construction projects. Accordingly, Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects are a popular choice mainly due to the reduction in transaction cost and innovation. PPP projects have spread from the typical use on infrastructure projects such as airports, roads, railways, ports, and water sanitation to the more recent use for projects in the higher education sector such as universities and colleges. Thus, adopting PPP for the higher education sector related construction projects in Sri Lanka is vital to consider. Accordingly, this research aims to observe the Critical Success Factors (CSF) for the successful delivery of PPP projects in the construction projects of the higher education sector in Sri Lanka. A comprehensive literature review was first conducted to identify the CSFs of PPP in higher education construction projects and 22 CSFs were identified. The survey method was used under quantitative phenomenon since this research required evaluating the identified CSFs. The identified factors were evaluated through a questionnaire survey, which was conducted among the 30 selected professionals who are aware on PPPs, such as Quantity Surveyors, Project Managers, Government Professionals, and Academic Professionals. As the key findings derived through analysis, “communication between parties”, “transparency in the procurement process”, financial capability and support”, “project technical feasibility” and “appropriate risk allocation and risk-sharing” were determined as the top five CSFs for PPP projects in the higher education sector related construction projects in Sri Lanka. Furthermore, strategies were also proposed to ensure the successful implementation of CSFs in the higher education sector in Sri Lanka.