Comparing PPP with traditional procurement: the case of schools procurement in Ireland

Advocates of public-private partnerships (PPPs) argue that they can deliver public infrastructure more efficiently than traditional procurement through timelier completion and superior value for money. Despite these claims comparative analysis of the performance of both procurement methods has received scant attention in the PPP literature to date. This paper addresses this issue by providing an in-depth,case-based comparison of PPP versus traditional procurement in the schools sector in Ireland. Through detailed semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders and an examination of the available documentation, we assess whether the key objectives ofusing PPP have been achieved. Overall, we find no evidence that PPP leads to faster delivery of infrastructure when the overall procurement process from contract notice to delivery is accounted for. In addition, we find only limited evidence to suggest that PPP results in better value for money.