12 weeks or equivalent

NIL

A unit in the Master of Commerce

 

 

The unit provides students with an appreciation of the issues surrounding effective public private interface in the provision of sustainable infrastructure services. Students are introduced to academic & community debate and critique of public / private sector collaboration in facilitating a sustainable national infrastructure to support business and communities in today’s global economy. Students explore concepts associated with the history of collaborative arrangements between public / private sectors, major policy issues in sustainable collaborative alliances, or public private partnerships (PPP) including:

· risk allocation and management
· maintaining public interest
· value for money
· governance and accountability
· financial markets & financing of PPPs.
· organisational design and project and stakeholder management

PPPs are evaluated through case study analysis with students having opportunity to research PPPs relevant to their industry, their organisation and their region.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this unit students will be able to:
1. Critique key aspects of ‘sustainability’ in public/private alliances in the delivery of infrastructure services
2. Critique issues surrounding the changing role of the public and private sectors in delivering economic and social infrastructure
3. Critique models for delivery of infrastructure from the perspective of risk sharing, maintenance of public interest, achievement of value for money, accountability, and financing.
4. Critique models of social service infrastructure, economic infrastructure, privatisation of services, public-private infrastructure mix and partnerships
5. Appreciate and critique the importance of understanding stakeholders, project management and organisational design issues in infrastructure provision, including holistic risk assessment and management
6. Understand and leverage from, as appropriate, academic and policy debates regarding the sustainable public outcomes of PPPs.

Face-to-Face, Online, Blended

 

Online delivery is supported by a unit website, learning materials and online activities. Voluntary face-to-face
workshops may also be offered.

 

Individual assignment/report: 30-50%


Case-based project: 30-50%


Group-based discussion: 10-30%

1. Strategic competence to align organisational decision making with environmental challenges.

 

2. Holistic and systemic thinking across business and commerce to support decision making and risk management in complexity

 

3. Analytical and problem solving skills that include rational-analytical, sense making and anticipatory competencies relevant to a shifting and turbulent business environment.

 

4. Communication, teamwork and advocacy skills to support the building of social capital in diverse project environments.

 

5. Capacity to apply normative ethical standards in the context of the business/society interface.

• Historical perspectives on the public-private mix
• Australian post WWII experience with public-private mix
• Collaborative arrangements between the public and private sectors
• Maintenance of Public interest
• Sustainability of Collaborative Alliances and ‘Partnership’
• Value for money
• Governance and accountability
• The financial market and financing
• Key competencies for sustainable outcomes through collaborative alliances
• PPP good practice and viability
• Organisation design for effective and sustainable partnerships
• Project management and Stakeholder Management
• Examination of Case Examples

Hawkesworth, I 2010 ‘Public Private Partnerships: Making the right choice for the right reason’, OECD Observer, no. 278, www.oecdobserver.org/news/fullstory.php/aid/3228/Public-private_partnerships. html

Hodge, G & Greve, C 2007, ‘Public-Private Partnerships: An International Performance Review’, Public Administration Review, May/June

Hodge, G & Greve, C 2009, ‘PPPs: The Passage of Time Permits a Sober Reflection’, Economic Affairs, vol. 29, no. 1 pp. 33-39

Hood, C 1991, ‘A Public Management for All Seasons?’, Public Administration, vol 69 no1 pp 3-19

OECD 2008, Public-Private Partnerships: In Pursuit of Risk Sharing and Value for Money, OECD.

O’Flynn, J 2007, ‘From New Public Management to Public Value: Paradigmatic Change and Managerial Implications’, The Australian Journal of Public Administration, vol 66, no 3, pp 353-366

Public Accounts and Estimates Committee (PEAC) 2006, ‘Report On Private Investment In Public Infrastructure’, available through the following link www.parliament.vic.gov.au/paec/inquiries/infrastructureinvestment/Report/Private %20investment%20in%20public%20infrastructure.pdf

Regan, M 2009 ‘A Survey of Alternative Financing Mechanisms for Public Private Partnerships: A Research Report’, IAQ and Bond University

Van Marrewijk, A, Clegg, SR, Pitsis, TS & Veenswijk M 2008, ‘Managing public-private megaprojects: Paradoxes, complexity, and project design’, International Journal of Project Management, vol. 26, pp. 591-600

OECD 2008, Public-Private Partnerships: In Pursuit of Risk Sharing and Value for Money, OECD. This is available as an Ebook through the Swinburne Library