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Public Private Interface for Sustainable Infrastructure

Unit Code: LMC703




Duration

Contact Hours

Campus

Prerequisite

Corequisite

12 Weeks or equivalent

36 Hours or equivalent

Online

Credit Points: 12.5 Credit Points

Related Course/s:

A unit in the Master of Commerce

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Aims & Objectives:

The unit introduces students to public debate and critical issues around public and private sector involvement in facilitating a sustainable national community infrastructure to support business and people services in today’s global economy. From the mid 1980s there has been a Government drive to improve the efficiency of infrastructure service delivery. All Australian Governments have seen the need for privatisation of federal, state and local level public infrastructure and there have been a variety of partnerships between Government and the private sector. Students will explore concepts dealing with effective public sector governance, policy making, costing and financing, and policy implementation in the areas of physical and social public infrastructure provision.  Policy approaches explored will include privatisation, competition policy, outsourcing, purchaser-provider arrangements, public private partnership (PPP) arrangements, and community based partnership developments. Public accountability and risk management will be explored in these areas. The role of private providers will be covered in areas such as education, health and community services, transport and government administration.
 
The unit aims to provide students with an appreciation of the issues surrounding effective public private interface in the provision of sustainable infrastructure services as a Master level unit that illustrates institutional response to the political, economic and social pressures in a rapidly changing global economy.

By the end of this unit students will be able to:

  • Consider the nature of ‘sustainability’ in the delivery of public services by private enterprise
  • Understand and explain the issues surrounding the changing role of the public sector in delivering economic and social infrastructure
  • Conceptualise describe and appreciate the macroeconomic significance of social and economic infrastructure on national expenditure, national production and the current account deficit
  • Critique models for delivery of infrastructure from the perspective of efficiency monitoring, accountability, business and investor confidence, risk shifting and risk sharing
  • Critique models of social service infrastructure, economic infrastructure, privatisation of services, public-private infrastructure mix and partnerships in Australia, UK and New Zealand
  • Appreciate the response of institutions to rapid changes in the global economy in providing economic infrastructure
  • Appreciate the role of stakeholders in infrastructure provision and the benefits and risks to each
  • Understand and critique the academic and policy debates regarding the sustainable public outcomes of PPPs in relation to governance, accountability, cost savings, transfer of risks, etc
  • Conceptualise the impact on business and the wider community from a sustainability perspective
  • Critique and analyse the contribution of PPPs to macroeconomic objectives
  • Analyse and critique appropriate forms of cost-benefit and risk analysis

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Teaching Methods:

Online delivery is supported by a unit website, CD ROM and video based learning materials, facilitated threaded discussions and interactive ‘chat rooms’. Face-to-face workshop/s will be conducted.

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Assessment:

Group-based discussion 10-30%, Individual project 30-50%, Case-based project 30-50%

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Generic Skills Outcomes:

Swinburne University of Technology works to produce higher education graduates who are capable in their chosen profession.  Learners bring to Swinburne University of Technology a diverse wealth of experiences and graduate with individual understandings, abilities and attitudes.

Within this context it is the intent of this unit that students will develop and enhance the following graduate attributes:
  • Are entrepreneurial by understanding the impacts of shifts in infrastructure delivery on business functions, models and costs and applying this knowledge appropriately
  • Are capable in areas of commercial practice concerning the knowledge of opportunities for private sector involvement in public private partnerships
  • Are capable in areas of commercial practice concerning the impact of shifts in infrastructure delivery and costs on business
  • Operate effectively in work and community situations by understanding and advising on community impacts of shifts in public-private infrastructure delivery
  • Operate effectively in work and community situations by having the ability to effectively communicate to internal business stakeholders and the wider community concerning options and outcomes from various service infrastructure models as appropriate
  • Operate effectively in work and community situations by being able to engage in community debate on these issues
  • Are adaptable and manage change by having an ability to articulate, clarify and sense-make critical issues and support relevant change management processes concerning changes in infrastructure development and delivery
  • Are aware of environments by using this knowledge appropriately to assess the impact of involvement in infrastructure development and delivery

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Content:

  • 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
  • PPP good practice and viability
  • Organisation design for effective and sustainable partnerships
  • Project management and Stakeholder Management
  • Examination of Case Examples

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Reading Materials:

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

 

Hawkesworth, I 2010 ‘Public Private Partnerships: Making the right choice for the right reason’, OECD Observer, no. 278, http://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

Hood, C 1991, ‘A Public Management for All Seasons?’, Public Administration, vol. 69 no.1 pp. 3-19

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 though the following link http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/paec/inquiries/infrastructureinvestment/Report/Private%20investment%20in%20public%20infrastructure.pdf

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

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Textbooks:

There is no prescribed text for this unit

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