Attracting Investors to African
Public-Private Partnerships : A Project Preparation Guide

What transforms a Public-Private
Partnership (PPP) project from a desirable project on a
government 'wish list' to an attractive investment
opportunity in the eyes of a potential private sector
partner? This guide seeks to enhance the chances of
developing effective partnerships between the public and the
private sectors by addressing one of the main obstacles to
the effective delivery of PPP projects: having the right
information on the right project for the right partners at
the right time. This guide starts with a review of the
meaning of the term PPP, which can be difficult to define
(chapter two). This is followed by a look at the foundation
blocks for engaging with the private sector (chapter three),
an assessment of the issues relevant to project selection
(chapter four), and a review of the actions involved in
preparing projects for market, including how the process
should be managed (chapter five). The particular issue of
managing advisers is examined in chapter six, while chapter
seven looks at how the public sector should interact with
the private sector during the project selection and
preparation phases, to ensure that decisions made during
these phases are based on a realistic view of what the
private sector can provide. The last two chapters look
briefly at the issues of engagement with the private sector
during the competitive procurement, or tender, stage
(chapter eight) and after the contract has been signed
(chapter nine). While contract signature is often regarded
as the conclusion of the process, the true success of the
project will depend on the delivery of quality services.