Project-focussed literature on public-private partnership (PPP) in developing countries: a critical review

Set within the context of developing countries, we conduct a state of the art systematic review of project-focussed, public-private partnership literature published between 1997 and 2021. The outcome of this review provides critical insight into trends in publication volume over time, types of projects addressed, chosen research methods, major research themes identified and their variances, but also identifies the critical challenges facing PPP projects in developing countries. More specifically, we find that for PPP projects in developing countries, the three most commonly reported challenges were ‘Appropriate risk allocation and risk-sharing’, ‘Political support’, and ‘The private sector’s financial strength’. We also find that in developing countries, factors such as ‘Compatibility and complementary skills among key parties’, ‘Competitive procurement process’, ‘Democracy’, ‘Efficient approval processes’, ‘Favourable legal framework’, and ‘Transparent and efficient procurement’ are contingent problems associated with the use of PPP in construction project delivery. The main contribution of this study resides in the detailed identification, evaluation and classification of the literature. This taxonomy provides a detailed overview and evaluation of existing literature; providing for more comprehensive appreciation of PPP.