Commentary: Public–Private Partnerships: Pitfalls and Possibilities

• Date: 01 January 2014
• Author: Lucius J. Riccio
• Published date: 01 January 2014
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/puar.12169

50 Public Administration Review • January | February 2014

Commentary

Lucius J. Riccio

Columbia University

Public–Private Partnerships: Pitfalls and Possibilities

Lucius J. Riccio is senior lecturer at

Columbia University and a registered

professional engineer. He has published

extensively on public sector analytics and

government productivity. Formerly, he

was commissioner of the New York City

Department of Transportation, where he

administered a capital budget of $500

million per year and implemented several

new approaches to public infrastructure

projects, including its f‌i rst design-build

bridge project.

E-mail: ljr14@columbia.edu

“Public Values in Public–Private Partnerships”

by Anne-Marie Reynaers is a must-read for all

government of‌f‌i cials using or contemplating the

use of this “new” infrastructure development/manage-

ment vehicle. Not only does the name, public–private

partnership (PPP), have a phonetic ring to it, but also

it captures an inspiring “best of both worlds” objec-

tive—blending the public purpose of creating needed,

socially and economically benef‌i cial infrastructure

with the ef‌f‌i ciency and cost-conscientious manage-

ment capability and f‌i nancing power of prof‌i t-driven

private sector corporations.

Of course, such promise often does not materialize.

On the public purpose side, not all projects accom-

plish what was projected or please the public they

were intended to serve, often because of the great

stress that such projects impose on the communities