State public-private partnership (P3) legislation and P3 project implementation: An exploratory investigation

This exploratory study aims to look at the policy and public-procurement requirements set forth in state public-private partnership (P3) legislation and their relationship to P3 project implementation.

The research uses both cross-sectional and longitudinal approaches. The paper begins by defining P3s and discussing their increasing importance as a form of private-sector delivery of public facilities and infrastructure. The major policy and procurement requirements of state P3 legislation are then identified. Using the public works financing database of 301 P3 project closures between 1996 and 2016, the relationships between state P3 legislative policy and procurement requirements and P3 project implementation are explored.

The study finds positive associations between 15 of 16 state P3 legislative policy and procurement requirements.

This is the first study of its kinds to explore the relationships between state P3 policy and procurement requirements and P3 project implementation (project closures).