Louis Gunnigan

Risk Management in Motorway PPP Projects: Empirical-based Guidelines

Abstract This paper deals with the topic of risk management in Public Private Partnership (PPP). The analysis of the related literature reveals that risks must be analyzed and managed on a context-specific approach, and that there is a lack of a comprehensive study on the appropriate risk mitigation strategies for each risk embedded in PPP projects. Focusing on the transport sector, based on the results of a Delphi survey, the paper provides guidelines for both public and private parties in defining a list of significant risks in PPP motorway projects, and identifying for them both the effective allocation and the suitable mitigation strategies. Results of the Delphi survey have been compared with the common practices on risk management applied in eight real motorway PPP projects.

An examination of the suitability of a UK PFI model within the Czech Republic, the Republic of Ireland, Palestine (Gaza‐West Bank), Portugal and Turkey

Purpose – The objective of this research is to identify the cross‐cultural similarities and differences of the implementation of the UK PFI procurement process in different contexts.Design/methodology/approach – The research methodology adopted was the SLEEPT approach. The identified features are examined from source material of various projects within the stated nations. A Delphic approach of confirmation by national collaborators from each country is utilised. Confirming and disaffirming features are examined utilising exogenous cultural drivers.Findings – The conclusion of this research identifies cross‐cultural features of six different cultures presented as a “cultural compass” which will inform the development of future private finance initiative (PFI)/public private partnership (PPP) projects. The impact of this research will have implications for the appreciation of cultural similarities and differences of national “construction cultures” for effective project delivery of future PFI/PPP projects.O...

Evolution of the construction of Dublin City Council’s housing, with emphasis on wall construction

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present information on the construction technology used to build Dublin City Council’s (DCC’s) housing stock, with an emphasis on wall construction. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology applied was a mix of literature review and archival research. The research was undertaken as part of PhD research exploring the energy upgrade of a housing stock. Findings – The research uncovered details of the construction technology used in the construction of DCC’s housing stock, especially wall construction. These details disprove perceptions and assumptions made on the evolution of construction technology in Dublin and Ireland. Research limitations/implications – The research is limited in that it primarily focused on the period between 1887 to the introduction of the 1991 Building Regulations. Further research is required on both DCC’s housing stock and the Irish housing stock to identify the specific changes in construction technology. Practical implications – It i...

PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP (PPP) - "SUSTAINABILITY IN THE CONTEXT OF PPP EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS IN IRELAND"

PPP in Ireland is crucial to the delivery of priority economic infrastructure projects under the National Development Plan (NDP) and to the provision of quality public services. The readiness of the PPP construction industry to implement sustainable design development principles is affected by various factors which, inter alia, include culture, political will, infrastructural support, regulations, capacity and capabilities, to mention but a few. The paper presents a thorough review of literature into the industry and the impact these sorts of factors have on sustainable design development of a PPP project for a bundle of educational buildings. It is argued that the industry needs to attain certain thresholds such as: appropriate knowledge and skills base, infrastructural capacity, and innovation culture for it to be in a meaningful position to make use of particular sustainable design principles to be implemented on PPP projects. The paper concludes that without the attainment of these thresholds, implementation of sustainable design principles in educational PPP projects will continue to be difficult to achieve.

Increasing Effectiveness of Public Private Partnerships in the Irish Construction Industry

By 2003 the first Irish Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects had reached the operational stage. Media reports were emerging of significant differences in the effectiveness of these projects. This research set out to find a means by which effectiveness of PPPs could be increased and to develop a model that would assist PPP practitioners with this task in the future. Through a literature review, the Irish PPP process was mapped, the changes encountered in the introduction of PPP were investigated and a conceptual model – based on a traditional process model - was proposed. The model was tested by examining the outcomes of two projects and assessing the effect of participant attitudes on these outcomes. The projects were analysed in terms of Risk, Value and Innovation, and three propositions were offered: • there were differences in project outcomes; • there were differences in the attitudes of the project participants; • the attitudes influenced the outcomes. Using a combination of research methods, the data were gathered and analysed. The first two propositions were proven for Risk and Value but not for Innovation. In addressing the third proposition, a pattern matching exercise was undertaken and a number of findings were reached. These findings were further tested to establish their validity, credibility and reliability. The results showed that specific elements of participant attitudes were found to affect some of the project outcomes and that these had a significant effect on the overall success of the project. The findings showed that PPP conducted as outlined by the conceptual model would not maximise effectiveness. The model was revised so that it commenced with analysis of the desired outcomes and proceeded by working back through the PPP process to define the inputs necessary for success. Using this information, the model was refined, making it ready for use by future PPP practitioners.