Civil Engineers in Public-Private Partnerships and as Master Planners for Infrastructure Development

Abstract

Public-private partnerships (PPP) have been actively implemented around the world since the 1980s, including projects in both developed and developing countries. Among the reasons for the growing use of this project delivery system are the deterioration of the basic infrastructure systems, the lack of public funding, and the interest of private investors for discovering attractive investment opportunities. Because of public-private partnerships as a project delivery system, civil engineers have been exposed to knowledge areas such as finance, risk analysis, public policy, and conflict resolution, which traditionally have not been taught in civil engineering curricula. Therefore, civil engineers now have opportunities to play a major role in PPP projects as master planners of infrastructure development. This paper analyzes the basic skills that a civil engineer must have in order to be an active participant in the development and implementation of PPP projects. We gathered input from industry practitioners in order to understand their role in these transactions and to inquire about the essential skills that civil engineers ought to have to facilitate successful PPPs. Finally, we describe the opportunities for civil engineers within the different phases of PPP. As a result, a new set of skills are proposed for civil engineers who would be involved in PPP projects.