An assessment of public private partnerships in the road sector: a Case of Uganda National Roads Authority

Abstract

The study aimed at conducting an assessment of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in ensuring Value for Money (VFM) within the roads sector, a case of Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA). Globally, PPPs provide one of the avenues for financing projects in the roads sector. In 2015, UNRA adopted a policy for use of PPPs to construct some national roads. Despite the adoption of a policy to use PPPs, there were a number of concerns on the use of already existing contracting out model to ensure VFM in the road sector. The main objective of the study was to assess the use of PPPs in ensuring VFM in the roads sector in Uganda. The research study was guided by the principal-agent theory. The study adopted a mixed methods design of the quantitative approach using the cross-sectional survey design followed by the qualitative approach under a case study and exploratory design. A sample size of 126 study participants, with 91 respondents for quantitative part of the study and 35 respondents for qualitative part of the study was targeted. Respondents for quantitative part of the study were selected using systematic random and simple random sampling and while those for qualitative part of the study were selected using snow ball and purposive sampling techniques. Quantitative data was collected using structured questionnaires, while qualitative data was collected using semi-structured interviews. The collected quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, version 25) and the collected qualitative data was analyzed thematically in narrative form. It was revealed that there were different perceptions held by UNRA’s stakeholders on the concepts of PPPs and VFM. Secondly only a few models of contracting out, service contract and management contract were being used by UNRA in the roads sector. Thirdly environmental factor of politics, organisational factor of focus by both public and private partners and personal factor of competence of PPP unit staff were the main factors affecting the use of PPP models in the roads sector. Based on findings, the study came up with an integrative PPP model to ensure VFM in the roads sector. The study recommended that UNRA needs to develop the capacity of its staff in the concepts of PPPs and VFM, ascertain whether any PPP model to be used will ensure VFM and UNRA needs to take into consideration how best to manage a number of factors affecting PPP models to ensure VFM in the roads sector in Uganda.