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The actual evaluation of school PFI bids for value for money in the UK public sector

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  • Khadaroo, Iqbal

Abstract

Much of the literature on value for money (VFM) evaluation of private finance initiative (PFI) contracts has concentrated on the financial methodology of constructing the public sector comparator (PSC) and its limitations. In contrast, this paper focuses on examining how ‘PFI bids’ are actually evaluated for VFM in the case of three secondary school PFI contracts. It is a unique study which presents the Northern Ireland school PFI decision-making processes, within the broader UK context. It is based on the full business cases of three PFI schools and interviews with key actors involved in the PFI processes. This study shows that the methodology used to evaluate and benchmark the design, facilities management, financial and contractual aspects of PFI bids for VFM is subjective and problematic-changes in the assumptions used may easily shift the balance in favour of conventional procurement and/or competing private sector service providers. It further highlights the importance of risk transfer; how non-financial factors are taken into consideration; and the public sector's reliance on consulting firms and ‘accounting measures’ in the PFI decision-making processes.

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  • Khadaroo, Iqbal, 2008. "The actual evaluation of school PFI bids for value for money in the UK public sector," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 19(8), pages 1321-1345.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:crpeac:v:19:y:2008:i:8:p:1321-1345
    DOI: 10.1016/j.cpa.2007.05.001
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Carvalho, João & Cruz, Nuno & Cunha Marques, Rui, 2010. "Local governments opting for PPPs in the schools sector," MPRA Paper 22558, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Demirag, Istemi & Khadaroo, Iqbal & Stapleton, Pamela & Stevenson, Caral, 2011. "Risks and the financing of PPP: Perspectives from the financiers," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(4), pages 294-310.
    3. Paul du Gay & Yuval Millo & Penelope Tuck, 2012. "Making Government Liquid: Shifts in Governance Using Financialisation as a Political Device," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 30(6), pages 1083-1099, December.
    4. Khadaroo, Iqbal, 2014. "The valuation of risk transfer in UK school public private partnership contracts," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 46(2), pages 154-165.
    5. Peda, Peeter & Vinnari, Eija, 2020. "The discursive legitimation of profit in public-private service delivery," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    6. Cian O'SHEA & Dónal PALCIC & Eoin REEVES, 2019. "Comparing Ppp With Traditional Procurement: The Case Of Schools Procurement In Ireland," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 90(2), pages 245-267, June.
    7. Morales, Jérémy & Sponem, Samuel, 2017. "You too can have a critical perspective! 25 years of Critical Perspectives on Accounting," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 149-166.
    8. Salvatore Russo, 2013. "The swing of public-private partnership in the Italian hospitals. A comparative analysis of two case studies," Working Papers 21, Venice School of Management - Department of Management, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia.
    9. Cuthbert, J.R. & Cuthbert, M., 2012. "Why IRR is an inadequate indicator of costs and returns in relation to PFI schemes," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 23(6), pages 420-433.
    10. David J Roberts & Matti Siemiatycki, 2015. "Fostering meaningful partnerships in public–private partnerships: innovations in partnership design and process management to create value," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 33(4), pages 780-793, August.
    11. Tony Bovaird, 2010. "A Brief Intellectual History of the Public–Private Partnership Movement," Chapters, in: Graeme A. Hodge & Carsten Greve & Anthony E. Boardman (ed.), International Handbook on Public–Private Partnerships, chapter 3, Edward Elgar Publishing.

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