Stakeholder perceptions on achieved benefits of PFI procurement strategy

Abstract

The Private Finance Initiative (PFI) has become the most acceptable strategy employed by governments across the globe for the provision of the much needed public infrastructure. Many benefits have been attributed to this form of public procurement while it has also received several criticisms. This study sets out to assess if the benefitsattributed to the PFI are being achieved. Survey questionnaires were used to get the perception of delegates from different regions who attended two (2) PFI-focused conferences held independently by two different organisations. The results of the survey are presented in the study. Generally, most of the respondents agreed that the benefits of PFI are being reaped across the globe with 'helping government spreadpayment over the life of the asset', 'increased investment in infrastructure', 'on-time delivery', 'contribution to economic growth', and'on-budget delivery' being the most significant achievements so far and surprisingly 'providing value for money' ranking in faraway 17th place out of 20 benefits listed.