PPP Review Procedures Are Not a Design-by-Committee Exercise

Published 1 day ago • 1 min read

Today I had some conversations about one of the biggest sources of delay, frustration, and conflict in PPPs:
The Review Procedures.

Agencies still treat them like they’re signing a traditional construction contract.

They micromanage the design.

They dive into details they don’t own.

And worst of all — they brief their consultants poorly (if at all) on what the review is supposed to achieve.

The result?

Endless comments that add no value.
Delays that push the schedule back months.
An Independent Reviewer that ends up watching the car crash from the sidelines.
Fractured relationships.
And yes — big, expensive claims.

I see it too often.

My advice has always been the same.

PPPs are not about telling the private partner how to design.

It’s about setting outcomes, performance and service levels — and letting the concessionaire deliver.

That’s it.

Design review is not a control tool.

It’s not a commercial gain opportunity.

It’s a risk validation step.

That should be driven and moderated exclusively by the Independent Engineer, who – yes – could take other comments into account if they choose to.

The review should be focused on contract requirements, and protecting the public interest, not revisiting design preferences.

Dear agencies, if you want the benefits of PPP, you need to let go of the steering wheel and start acting like an asset owner — not a construction manager.

You want to know more about how to use the Review Procedures as a boomerang? Take a look to the link below.

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