Abstract: We build on the existing literature in Public Private Partnerships (PPP) to analyze the main incentive issues in PPPs and the shape of optimal contracts in those contexts. We present a basic model of procurement in a multi-task environment in which a risk averse fi rm chooses non-contractible e fforts in cost reduction and quality improvement. We fi rst consider the eff ect on incentives and risk transfer of bundling building and management stages into a single contract, allowing for di fferent assumptions on feasible contracts and information available to the government. Then we extend the model in novel directions. We study the relationship between the operator and its fi nanciers and the impact of private fi nance. We discuss the trade-off between incentive and flexibility in PPP agreements and the dynamics of PPPs, including cost overruns. We also consider how institutions, and specifi cally the risk of regulatory opportunism, aff ects contract design and incentives. The conclusion summarizes policy implications on the desirability of PPPs.
Keywords: Public-private partnerships, public-service provision.

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