Stages of PPP and Principal–Agent Conflicts: The Swedish Water and Sewerage Sector

The focus of this article is on public–private partnerships (PPPs). The aim is to both theoretically and empirically illustrate PPP agency problems in four PPP stages, as well as to identify potentially relevant solutions to the agency problems. The study employed a longitudinal case study of one PPP in a municipality in southern Sweden. Through an analysis based on interviews, observations, and documents, the study illustrates a number of agency problems faced by PPPs and highlights the importance of resource allocation, stakeholder management, and the creation of a common identity in reducing these problems.     

亚太地区安全结构转型与东盟的角色

冷战结束后,亚太地区的安全结构经历了巨大的变化,特别是当前中关两国在亚太地区发生"权力分享"乃至"权力转移"之际,亚太地区安全结构的调整尤为显著。一方面,以美国为枢轴的"同盟型"结构经历了由"轮辐体系"向"网络化"的转型,形成了新的同盟、准同盟和潜在同盟的层次化布局;另一方面,以中俄为代表的新兴经济体在强化原有的"协作型"安全架构的同时,又通过"一带一路""欧亚联盟"等战略性倡议重塑亚太乃至整个欧亚大陆的地缘战略态势。作为亚太地区安全结构中的"第三股力量",东盟通过对一系列多边安全机制的建设,既为两种大国主导的安全架构提供了对话平台,也已成为实现未来亚太地区整体性安全架构的可行性路径之一。与此同时,由于大国战略竞争的加剧,逐渐侵蚀了东盟聚合力、中立性乃至在整体性安全架构中的"中心地位"。未来亚太地区安全架构的解构和重构需要中关找到新的战略共识,并对东盟的中心地位进行"再确认"。     

Four Viewpoints of Whole Area Public Partnerships

Total Place was a policy initiative introduced in the final year of the UK New Labour government to pilot whole area public partnership working. Whilst the title ‘Total Place’ did not survive the change of government in 2010, the underpinning desire to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness in public spending will remain central to government policy, particularly in a time of economic retrenchment. This paper argues that the success or failure of such policy interventions substantially depends on the way they are understood by local actors. It explores how Total Place was viewed in one of the pilot areas. Utilising Q methodology, four main viewpoints emerge with striking patterns of shared, ambiguous and divergent discourses, particularly about partnership working, financial management and citizen empowerment. The paper concludes that for the successful implementation of a complex policy initiative such as Total Place, it will be as important to surface and discuss issues where people disagree, as to reinforce views which are commonly held and understood.     

Economies of scale in Danish municipalities: Expenditure effects versus quality effects

A change in the cost structure in the Danish municipalities seems to have occurred bringing in a larger fixed element in the cost function and making unit costs higher in small municipalities than in large. The paper examines the hypothesis that small municipalities in their reaction to their higher unit costs for management make a trade-off between raising expenditures and the tax level, on the one hand, and reducing the quality of the production, on the other. Using accounting data for 1980, 1990 and 2000 it is shown that the expenditure structure has shifted since 1980 so that small municipalities now exhibit higher unit expenditures than larger municipalities. However, there also seems to be a quality substituting effect in the small municipalities as a reaction to the higher unit costs. From data based on a questionnaire to the chief executives in all municipalities indications of weak political and administrative leadership in the small municipalities are demonstrated. We find that population size and administrative capacity explain significant differences in municipal understanding of the consequences of the central government regulation defining the conditions for the local production of services.     

Meeting the Information Needs of Older People: A Challenge for Local Governance

The challenge of the ageing population is not just to provide more services but to employ new strategies. One of these is the need to rethink the provision of information to older people and their carers. This paper makes four points. First, that information and access to information have become more critical issues. Second, that older people may place a much higher value on information than other citizen groups but their access is poor for a range of reasons. Third, that the processes by which older people seek information may be empowering. Finally, effective partnerships with creative older people can be a catalyst to changing governance cultures which is a vital step in modernising local government. The paper draws upon examples from the author's experience of working alongside older people under the umbrella of the Better Life in Later Life project in Newcastle upon Tyne.     

Discount Rates for the Evaluation of Public Private Partnerships,by David F. Burgess and Glenn P. Jenkins (Eds.)

This article provides a critical overview of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in Russia and Kazakhstan and examines the rationale underpinning such partnerships. The analysis discusses the reasons why governments in Russia and Kazakhstan focus principally on concessions as a form of PPP and goes on to provide a critical assessment of the key approaches and situational factors relating to concessions in these two countries.

The article finds that external globalization impulses pressed Russia and Kazakhstan to align their policies and institutions with western orthodoxy and perceived international best practice. An ever-increasing emphasis on use of PPPs has been a key feature of this alignment. However, the governments of Russia and Kazakhstan have increasingly resorted to concessions as progress with the development and implementation of Western style PPP models has stalled. This article concludes that the governments of Russia and Kazakhstan have demonstrated an overly optimistic approach to PPP and as a result may have substantially understated their overall concessional risks and costs. Features of Russian and Kazakhstani PPP arrangements such as ambiguity in output specification and extensive reliance on government subsidies, combined with lack of expertise of private partners, may significantly decrease concession benefits.     

Political Influence on Public–Private Partnerships in the Public Health Sector in New Zealand

The purpose of this article is highlight the influences on the performance of public-private partnership organizations established to provide procurement services for public-sector organizations. The findings provide evidence of some values-based fracturing in public-private partnerships in the New Zealand public sector. However, it is the impact of political influence that illustrates significant potential to undermine effectiveness and efficiency. This case suggests there are innovative approaches which can be adopted—other than traditional models of public expenditure—yet still providing a sustainable public health service. Finally the case argues for the importance of appropriate political understanding of the changing scenarios.     

新普京时代的俄欧关系走势分析

不出大的意外,未来10年普京都将主政俄罗斯。这也是俄罗斯重新崛起的关键时期。对于俄罗斯而言,无论是现代化战略的实施,还是世界大国地位和影响力的重塑,俄欧战略伙伴关系都至关重要。显然,对于一向重视俄欧关系的普京而言,欧洲仍将是俄罗斯外交的优先方向。但考虑到一系列结构性矛盾和分歧的存在,俄欧关系仍难以迈出实质性步伐。     

Weber and ‘legitimate domination’: a theoretical critique of Weber's conceptualisation of ‘relations of domination’ ∗

In this paper it is argued that Weber cannot provide a consistent account of the maintenance of systems of ‘legitimate domination’. This argument is based upon an examination of Weber's fundamental concepts of ‘actio’ and ‘behaviour’ and their theoretical relation to Weber's ‘ideal-typical’ approach to the phenomenon of ‘domination’. Through this examination it may be seen that Weber fails to determine the specific ‘natural’ and ‘social’ conditions of forms of domination. Furthermore, Weber's theoretical position can be seen to result in an implicit attempt to combine irreconcilable ‘natural’ and ‘ideal’ forms of determination.     

Farmer Associations and Rural Development in Taiwan

This paper explores a unique Public-Private Partnership （PPP） formed by the government and Taiwanese Farmer Associations. Particularly, it will investigate a pattern of the PPP that has successfully promoted rural development and agricultural modernization in Taiwan since the 1950s. TFA＇s （Taiwanese Farmer Associations） establishment inherently came from Japanese Cooperatives before World War II. The Performances of those farmer organizations are combinations of economic, social, and educational synergies. The rural development experiences in Taiwan demonstrate that success of rural modernization is carried out by a special PPP. First, this paper discusses the establishment and development of farmer cooperative organizations in East Asian societies. Particularly, it focuses on collaborative mold and process in which both the government and TFA have been extensively involved. A specific cooperative apparatus between the government and TFA functioning and operating as a perfect PPP has been formed under administrative guidance of the state. Thirdly, this paper looks at input and various supports in financial and policy perspectives by the public sector. Fourthly, the paper discusses legal framework, administrative apparatus, and governance pattern for TFA. Fifthly, the significant findings of paper illustrate that a specific PPP successfully involving in rural modernization in Taiwan is derived from the state＇ guidance that properly regulates a collaboration between the government and TFA. The so-called East Asian model of PPP, as revealing in agricultural modernization and rural community development in Taiwan, may become valuable experiences for most of developing countries.