Infra Insight Blog

The Performance Based Building Coalition (PBBC) and the National Council for Public-Private Partnerships (NCPPP) together hosted the P3s for Public Buildings Summit in Miami on November 17 and 18, 2014.

One of the panels formed for the Summit reviewed Best Practices for Public Building P3 Projects: What Works and What Doesn’t? The panel was skillfully moderated by Mark Romoff, President & CEO of the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships.  The panelists were  Orion Fulton, Senior Manager at Arup, Bill Maginas, Vice President at Honeywell, Douglas Scott, Senior Counsel at Fasken Martineau LLP and Andrée Blais, Of Counsel at Nossaman LLP.

The panelists, representing a variety of perspectives and backgrounds in public building P3s, covered several factors that public sector owners should consider at the early stages of project development.

The panel reviewed the value proposition presented by a P3 delivery, including the benefits, in terms of facility quality, that arise from aligning design-build with long term operations.  The panel addressed the importance of assessing, at the earliest stages of project development, whether the public sector owner has the necessary legislative authority to procure and finance public buildings using a P3 model.  Elements to consider in developing P3 enabling legislation for public buildings were discussed.

Mr. Romoff asked the panelists to identify, based on the panel’s Canadian, US and international experience, best practices in P3 procurement that could benefit the further development of P3s for public buildings in the US. The panelists provided various suggestions, including the merits of engaging in business case development and a value assessment when comparing delivery models for a project; developing processes that allow for approvals to be obtained in an efficient and timely fashion to ensure that a P3 deal can be closed promptly; and the utility of engaging fairness advisors.