Accountability and value for money: a theoretical framework for the relationship in public–private partnerships

摘要: There is an implicit assumption in the UK Treasury’s publications on public-private partnerships (PPP)—also more commonly known United Kingdom as private finance initiative (PFI)—that accountability and value for money (VFM) are related concepts. While recent academic studies PPP/PFI (from now PFI) have focused VFM, there a notable absence of exploring ‘presumed’ relationships between VFM. Drawing Dubnick’s (Dubnick Romzek American public administration, politics management expectations. Macmillan, New York, 1991, Research administration. JAI, Greenwich, 1993; Dubnick Public service ethics cultures blame, 1996, sector ethics: finding implementing values. Routledge, London, 1998, Int J Org Theory Behav 6(3):405–441, 2003, Perform Manage Rev 28(3):376–417, 2005; Justice But can you trust them to be ethical, 2002) framework PFI literature, we develop research potential VFM projects by proposing alternative cultures, processes mechanisms PFI. The model then exposed four criteria—warrantability, tractability, measurability feasibility. Our preliminary interviews provide us guidance identifying some indicated our which should enable future researchers test not only Government’s claimed using specific empirical data, but also relationship performance general.