Innovative contracting practices in the road sector. Cross-national lessons in dealing with opportunistic behaviour

Ms. Ir. M.A.D.J. Altamirano | bestuurskundig ingenieur, Nederland
promotor 1 | Prof.dr.ir. M.P.C. Weijnen TBM
promotor 2 | Prof.dr. W.M. de Jong Harbin Inst.of Techn.
coprom. | Dr.ir. P.M. Herder UHD-TBM

Innovative contracting practices in the road sector. Cross-national lessons in dealing with opportunistic behaviour

Over the past fifteen to twenty years, the world has seen a proliferation of innovative approaches for the delivery and financing of public services, such as Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs). Expectations in the road sector are high: more contract flexibility, more innovation, higher performance and consequently lower costs, while keeping up service levels on mobility, safety and the environment. But how successful have road authorities actually been in implementing such innovative arrangements?
This book answers the question by investigating how different national road administration authorities have implemented innovative arrangements and with what consequences. In addition, by developing and playing the serious game “Road Roles”, the introduction of innovative arrangements was simulated multiple times in various settings. The results were alarming: the expected benefits with regards to cost and innovation do not materialize, and new forms of opportunistic behaviour were observed, resulting for example in uneven risk distributions between road authorities and contractors.
Lessons are drawn for road authorities around the world that are considering to implement innovative financing and project delivery approaches. This book, therefore, is a must-read for road authorities and contractors that want to reap the fruits of innovative approaches without experiencing the drawbacks of opportunistic behaviour.