Public procurement in the form of public-private partnerships (PPPs) uses private sector methods and tools to deliver modern public services, create value for money and reduce fiscal risk. A prerequisite for the successful delivery of PPPs is the establishment of an adequate institutional framework. Most of the Western Balkans economies have been adapting to the requirements stemming from potential membership in the European Union. Apart from increasing the efficiency of the public sector, these complex changes also entail the harmonisation of the legal and institutional framework, including the norms and structures related to public-private partnerships.
WBIF has supported the transfer of some of the European PPP Expertise Centre’s (EPEC) expertise to the Western Balkans, both through its experienced executives and network of 40 public sector members from within the EU and border countries. This initiative also helped to share knowledge and experience among the PPP stakeholders in the region to enable them to establish harmonised institutional structures and progress with their PPP programming and readiness assessment. In particular, the intervention was focused on obtaining access and extending the current EPEC network structures and databases to WB economies; assessing current PPP and related institutional structures and making recommendations for improvement; and developing a methodological tool for PPP readiness assessment.
