The Model of Collaboration between the Public and the Private Sectors in BOT Projects in Iran (Multi-Case Study)

The success of PPP projects depends on various factors. The main concern is to develop an underlying theoretical model of desirable collaboration in freeway projects in Iran. In this research, antecedents and consequences of collaboration have been extracted. In order to conduct the research, the multi-case study method has been used to collect data and the Grounded Theory has been applied to analyze them. Then, the theoretical model of collaboration between the public sector and the private sector has been presented. According to the research findings, the collaboration phenomenon in this type of partnership is defined by collaboration categories, such as providing resources, project definition, facilitating bureaucratic processes, legal, risk sharing, meeting benefits, stakeholder management, upgrading new construction methods, and information sharing. The causal antecedents for collaboration include: characteristics of the public and private sectors, joint decision making, trust, commitment, members’ believe in the benefits of collaboration, and process/structure. The categories of financing system, macro-economy, administrative system, trade union interaction, sanctions, maturity of rules, and government meritocracy were also identified as the contextual factors for collaboration. Finally, the consequences of collaboration were identified as efficiency, innovation, satisfaction, benefits of parties, and willingness to invest in the future.