Motivations for engaging in PPP power projects in Ghana: comparison of the public and private sectors

Purpose: In the past few years, the public–private partnership (PPP) model has become increasingly popular in the infrastructure projects of developing countries, especially in the power sector. The purpose of this study is to ascertain the motivations for engaging in PPP power projects in Ghana by comparing the public and private sectors. Design/methodology/approach: Questionnaires were used to elicit responses from respondents using a two-round Delphi survey. Mean score ranking was used to rank the motivation factors, while reliability analysis was conducted using Cronbach alpha coefficient, and level of agreement was tested using Kendall’s concordance. One-sample t-test assessed the relative significance of these motivation factors. Findings: For the public sector, the topmost motivations were achieving improved value for money; access to additional capital; increased certainty of projects; greater efficiency of project delivery services; and improved ability to deliver new infrastructure. For the private sector, the topmost motivations were obtaining of investment support; improvement in private sector’s international image; synergy with public sector; sharing of risks; and gaining of profits. Practical implications: The findings of this study will lead to increased knowledge on the motivation factors for the public and private sectors engaging in PPP power projects in Ghana. Originality/value: The output of this research contributes to the checklist of motivation factors for engaging in PPP power projects and contributes to the development of PPP practice.