Developing an accountability framework for public–private partnership: insights from an Indian case study

Purpose Public–private partnership (PPP) projects worldwide face a multitude of complexities, comprising contract-related issues, investment risks, institutional issues and trust and integrity-related challenges while managing accountability. Moreover, there is a lack of holistic accountability framework for PPP projects that could enable the managers to design and monitor accountability over the life cycle of the project. This paper aims to develop a holistic framework for guiding managers to manage accountability in PPP projects. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research methodology sourced from hermeneutics interpretive paradigm is used in the paper for developing the PPP accountability framework. It is based on a consilience-driven multi-method approach that covers inputs from theory, practice and local experience. Findings The paper presents a framework for the management of accountability in PPP projects as the outcome of the research. The framework embeds key theoretical drivers: trust, dialogue, multi-dimensionality and external control. Further, it integrates accountability-related themes from PPP cases such as transparency, integrity, responsibility and performance. The contextual factors superimposed by the drivers and themes include stakeholder participation, collaborative accountability, equitable risk sharing, contract management and performance management. Practical implications The framework facilitates the assessment and monitoring of PPP projects by designing suitable accountability governance policies. Suitable internal and external control mechanisms can be designed through stakeholders’ dialogue and collaborative decision-making methods, which can enhance transparency, trust, responsibility and integrity. Policymakers can define risk-sharing policies and contract management strategies across multiple dimensions of accountability in PPP using the framework. Originality/value The proposed framework is holistic. It includes agency and stakeholder theoretical factors, balances vertical and horizontal relationships, trade-offs efficiency and autonomy, and includes tangible and intangible factors. Furthermore, the consilience of multiple interpretations of the phenomenon presents a novel approach to understanding PPP accountability.