Critical success factors for public-private partnership projects in Uganda

This study investigates the critical success factors (CSFs) essential for the successful implementation of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) projects in Uganda. The motivation behind this research stems from the suboptimal performance of PPP projects in the country, despite their growing popularity among policymakers as a viable solution for delivering public infrastructure projects amidst budget constraints. Notably, the existing body of knowledge on CSFs for PPP projects has largely overlooked the perspective of developing countries. This research employs a quantitative and cross-sectional approach, collecting data through a questionnaire survey. Out of 180 distributed questionnaires, 126 responses were received and analyzed. Descriptive statistics, correlational and regression analysis were carried to analyse data, assess how CSF are associated with and predict project success. This paper provides valuable insights for both public and private sector stakeholders to inform their strategic planning and execution, thereby enhancing the success of PPPs in Uganda. Furthermore, policymakers must prioritize creating an enabling environment to attract and stimulate PPP implementation, while practitioners can utilize the identified CSFs to influence policy and improve the success rate of PPP projects in Uganda. The findings of this study are particularly significant, given the scarcity of empirical research on this topic from the perspective of developing countries.