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Increasingly adopted by various governments for infrastructure development, public-private partnerships (PPPs) have become a popular procurement delivery system, outperforming other systems. However, PPPs have been especially criticised due to the lack of sustainability aspect during the development and implementation of the projects. In India, similar critiques have been raised, as these qualities have inhibited the development of society and increased the time and cost overrun in the development of PPP projects. This paper, therefore, aims to address the sustainability issues in PPPs and systematically analyses from the perspective of the principles of sustainable development.

Based on literature review and focussed interviews with stakeholders in India, a qualitative system dynamics (SD) model using causal loop diagramming is developed to propose the inclusion of various strategies in the PPP procurement process, which can enhance the sustainability of the PPP process. Finally, the integration of these strategies in the current PPP procurement process has been highlighted in the form of the introduction of new mechanisms and policies and modification of the existing mechanism and procurement policies.

The paper first highlights key sustainability issues in the PPP procurement process and suggests 34 strategies to address the issues. The modelling approaches and the proposed strategies, along with their interrelationships, could help the PPP decision makers in implementing responsive policies in bringing sustainable development in the PPP procurement process.

The SD model developed is based on limited data, primarily focussed on PPP procurement practices in the context of infrastructure development in India. Developing the model with the analysis of a wider range of data and constructing a customised model can take broader perspectives into account.

Adoption of the identified strategies can facilitate the inclusion of sustainability practices in the development of infrastructure projects, which are even procured using private finance.

Studies on how to promote sustainable infrastructure development when procured through the PPP route are in the nascent stage. This study, therefore, extends the current body of knowledge on infrastructure projects implementation through PPPs from financial engineering and risk management to a sustainability perspective.

The performance of public–private partnership (PPP) projects depends on how the project has been structured. The traditional PPP option analysis for structuring project scope and size relating to the bundling of functions concerning a single component of the value chain will need to be extended to handle multi-component sectors such as municipal solid waste (MSW) in formulating the project scope. This analysis is currently missing in the extant literature. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Through a comprehensive literature review as the methodological backbone, this study develops a testable holistic framework for the procurement of MSW PPP projects that examines how various factors of bundling affect the performance of the PPP projects.

Using transaction cost economics, agency and auction theories, the review identifies that innovation, maturity, quality specifiability, scope, competition, information asymmetries and transaction attributes have a significant influence on the performance and success of the PPP projects.

Alternative supply chain management possibilities and firm-level organisational ways can be predicted using this framework to strategize the solutions for the municipal infrastructure. Based on this contribution, future research can test the framework to increase the knowledge of bundling theory about how to structure network infrastructure PPP projects.

Studies on how to bundle/unbundle the projects having components of the value chain are in a nascent stage. The present study attempts to extend the body of knowledge on PPP to the complexity of bundling both the functions and components of the value chain in structuring the PPP project scope.

Effective maintenance of rural roads is an essential aspect of public infrastructure delivery. However, governments failed to upkeep the built infrastructure. Accordingly, this study addresses this pressing issue by identifying attributes, skills and resources for asset maintenance. To do this, collaborative governance, a recent plausible alternative in the public policy literature, is used.

The literature review proffered 29 strategies for operationalising collaborative governance principles. A questionnaire survey with the public sector representatives comprising top-level, mid-level and lower-level engineers was used to test the applicability of these strategies in rural infrastructure maintenance of India. The rated responses concerning strategies were subjected to exploratory factor analysis to determine the underlying structure for reducing the dimensions to make them practically operational.

The exploratory factor analysis showed that six dimensions play an essential role in initiating and promoting collaboration. This parsimonious framework suggests building a common collaborative framework, communicating vision and fostering communities, leadership, increasing the industry's capacity, transparency of power and responsibilities, and technical and financial resources. Thus, governments’ initiatives to build collaboration is most prominent in initiating and sustaining a successful collaboration.

The practical strategies reinforced through this study can formalise self-initiated regimes or independently convened regimes to a federally directed regime well within the scope of the national programmes. Thus, findings primarily have considerable implications to emerging countries where reducing the unit costs to save the public exchequer from wastage and preventing assets from becoming dilapidate are essential.

Public sector practitioners often lack the essential skills and innovative thinking and thus offered new knowledge would transform the traditional practices in infrastructure maintenance. Theoretically, the present research advances the understanding of structures and processes for collaborative governance theory to non-contractual infrastructure asset management literature.

The effect of the chosen procurement model on the contractual performance is an important but less researched area in governance literature. Therefore, the aim is to study the ramifications of procurement options on the contractual hazards emanating due to information asymmetry.

Four Indian MSW case studies provided the necessary evidence for the present study. Cross case analysis was conducted from the perspectives of information asymmetry, contract management skills of urban local bodies (ULBs), and uncertainty.

The findings suggest that bundling of MSW supply chain would increase the uncertainty of the project, and that contract management skills have a detrimental effect but more in a bundled project. Accordingly, occurrences of information asymmetry and related contractual hazards are more in bundled projects.

The present understanding of the ULBs is not realistic enough to consider the full complexity of the strategic interactions between agents who are privately informed in an ill-developed institutional setting of the MSW sector. The current study will help untangle these complexities in keeping with the procurement model. Thereby the ULBs can focus on the steps required to address the residual uncertainties.

Limitations concerning generalizability of the findings to other projects, sectors, and geographical settings apply to this study.

This study provides significant practical directions on the sources of information asymmetry and its relation to the chosen procurement model, which is ignored thus far by the researchers and practitioners.

Construction industry faces challenges in making objective decisions due to monetary value attached to quality. Among various quality management techniques available, cost of quality (COQ) is one such method used to address the concern. However, the absence of measurable COQ factors to monitor quality costs hampers the implementation of COQ framework in the construction industry. Therefore, this study aims to identify COQ factors focused on visible factors (VF) and hidden factors (HF) and the current requirements to achieve it.

This study is based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses protocol guidelines. The present study identified 57 articles published between 1992 and 2023 in peer-reviewed journals.

The findings reveal 22 factors, which are grouped into four categories based on COQ. Through systematic review, the authors observed limited methodological and theoretical diversity. In fact, there are no quantitative frameworks to calculate COQ. The study, therefore, developed a framework comprising four major routes/paths of COQ factors within the framework.

The COQ routes developed through this study will enable the practitioners to meticulously categorise VF and HF, facilitating quantifying of quality throughout the lifecycle of project, which is currently absent from the existing quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) approach. In addition, these COQ routes stand as essential construction strategies, significantly enhancing outcomes related to time, cost, quality, sustainability and fostering closer relationships within project frameworks.

The current study contributes significantly to the existing body of knowledge by developing various COQ routes and proposing future research directions to address gaps in the literature.

The Low carbon (LC) agenda has captured interest across governments and research communities. But such focus is not addressed so far in the operation of municipal solid waste (MSW) infrastructure in India. The purpose of this paper is to draw focus on the promotion of low carbon infrastructure by improving the procurement process of the public–private partnership (PPP) approach.

The current study employed a case study methodology. This paper develops and validates a “five-fold framework,” comprising of selection, financial, operational, standards and targets measures, for integrating LC principles in the procurement of infrastructure projects.

The public sector fails to understand the importance of the need to incorporate climate change mitigation strategies due to poor procurement competencies. With respect to the operationalization of the framework, funding of viability gap in operations instead of construction, allowing renegotiation clauses to cater possible future LC technological improvements and incorporating emission reduction targets at the local and national levels were highlighted.

LC principles presented in this paper are not exhaustive and are verified using a single Indian PPP case. Future research endeavor can focus on the relevancy and operationalization of these principles using a more elaborate set of indicators and extend the study to other sectors and countries.

This paper seeks to act as guidelines for governments on how to create and improve LC MSW PPP infrastructure projects to facilitate simultaneous achievement of both climate change mitigation and infrastructure delivery goals. The current study could add value to the current emphasis on LC transitions by policymakers, government agencies and regulators.

Infrastructure development through public-private partnership (PPP) route in India has exhibited concerns about not promoting progress toward sustainable development goals, particularly social and environmental perspectives. The purpose of this paper is, therefore, to identify the shortcomings in the Indian PPP procurement process using the key principles of sustainability.

Qualitative research inquiry through grounded theory approach by using the literature and interview source was used to identify the challenges encountered in sustainable infrastructure development of PPP projects. These challenges were, first, reviewed from the perspectives of key sustainability principles and then discussed with the key stakeholders through focused interviews. Furthermore, micro-interlocutor analysis was carried to get an insight on the extent of consensus amongst the experts regarding these identified shortfalls.

The key shortfalls identified from the study that adversely affect progress toward sustainable development include incomprehensive environmental impact assessment and social impact assessment studies; lack of stakeholder and local participation; high bidding and transaction cost; high user charges; improper risk allocation; lack of transparency and accountability; goal conflicts between public and private sector; and lack of skill and knowledge about sustainability.

The study findings will help in devising appropriate strategies for enhancing the mechanisms, policies, and governance structure of PPP process in order to overcome these shortfalls and help in accomplishing the goals of sustainability while developing infrastructure even through PPP route.

The paper presents different insights into PPP from sustainability perspective which has not been the focus of the current studies on PPPs. Sustainability assessment of PPP procurement is an area of research which is in a nascent stage.

The most recent advent of the unsolicited proposal in the public private partnership mode of infrastructure procurement has changed the duties and roles of private and public sector agencies. Also, they have increased the practitioners' difficulties to work out strategic mechanisms and methods to manage these unsolicited proposals (USP) effectively. So, this study aims to understand how well equipped are the Indian USP guidelines for managing procurement.

Content analysis with coding procedures was carried to understand the regulations of USP frameworks of India over the four stages of USP procurement.

The findings show that there are severe flaws in various states' frameworks. The states have flaws in their policies in implementation features across the stages of USP such as defined objectives, the absence of fees and review timeframes in the submission, time frame and guidance on benchmarking and market testing in evaluation and development, time frame for bidding and access to information in procurement stages.

The USP implementation framework developed as part of this study can direct the policymakers and practitioners to improve public procurement regulations and the necessary changes for the successful implementation of USPs. In doing this, the private sector is enabled to develop more competitive and innovative proposals.