PPP projects: Improvements in stakeholder management

Purpose: The implementation of public–private partnerships (PPPs), particularly in low- and middle-income countries, has been hampered by external stakeholders' opposition leading to the failure of several projects. The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework to improve external stakeholder management in PPP projects. Design/methodology/approach: Two case studies consisting of 23 interviews with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders were employed. This was supplemented with a focus group approach to validate the framework. Findings: A new framework for the management of external stakeholders is developed. It encompasses new features such as the dynamic identification of stakeholders at each project phase and their corresponding interests. Research limitations/implications: The scope is road transportation projects in Nigeria and thus the recommendations may not be globally applicable. Practical implications: The findings can help the public sector and their agencies to manage external stakeholders and maintain successful relationships on PPP projects. Originality/value: The paper contributes to existing knowledge in four key areas: it confirms that the skill and actions of internal stakeholders are vital to the stakeholder management process; it shows that one-off stakeholder identification proposed in literature is a flawed approach; it proposes that the identification of external stakeholders' interests be dynamic; and it adds the perspective of low- and middle-income countries in stakeholder management in PPP projects.