To procure for better buildings - FM and Public Private Partnerships in Denmark

Purpose: The paper is based on a research project investigating whether PPP´s are good for the procurement of FM, i.e. are PPP´s advantageous for the integration of FM considerations into the planning, design and construction of buildings? Background: In Public-Private Partnerships FM services are procured together with the building. This is often assumed to be an advantage for the integration of FM considerations. Approach (Theory/Methodology): So far literature on PPP has been reviewed, participants in Danish PPPs have been interviewed, the Danish market for PPP projects has been described and a review of literature on issues related to integration of FM considerations in the planning, design and construction of facilities has been made. Some case studies on the influence of elements in partnerships to the integration of FM are being prepared. Results: The results indicate that the effect of PPP´s on the integration of FM is exaggerated. It is disputed whether PPP´s really deliver better value for money. It is far from evident that PPP´s lead to improved integration of FM consideration. Interviews with actors from Danish PPP projects and review of literature indicate that the structure of the construction process and the relationships between the actors are paramount for the integration of FM. Practical Implications: The results imply that FM practitioners should pay interest to issues related to the sociology of the construction process rather than legal arrangements like PPP.