The Economics of Public-Private Partnership Projects

Course Description

When infrastructure projects outgrow public budgets, public-private partnerships, or PPPs, offer an alternative. But with new funding sources come new risks, new roles, and new rules. For professional engineers, PPPs require more than technical designs. They demand financial fluency, strategic thinking, and ethical judgment.

In this course, you’ll explore how PPPs function economically, contractually, and practically. You’ll learn to interpret financial models like IRR and NPV, evaluate risk-sharing strategies in concession agreements, and compare real-world outcomes from transportation and broadband projects. You’ll also engage with interactive scenarios that challenge you to make decisions grounded in data, ethics, and public interest.

As you move through each lesson, consider the broader responsibility behind your technical expertise:

What does it mean to uphold public trust when private capital enters public infrastructure?

By the end of this course, you’ll be better equipped to answer that question, not just in theory, but in your daily work. Whether you're reviewing financial models, consulting with agencies, or placing your seal on a project, you'll do so with clarity, confidence, and purpose.

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze and interpret key financial models used in PPP project structures (e.g., IRR, NPV, payback period)

2. Identify and evaluate risk-sharing strategies in PPP concession agreements.

3. Assess regulatory, ethical, and stakeholder considerations relevant to PPP project implementation.

4. Compare return structures and project outcomes in real-world PPP case studies.

5. Apply PPP project evaluation skills through interactive scenarios and decision modeling.