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Contracting Out Public Service Provision to Not-for-Profit Firms

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  • John Bennett
  • Elisabetta Iossa

Abstract

In an incomplete contract setting, we analyze the contracting out of public service provision, comparing the performance of for-profit and notfor-profit firms (NPs). Two institutional arrangements are considered, with control rights lying either with the firm (’PPP’) or the government (’traditional procurement’). The use of an NP with traditional procurement is found never to be the preferred option in terms of social welfare. But for a range of parameter values an NP in a PPP is the preferred option. The development of PPP provision has thus created opportunities for the advantageous use of NPs in public services.

Suggested Citation

  • John Bennett & Elisabetta Iossa, 2007. "Contracting Out Public Service Provision to Not-for-Profit Firms," CEDI Discussion Paper Series 07-08, Centre for Economic Development and Institutions(CEDI), Brunel University.
    • Handle: RePEc:edb:cedidp:07-08
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    Cited by:

    1. Athias, Laure & Saussier, Stéphane, 2007. "Contractual flexibility or rigidity for public private partnerships? Theory and evidence from infrastructure concession contracts," MPRA Paper 10541, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. John Bennett & Elisabetta Iossa, 2010. "Contracting out public service provision to not-for-profit firms," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 62(4), pages 784-802, October.
    3. Elisabetta Iossa & David Martimort, 2012. "Risk allocation and the costs and benefits of public--private partnerships," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 43(3), pages 442-474, September.
    4. Capuno, Joseph J., 2014. "Public–Private Service Delivery Arrangements and Incentive Schemes in Developing Asia," ADB Economics Working Paper Series 387, Asian Development Bank.
    5. Makris, Miltiadis, 2009. "Incentives for motivated agents under an administrative constraint," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 71(2), pages 428-440, August.
    6. Dementiev, Andrei, 2018. "Contracting out public transport services to vertical partnerships," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 126-134.
    7. Iliopoulos, Constantine & Valentinov, Vladislav & Kvartiuk, Vasyl & Bartkowski, Bartosz, 2013. "Government-third sector relations in European rural development: A critical perspective," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 4(1), pages 65-80.
    8. Nelarine Cornelius & Mathew Todres & Shaheena Janjuha-Jivraj & Adrian Woods & James Wallace, 2008. "Corporate Social Responsibility and the Social Enterprise," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 81(2), pages 355-370, August.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H41 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Public Goods
    • L31 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Nonprofit Institutions; NGOs; Social Entrepreneurship
    • L33 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Comparison of Public and Private Enterprise and Nonprofit Institutions; Privatization; Contracting Out

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