Governing with Citizens’ Extended Theory in the Practice of Procurement and Public Private Partnerships – A Developing Country’s Perspective in the Energy Sector

Abstract

The search for improved value outcomes of procurement and use of PPPs lies in citizen co-production and co-delivery of public services. Applying insight from Agency theory, this study assesses the role of citizens in traditional procurement and PPPs. Based on a review of literature, interviews and focus group discussions, the study acknowledges that while the agency theory has been adopted in guiding theory and practice of procurement and PPPs, it is inadequate in engaging citizen participation. The study reveals that the principal’s interests tend to override the interests of citizens, creating a mismatch between service delivery expectations and perceptions. The outcome of this study points to the need for a radical shift in the way in which citizens are engaged in both traditional procurement and PPP routes as service delivery models. This paper is important since it advocates for the extension of the Agency theory to Citizen Principal Agency theory that puts the citizen at the frontline of service delivery design and implementation.