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One of the most important reasons for selecting public private partnerships (PPP) as a procurement method for infrastructure projects, is the ability to deliver the best value for money (VFM) under certain conditions. Several studies have identified and analysed the factors that contribute the value for money creation, and others have identified the most viable project success evaluation criteria. This paper aims to empirically examine the relationship between the PPP project ex-post performance and the value for money creation factors. 92 PPP experts from the UK and the UAE participated in this research via an online questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of VFM factors, PPP performance indicators and several demographic questions. It was found, through the Pearson Correlation Coefficient and Regression analyses, that there was a significant and positive relationship between improved facilities factor to the users and time, quality, economic benefits and scope variation performance of PPP projects. The results of the analysis also showed clear output specification and early service delivery factors contribute only to the performance in terms of service and cost. Interestingly, the results of the analysis showed that optimisation of assets efficiency factor contributed negatively to the scope of variation of projects. The research also, through the regression analysis, showed that sector, experience and job position have no mediating role between PPP ex-post performance and VFM factors. This study confirmed the need for strict criteria in order to describe the achievement of success in PPP projects. These criteria ensure that the actual practice can be measured against the criteria which are set at the start of the project. This paper expanded empirically on the current literature on the relationship between the VFM and PPP project performance (specifically the ex-post performance).

This paper aims to explore the primary factors that affect the perception of domestic tourists towards the service quality of budget hotels in Egypt. The factors were divided into three main constructs: physical quality, service quality and value for money. The primary findings reveal that the budget hotel location, cleanliness, maintenance, comfort level, hotel staff service, value for money room rates and food and beverage values are among the significant factors that influence domestic tourist satisfaction within predefined constructs. Primary Elements associated with the budget hotel stay were also ranked according to guest satisfaction.

This paper analyzes the renegotiation problem in the context of public-private partnership projects. Utilizing a game-theoretic approach, an equilibrium is found in which the government finds that accepting renegotiation can be efficient. A first indicator is proposed based the public sector comparator (PSC) that can be estimated by policymakers as an additional tool when deciding about renegotiation. A second more theoretical indicator is derived to analyze the economic and financial variables affecting renegotiation. This indicator is applied to four case studies in different countries (England, Taiwan, Portugal and China) and the results suggest that the model performs well.

Copyright of Zeitschrift für Politik is the property of Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Cost‐effectiveness analysis is increasingly relevant in humanitarian action. The cost of response has increased exponentially in the past decade, alongside concurrent donor budget restrictions. However, there remains limited comprehension and application of these methods in this field. This paper documents methods developed for use within Action Against Hunger, an international humanitarian organisation, in response to a lack of understanding of this topic within the humanitarian community and limited evidence of the cost‐effectiveness of humanitarian action. These methods encompass costs to both implementing institutions and participating communities. Activity‐based cost analyses are conducted to assess resources per programme activity. Cost‐effectiveness is evaluated using successful programme outcomes, and uncertainty is appraised via sensitivity analysis. This paper aims to advance knowledge, stimulate discussion, and promote the adoption of cost‐effectiveness methods for building the evidence base for humanitarian action, including consideration of community costs, to enable analytical outputs that are useful for managers and policymakers alike. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Customers' Perception of telecommunication companies is an important factor for service providers to enhance their services and seek advantages in a competitive market to gain customers' trust and loyalty. This paper represents a study of customer's perception for the three leading Mobile Service Providers „Zain”, „Ooredoo” and „Viva” in Kuwait's telecommunication market. Statistical analysis was done, using MINITAB and SPSS Software, to show the distribution of customers for the three mobile service providers and to form an idea about the perception of customers for the three providers. Different statistical techniques have been used and the results showed that Zain leads the market for the Network Quality, Viva has more advantage in customer service, and Ooredoo offers more services for customers. In addition, we have found that Age has a significant effect of which younger people prefer to use Viva, Gender, as well as the interaction between Gender and Age, has no significant effect on choosing the Mobile Service Provider, which gives an indication for the Mobile service providers about their targeted group age of customers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public‒private partnerships (PPPs) are often promoted as a means to lower the costs and increase the quality and value for money (VfM) of public construction and infrastructure projects. While the increasing capital stock of PPPs warrants evaluation of their performance there has until now been limited systematic assessment of PPP versus conventional public procurement. This article contributes to the literature by presenting the findings of a systematic review of empirical peer‐reviewed studies comparing the costs, quality, and/or VfM of infrastructure PPP projects with conventional public procurement. The international literature suggests that PPPs are on average more costly and provide approximately similar VfM as conventional procurement. The number of empirical evaluations is limited, however, and evidence on the quality of infrastructure facilities is particularly scarce. While infrastructure PPPs continue to proliferate, systematic assessment of their performance is warranted to assist policy‐makers in choosing the procurement method that offers best value for taxpayers, users and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advocates of public‐private partnerships (PPPs) argue that they can deliver public infrastructure more efficiently than traditional procurement through timelier completion and superior value for money. Despite these claims comparative analysis of the performance of both procurement methods has received scant attention in the PPP literature to date. This paper addresses this issue by providing an in‐depth, case‐based comparison of PPP versus traditional procurement in the schools sector in Ireland. Through detailed semi‐structured interviews with key stakeholders and an examination of the available documentation, we assess whether the key objectives of using PPP have been achieved. Overall, we find no evidence that PPP leads to faster delivery of infrastructure when the overall procurement process from contract notice to delivery is accounted for. In addition, we find only limited evidence to suggest that PPP results in better value for money. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) have emerged in recent years as outcome‐based public‐private partnerships (PPP) for the delivery of welfare services, where the payment to the private operator is linked to the achievement of superior social impact. Since the traditional infrastructure‐based PPP approach seems to have failed to achieve higher level of efficiency and, above all, effectiveness, this paper discusses the extent to which the SIB model can represent a reference point to innovate the PPP model by introducing more focus on outcome achievement and social value generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Indian telecom sector is growing at a fast pace and has changed the market dynamics in a revolutionary way. Over the past few months, there has been competition among mobile service providers like Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Idea Cellular and Vodafone in providing attractive offers to delight customers. Each of the major players is trying to differentiate themselves from the other by connecting with the customers at different levels. The primary objective of this study is to analyze factors affecting the preference of mobile service providers and their effect on overall customer satisfaction. The study used exploratory and conclusive research design. The data were collected from the existing users of mobile service of various telecom service providers. In the present study brand image, promotion, value for money and trust were found to be the most important factors associated with the choice of mobile service operators. But when these factors were assessed in terms of overall customer satisfaction, it was found that promotion is the most important factor followed by brand image, value for money and trust because promotion is more influential in customer's decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Shanghai Physical Education Institute / Shanghai Tiyu Xueyuan Xuebao is the property of Shanghai Physical Education Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The term “value for money” (VFM) is a poorly understood concept in practice. There is a lack of clarity in its application, especially in the distinction between “value” and “money” when assessing VFM in investment evaluation and decision making. This article clarifies the ambiguities in VFM by conceptually deconstructing its meaning using a “value triangle model” and, on that basis, we propose a six-step VFM assessment procedure, which has been tested during VFM workshops on infrastructure projects. Departing from the existing concept of value in value management and value engineering literature, the value triangle model rests on Daniel Bernoulli’s concept of value as captured in his famous quotation: “The value of an item must not be based upon its price but rather on the utility which it yields” (Bernoulli, 1954, p. 24). We deconstruct value into three components using everyday language: useful purpose, beneficial outcomes, and important features, making it applicable to any VFM decision context. By making a clear distinction between value and money and, by treating value and value for money as separate notions, greater clarity of VFM is provided, thus enabling more effective measurement in practice. Implications of the proposed deconstruction of VFM and the six-step procedure are discussed using stakeholder theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the possibilities and limitations in pursuing value for money (VfM) in public procurement. There is ambiguity about the VfM concept and the methods that public procurers should be using. It is difficult for decision-makers to thoroughly understand the economic facts and valuations underlying VfM. The authors explain the conceptual VfM challenges and present a path to overcoming these with a lifecycle costing (LCC) approach in an indepth case study in the Finnish waste management context. Policy-makers and managers need to be aware that different stakeholders could have different views of what value for money (VfM) is. The authors present a new way of overcoming VfM challenges. They show that lifecycle costing (LCC) provides clear benefits for public procurers to assess the potential for VfM in the pre-tendering phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines major café experience attributes and their impacts on customers' attitudinal and behavioural outcomes in the New Zealand café industry. Based on an extended model of the consumption system approach, a set of hypotheses were developed and tested using hierarchical multiple regression. Using a sample of 205 respondents, the study found that service quality is the strongest predictor of all outcome variables (i.e., value for money, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty intentions) which were predicted by either tangible or intangible café experience attributes. Both practical and theoretical implications of the findings are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Public-private partnerships (PPPs) have proliferated and adapted to public development in recent decades; within it, the value for money (VfM) assessment defines the feasibility of the project procurement model as one of the essential components of PPP. However, evaluating the VfM in PPPs remains problematic. Given concerns about PPP profitability, a more integrated VfM evaluation is urgently needed to manage multiple indicators along the project lifecycle. Building information management (BIM), popular in architecture, engineering, and construction, provides resources that could support the VfM to a great extent. This paper uses a review approach to identify the current issues that are affecting VfM assessments and suggests that BIM, functioning throughout the PPP lifecycle, could support decision-making in VfM processes in order to satisfy service targets.

With aid budgets shrinking in richer countries and more money for healthcare becoming available from domestic sources in poorer ones, the rhetoric of value for money or improved efficiency of aid spending is increasing. Taking healthcare as one example, we discuss the need for and potential benefits of (and obstacles to) the establishment of a national institute for aid effectiveness. In the case of the UK, such an institute would help improve development spending decisions made by DFID, the country’s aid agency, as well as by the various multilaterals, such as the Global Fund, through which British aid monies is channelled. It could and should also help countries becoming increasingly independent from aid build their own capacity to make sure their own resources go further in terms of health outcomes and more equitable distribution. Such an undertaking will not be easy given deep suspicion amongst development experts towards economists and arguments for improving efficiency. We argue that it is exactly because needs matter that those who make spending decisions must consider the needs not being met when a priority requires that finite resources are diverted elsewhere. These chosen unmet needs are the true costs; they are lost health. They must be considered, and should be minimised and must therefore be measured. Such exposition of the trade-offs of competing investment options can help inform an array of old and newer development tools, from strategic purchasing and pricing negotiations for healthcare products to performance based contracts and innovative financing tools for programmatic interventions.

Through the use of cost-consequence analysis (CCA), a recent evaluation of a Millennium Villages Project (MVP) in Ghana revealed it to have represented poor value for money (VFM), with comparator projects elsewhere seeming to deliver similar results at less than half the cost. However, complex integrated development programmes (IDPs) such as the MVP pose serious challenges for VFM assessments. IDPs target system-wide changes in resource-scarce contexts, making expensive foundational investments in infrastructure and other systems. The unit costs of benefits will tend to be high in the short or medium term. In contrast, many standalone projects, showing greater efficiency, may target similar outcomes, but do so by building upon existing prior investments. In this article, comparing three VFM approaches, we argue that CCA is the most appropriate for IDPs. However, its applications must be mindful of the contextual differences in which the comparator standalone projects and the IDP were implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Differences in payer evaluation and coverage of pharmaceuticals and medical procedures suggest that coverage may differ for medications and procedures independent of their clinical benefit. We hypothesized that coverage for medications is more restricted than corresponding coverage for nonmedication interventions.Methods: We included top-selling medications and highly utilized procedures. For each intervention-indication pair, we classified value in terms of cost-effectiveness (incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year), as reported by the Tufts Medical Center Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Registry. For each intervention-indication pair and for each of 10 large payers, we classified coverage, when available, as either "more restrictive" or as "not more restrictive," compared with a benchmark. The benchmark reflected the US Food and Drug Administration label information, when available, or pertinent clinical guidelines. We compared coverage policies and the benchmark in terms of step edits and clinical restrictions. Finally, we regressed coverage restrictiveness against intervention type (medication or nonmedication), controlling for value (cost-effectiveness more or less favorable than a designated threshold).Results: We identified 392 medication and 185 procedure coverage decisions. A total of 26.3% of the medication coverage and 38.4% of the procedure coverage decisions were more restrictive than their corresponding benchmarks. After controlling for value, the odds of being more restrictive were 42% lower for medications than for procedures. Including unfavorable tier placement in the definition of "more restrictive" greatly increased the proportion of medication coverage decisions classified as "more restrictive" and reversed our findings.Conclusions: Therapy access depends on factors other than cost and clinical benefit, suggesting potential health care system inefficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article deals with the theoretical background and concepts providing the basis for the use of forms of financing and acquisition of public goods and services through partnerships between the public and the private sectors (public- private partnership - PPP). The aim of this article is to introduce a new original methodology using a selection of qualitative and quantitative methods for evaluating investments and to form a complex output that will clearly and distinctly testify about the appropriateness of using the PPP method. For this purpose, processes which are normally used for business valuation - generators of values, property valuation, yield valuation, valuation based on market analysis, are combined and incorporated/recast in the current assessment methodology, which is based on the Public Sector Comparator and determinants of value for money (VFM), are being used. Although this new methodology was developed in response to the problematic situation regarding PPP projects' evaluation particularly in the Czech Republic, it can also be applied in other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Peer support for people with dementia and carers is routinely advocated in national strategies and policy as a post-diagnostic intervention. However there is limited evidence to demonstrate the value these groups offer. This study looked at three dementia peer support groups in South London to evaluate what outcomes they produce and how much social value they create in relation to the cost of investment. Methods A Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis was undertaken, which involves collecting data on the inputs, outputs and outcomes of an intervention, which are put into a formula, the end result being a SROI ratio showing how much social value is created per £1 of investment. Results Findings showed the three groups created social value ranging from £1.17 to £5.18 for every pound (£) of investment, dependent on the design and structure of the group. Key outcomes for people with dementia were mental stimulation and a reduction in loneliness and isolation. Carers reported a reduction in stress and burden of care. Volunteers cited an increased knowledge of dementia. Conclusions This study has shown that peer groups for people with dementia produce a social value greater than the cost of investment which provides encouraging evidence for those looking to commission, invest, set up or evaluate peer support groups for people with dementia and carers. Beyond the SROI ratio, this study has shown these groups create beneficial outcomes not only for the group members but also more widely for their carers and the group volunteers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]