Conclusions
Through the lens of agency theory and the limitations imposed by exploring a series of propositions, several insightful conclusions have been derived from the case. International development projects have particular nuances that make them unique compared to the majority of commercial applications. An added dimension and other complexity results from the PPP incorporating Government, NGOs and private corporations. The case examined in this article exemplified the need for PPP ID projects to build on partner networks to influence and disseminate information about outcomes. To achieve this needs differing organisational cultures to be recognised and managed. While funding is critical, in-kind commitment of support is necessary. Conventional scoping, scheduling and budgetary control lack the flexibility required by ID projects, and is better served by adopting a sequence of conceptualising, planning, implementing and closing. Given the characteristics of many developing countries, there is a need to have realistic expectations of the time required, and acknowledging that it is not always possible to plan accurately. Climate, security, geography, political aspects, and the durability of the project team over a long time period are considerable challenges. While all the problems associated with agency relationships are apparent in the case under review, their criticality to the objectives of the PPP ID project is far less than what it might be in a commercial environment. The underlying assumption in agency theory is that agents pursue financial benefit or other self-gratifying goals; this is not the case in a humanitarian project.
