Abstracts
Abstract
The interest of governments in public-private partnerships (P3s) has increased in the last decade. In Canada, this fervor is no exception; decision makers recognize an ideal tool of governance, in the logic of the “new public management.” While academic literature has focused on the actual benefits or problems associated with this form of service delivery - namely cost calculations, risk sharing, contract duration and efficiency - little attention has been paid to the ethical character of this policy instrument. As far as public management in general is concerned, ethics is generally an afterthought (Ghere, 1996). Where P3s are concerned, this quote is even more relevant. Given the efficiency mantra at the heart of P3s as a new policy instrument, it is no wonder that questions of values and public interest come second to promised or expected financial savings sought by political leaders. In order to tackle the role of ethics in public-private partnerships, this article takes a policy formulation stance and stresses the conflicts of values at the heart of this political choice and the challenges it involves for public interest and policy making in the long run.
Résumé
L’intérêt des gouvernements pour les partenariats public-privé (PPP) s’est accru dans la dernière décennie. Au Canada, cet enthousiasme ne fait pas exception : les décideurs publics les reconnaissent comme un outil idéal de gouvernance, dans la logique de la « nouvelle gestion publique. » Alors que la littérature relative aux PPP s’est concentrée sur les avantages réels ou sur les problèmes liés à cette forme de prestation de service, à savoir, le calcul des coûts, le partage des risques, la durée des contrats et l’efficacité, peu d’attention a été portée à la dimension éthique de cet instrument de politique. Étant donné le discours d’efficacité au coeur de PPP comme nouvel instrument de politique, il n’est pas surprenant de constater que la question des valeurs, de même que celle de l’intérêt public, ne priment pas sur les enjeux relatifs aux économies, promises ou prévues, recherchées par les décideurs politiques. Ancré dans une réflexion sur le processus de production des politiques publiques, cet article aborde le rôle de l’éthique dans les partenariats public-privés en soulignant le conflit de valeurs au coeur de ce choix politique ainsi que les défis qu’il implique pour l’intérêt public et la prise de décision à long terme.
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Appendices
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