Public-Private Partnerships in Support of Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources

Abstract

In the absence of unlimited resources, governments typically face significant challenges in the process of allocating resources to optimize the benefits to the majority of the members of the society. Government officials look for new and creative ways to address the existing and emerging social needs. It is virtually impossible to identify universal solutions, and for that reason, it is essential to understand the implications as well as the risks associated with the use of new governance methods. This chapter describes emerging challenges in the protection of critical government assets as a result of natural and emerging man-made threats and describes the benefits and limitations derived from the use of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) to proactively plan for the protection of those assets the government considers critical.