Completing abandoned public facility projects by the private sector: results of a Delphi survey in the Iranian Water and Wastewater Company

Purpose Completion of abandoned public facility projects is one of the major concerns of governments struggling with budget issues. Various research studies have shown that this can only be solved with the help of the private sector. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the capacity of the private sector to complete abandoned public facility projects through the study of the Water and Wastewater Company in Iran. Design/methodology/approach The Delphi survey questionnaires, which were distributed to and responded by a panel of experts – i.e. three groups of employers of the Iranian Water and Wastewater Company, consulting agents and private sector stakeholders engaging with Water and Wastewater Company projects – identified 50 critical factors allowing the private sector to carry out abandoned facility projects. These have been categorized into four components: financial capacities, management competency, knowledge and expertise and resources and facilities. A descriptive survey method was used to determine and prioritize these factors. Findings The survey findings indicate that knowledge and expertise are the main important clusters of factors influencing the completion of abandoned public facility projects. The value of these results is essential in providing the sound basis for mutual trust between the private sector and the public sector for greater participation, thereby helping to complete abandoned public facility projects. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study attempting to investigate the capacity of the private sector to complete abandoned public facility projects through an empirical analysis of factors influencing their completion.