How to Identify Best Practices

1. How to Identify Best Practices Dr. Lawrence (Larry) Martin Professor of Public Affairs University of Central Florida

2. What is a Best Practice? • Best practices research has yet to achieve consensus on what constitutes a best practice!!

3. What is a Best Practice? • Herbert Simon’s “Satisfying” Trap • 1. People (especially elected officials) look for solutions that appear to work • 2. The research to support a claim of best practice is almost never done.

4. What is a Best Practice? • The selective observation of a set of exemplars across different contexts.

5. What is a Best Practice? • Exemplars: the “best of the • best” • Contexts: across multiple • settings

6. What is a Best Practice? • Hierarchy of Evidence • Evidence Based Practices (EBPs) • Best Practices (BPs) • Emerging Practices (EPs)

7. What is a Best Practice? • Evidence Based Practices (EBPs): • Practices supported by a substantial body of outcomes based research.

8. What is a Best Practice? • Best Practices (BPs): • Practices supported by a substantial body of research findings generally acknowledged as superior or state of the art.

9. What is a Best Practice? • Emerging Practices EPs): • Practices believed by at least some knowledgeable professionals or professional organizations to represent superior approaches.

10. Rules for Identifying & Reporting on Best Practices • Rule 1: • A definition of “best practices” should be provided

11. Internationally Recommended Best Practices in Transportation Financing Public-Private Partnerships (P3s) Any policy, procedure, process, or activity for infrastructure P3s in general, transportation P3s in particular or transportation financing P3s in specific that have been recommended as a standard operating practice by governments internationally or by international organizations that have studied P3s.

12. Rules for Identifying & Reporting on Best Practices • Rule 2: • The decision criterion or criteria used to determine a best practice should be made explicit

13. Rules for Identifying & Reporting on Best Practices • Rule 3: • The evidence level (EBPs, BPs, EBs) should be specified

14. Internationally Recommended Best Practices in Transportation Financing P3s • The use of value for money (VfM) analysis is an international best practice (BP) • The ex post conduct of a value for money (VfM) analysis is an emerging practice (EP)

15. Rules for Identifying & Reporting on Best Practices Rule 4: Exemplars should be drawn from multiple contexts

16. Internationally Recommended Best Practices in Transportation Financing P3s • Value for money (VfM) analysis has been adopted by: • Australia • Canada • France • South Africa • Spain • United Kingdom

17. Rules for Identifying & Reporting on Best Practices Rule 5: When exemplars have major sub- components, they should be identified

18. Major Sub-Components:Internationally Recommended Best Practices in Transportation Financing P3s • Size & Complexity • Structured Process • Stakeholder Consultation & Support • Creation of Dedicated P3 Units • Risk Assessment & Allocation • Value for Money (VfM) analysis • Special Purpose Vehicle • Project Financing • Procurement • Contracting

19. Communicating Best Practices To Policy Makers & Stakeholders • Define best practice • Specify the criterion/criteria used • Explain the evidence level (EBPs, BPs, EPs) • Identify any sub-components • Use examples from multiple contexts • Make limitations explicit