A Dissertation Submitted to Mzumbe University Dar es Salaam Campus College in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Business Administration in Corporate Management of Mzumbe University
The study investigated the perception of the Tanzanian community on Public Private Partnership (PPP) in the provision of health services in Tanzania, using Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania (CCBRT) as a case study. The main research objective was to find out the perceptions of the Tanzanian community on PPP. The specific objectives were to examine perception of the community on the concept of PPP in health sector, to show the evolution of PPP in health sector in Tanzania, to identify different challenges facing PPP in health sector in Tanzania and to highlight benefits of PPP projects in the provision of health services.
Case study design and qualitative research approach were employed during the research. Data collection methods such as interview, observation and documentary sources and records, direct observation, informal discussion and consultations were employed. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistical tools such as tables, charts, graphs, percentages and frequency distribution. Findings established that PPP concept is positively perceived by majority of respondents regardless of their occupations, education level, gender and age. This is because they perceive PPP projects as being effective in facilitating development of people in and around a project area. The PPP initiative is for example, implementing an expensive project at CCBRT where the ultra modern maternity and newborn hospital is currently under construction in order to address poor access to service for persons with disability.
However, people perceive wrongly concept of PPPs as for solely heavy investment projects, but PPP includes small projects as well like facilitating patient’s referrals to hospitals for treatment. However bureaucratic practices during PPP implementation and poor interpersonal relations between clients and health staff were also found in the study. The study recommends that Tanzania should embrace more the use of the PPP concept as it gives wide choices of collaboration. The research concludes by noting that health service provision is still unsatisfactory and needs improvement on many fronts such as access to health services and this is possible by partners working together in areas such as PPPs.