Public-Private Partnership as an Instrument for Stimulating Public Sector Innovation, as Exemplified by Projects Implemented in the Health Sector in Poland

Abstract

The subject of the article is an analysis of public-private partnership as an instrument affecting the development of innovation in the public sector. The analysis was based on two PPP projects implemented in the health care sector in Poland and it was preceded by a discussion of the concept of innovation and PPP. The article focuses on the analysis of PPP elements that may have an indirect or direct impact on stimulating innovation in the area of public sector activities. As a result of the analysis, it should be clearly stated that PPP should be inherently associated with perceiving innovation as a process of changes aimed at increasing efficiency. The use of PPP by the public sector may, among other things, enable wider access to a specific public service for the general public, improve the quality of services provided, or increase access to know-how in the area of modern technological solutions. It seems that there will be a gradual shift in the public sector’s perception of PPP, from a mere instrument enabling the implementation of public tasks to an instrument enabling changes in the public management model. This, in turn, should lead to a change in the entire public administration, so that it will be better equipped to face the challenges of modern times, and this certainly will not be possible without the innovativeness of the actions undertaken and the solutions applied.