Public infrastructure systems face increasing pressure to deliver projects efficiently while managing fiscal, environmental, and political constraints. The effectiveness of delivery models—from Design–Bid–Build (DBB) and Design–Build (DB) to Early Contractor Involvement (ECI)—depends critically on the maturity of the public infrastructure buyer, including its capabilities, organisational design, and ability to engage with private partners. Drawing on consultations with the Network of Professionals in Infrastructure Delivery (IPP-P), this OECD expert conference will explore how public buyer maturity shapes delivery-model choice, risk allocation, and performance outcomes.
The conference will bring together academics, senior public buyers, and policy practitioners for an evidence-informed exchange. Discussions will focus on core buyer capabilities under different delivery models, short- and long-term constraints on feasible choices, and how insights from practice and research can be systematically applied. Designed as a fact-finding and bridge-building exercise, the event offers participants a structured forum to connect theory, empirical evidence, and practical experience, advancing a more coherent understanding of public infrastructure buyer maturity.