Critical Success Factors for PPP Projects: A Systematic Literature Review

Yin Chen; Mei Ye Kho; Othman Mohamed; Yuting Zhang; Yicheng Shen

doi:10.53941/ubs.2026.100014

Abstract

This study addresses the lack of an updated systematic synthesis of research on critical success factors (CSFs) for public-private partnership (PPP) projects. A systematic literature review was conducted on journal articles published between 2014 and 2025 through a three-stage process comprising a Scopus search, article screening, and content analysis. The review shows that the literature has expanded steadily over the period, with transportation and general infrastructure remaining the most frequently examined sectors and developing countries constituting the main empirical setting. Methodologically, the field has become more diversified, with continued reliance on questionnaire surveys and interviews alongside increasing use of structured modelling techniques. The literature also shows growing interest in project-phase issues, stakeholder differences, and context-specific applications of CSFs. Overall, the review confirms the continuing importance of CSFs in shaping PPP performance, while indicating clear opportunities for future research on phase-specific dynamics, stronger causal evidence, stakeholder-sensitive analysis, and the integration of financial structuring, ESG considerations, and digital technologies.

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