Public sector comparator
The Green Book, Central Government Guidance On Appraisal And Evaluation, Published by HM Treasury in 2020, defines the Public Sector Comparator or Comparable Public Option as: ‘…an option for direct public provision with comparable output assumptions to a Public Private Partnership option, including allowances for differences in risk and tax between the public and private sectors. The purpose of creating this option is to provide comparable comparison with a PPP option based on a level playing field.’
The 2018 Green Book suggested the public sector comparator or comparable public option: ‘…is an option for direct public provision with comparable output assumptions to a Public Private Partnership option, including allowances for risk and tax. This creates a level playing field in support of a true comparison in social value terms.’
The Code of Estimating Practice, seventh edition, published by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) in 2009 suggested that the term ‘public sector comparator’, or PSC, refers to:'… an assessment of the scheme which includes capital costs, operating costs and third party revenues. The PCS is a benchmark against which value for money can be gauged. Clients use technical advisors to produce a reference project – sometimes called the public sector scheme (PSS).'
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