In the literature on relational governance, it is often assumed that relational governance emerges primarily after formal contracting and acts as a functional supplement to a formal contract. In this article, we show that especially facing deep uncertainties, relational governance can emerge before the start of formal partnerships, in the form of trust-building, exchanging resources, and fostering flexibility. Based on a case study of a smart city outsourcing project, this article introduces a forward-extended framework of relational governance that captures the pre-contractual dimensions of relationship cultivation and their role in facilitating formal contracting. The study finds that pre-contractual relational governance facilitates formal contracting by reducing substantive, evaluative, technological, and procedural uncertainties in the project and helps the partners to design an elaborative contract, undergo an easy negotiation, adopt short-term contracts, and use simple monitoring and evaluation methods. The article thus argues that only understanding post-contractual relational governance is insufficient for exploring the relation between formal contracting and relational governance; facing deep uncertainties, it is necessary to understand how public and private parties develop their pre-contractual relationship and reduce the uncertainties before a formal contract can be signed.

Points for practitioners

Practitioners should realize that there is much room for relational governance in the pre-contractual phase of PPP projects when the projects are rife with various uncertainties. Public and private parties can take measures to build trust, foster flexibility, and create interdependence before a formal contract is signed. These ex-ante relational governance measures can facilitate formal contracting by reducing the various uncertainties, making a formal contract designable, making negotiation smooth and easy, and reducing the need for contract supervision.

在有关关系治理的文献中，通常假设关系治理主要出现在正式合同之后，并作为正式合同的功能补充。在本文中，我们表明，尤其是面对严重的不确定性，关系治理可以在正式伙伴关系开始之前以建立信任、交换资源和培养灵活性的形式出现。本文基于一个智慧城市外包项目的案例研究，介绍了一个关系治理的前向扩展框架，该框架捕捉了关系培养的前合同维度及其在促进正式合同方面的作用。研究发现，合同前关系治理通过减少实质性的、评估性的、技术性的、项目中的不确定性和程序上的不确定性，帮助合作伙伴设计详细的合同，进行轻松的谈判，采用短期合同，并使用简单的监控和评估方法。因此本文认为，仅仅理解后契约关系治理不足以探讨正式契约与关系治理之间的关系；面对深层次的不确定性，在正式合同签订之前，有必要了解公共和私人各方如何发展他们的合同前关系并减少不确定性。因此本文认为，仅仅理解后契约关系治理不足以探讨正式契约与关系治理之间的关系；面对深层次的不确定性，在正式合同签订之前，有必要了解公共和私人各方如何发展他们的合同前关系并减少不确定性。因此本文认为，仅仅理解后契约关系治理不足以探讨正式契约与关系治理之间的关系；面对深层次的不确定性，在正式合同签订之前，有必要了解公共和私人各方如何发展他们的合同前关系并减少不确定性。

从业者的积分

从业者应该意识到，在项目充斥着各种不确定性的情况下，PPP项目的合同前阶段有很大的关系治理空间。在正式合同签署之前，公共和私人各方可以采取措施建立信任、培养灵活性和建立相互依存关系。这些事前关系治理措施可以通过减少各种不确定性、使正式合同具有可设计性、使谈判顺利和容易、减少对合同监督的需要来促进正式合同的签订。