公私夥伴關係的橋樑與轉譯者：顧問公司如何促進協力治理之多案例研究

Abstract

我國《促進民間參與公共建設法》旨在透過公私夥伴關係提升公共服務品質與效率，然其推動歷程常面臨協力治理的困境。受政府機關聘僱的「顧問公司」，實務上常被期待扮演緩解協力難題的關鍵角色，惟其具體作用機制與影響條件，學術上仍缺乏系統性的探討。本研究旨在填補理論與實務缺口，深入探究促參案件中，顧問公司如何透過扮演中介角色，促進公私夥伴關係的協力治理過程，進一步分析哪些條件會影響顧問公司中介功能的運作。本研究以中介組織理論解釋協力治理「如何」得以啟動、維繫的機制，並修補過去協力治理理論的缺口。採用質性研究、多案例研究方法。第一階段，以顧問公司為分析單位，訪談7間顧問公司、3名專家學者，確立顧問公司的角色功能與發揮條件，對於顧問公司如何促進協力治理進行理論修正。第二階段，依據案件類型的異同，選取5件案例進行分析，檢證第一階段發展出的理論概念適用性，且分析比較不同案件類型的差別。研究發現，顧問的中介功能具顯著的動態性，隨促參生命週期演進，從「技術導向」轉向「關係治理導向」。前置作業與招商議約階段，顧問彌補公部門的資訊與專業缺口。履約階段，顧問功能在履約監督確保契約執行，但並非專業營建管理之角色。若遇履約爭議，則以中立性與專業協調雙方。本研究提出「顧問嵌入之協力治理模型」，彰顯顧問功能在協力過程中的促進作用。顧問在公私部門間的網絡結構位置，從初期橋接隔閡的「結構洞經紀人」，演化為深度嵌入合作網絡的「結構折疊互聯節點」，乃至促成緊密互信的「網絡閉合」。顧問的中介行動則展現出三種動態轉換的面貌：過濾資訊的「守門人」、代表公部門立場的「代表者」，以及本研究提出之概念—「嵌入式專業協調者」，意指顧問雖受僱於公部門，卻能憑藉其專業權威與中立性，在看似對立的利益訴求間進行轉譯與協調，以促成問題解決與維繫夥伴關係。最後，研究歸結出顧問中介效能的發揮，並非單純取決於顧問自身，而是受到多重條件的複雜交互影響。本研究之理論意涵在於深化協力治理理論，明確指出顧問作為中介者在促進合作中的具體機制與動態角色，並建構適用於PPP情境的顧問角色類型。實務上，則分別對公私部門與顧問公司本身提出相對應的治理策略。研究限制包括案例類型有限，可能影響研究發現的普遍性，時間限制則影響對長期動態變化的完整捕捉。後續研究可運用質性比較分析（QCA）探討促成顧問功能發揮的條件組合，或是對案件進行縱貫的長期追蹤研究等。Taiwan's Act for Promotion of Private Participation in Infrastructure Projects aims to improve public services through public-private partnerships (PPPs), yet its implementation often faces collaborative governance challenges. Consulting firms hired by government agencies are expected to mitigate these difficulties, but their specific mechanisms and influencing conditions lack systematic investigation. This study investigates how consulting firms, as intermediaries, facilitate the collaborativegovernance process in PPPs and analyzes the conditions affecting their intermediary functions.This research uses the theory of intermediary organizations to explain how collaborative governance is initiated and sustained, addressing a gap in its literature. Adopting a qualitative, multiple-case study method, the study first interviewed seven consulting firms and three experts to refine a theory of the firms' roles in promoting collaborative governance. Second, it analyzed five diverse project cases to test the developed theoretical concepts and conduct a comparative analysis. The study finds the consultant's intermediary function is dynamic, shifting from a “technical” to a “relationship governance” orientation through the PPP lifecycle. Initially, they address the public sector's professional deficits during planning and procurement. In the contract performance phase, the consultant's function includes monitoring contract compliance to ensure execution, though they do not assume the role of professional construction management. This research proposes a “Consultant-Embedded Collaborative Governance Model” to highlight their facilitative role.The consultant's network position evolves from a “structural hole broker” to an “intercohesive node” via structural folds, ultimately fostering “network closure”. Their actions reflect three shifting roles: “gatekeeper”, “representative” for the public sector, and the study's proposed “Embedded Professional Coordinator”. This “Embedded Professional Coordinator”, though hired by the public sector, leverages professional authority and neutrality to mediate conflicting interests, solve problems, and sustain the partnership.The study concludes that a consultant's effectiveness depends on a complex interplay of multiple conditions. Theoretically, this research deepens collaborative governance theory by specifying the mechanisms and dynamic roles of consultants as intermediaries and constructing a typology of consultant roles for PPPs. Practically, it proposes governance strategies for public and private sectors, and consulting firms. Limitations include a finite number of case types, affecting generalizability, and time constraints hindering the capture of long-term dynamics. Future research could use Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to identify success conditions for consultant functions or conduct longitudinal studies.