Public-private partnerships rarely fail on paper — they fail in the room, when the public sector's regulatory say-so collides with a private partner's commercial timeline, especially on large oil and gas ventures. Those frictions, left unmanaged, are exactly what stall and delay projects.

This Managing Conflict Between the Public and Private Sectors course, delivered by the Arab British Fellowship Training Academy, unpacks the concept of conflict between the two sectors and equips participants with the tools to defuse it — through the legal frameworks that govern partnerships, the structural weaknesses that tend to trigger disputes, and the engagement and consultation techniques that keep projects moving forward.

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Define the practices to avoid when dealing with stakeholders and the wider community.
• Apply strategies, processes and tools that support interest-based consultation.
• Bring individuals and groups together productively in difficult, high-participation situations.
• Identify and resolve stakeholder-related issues efficiently, and keep work moving within set timeframes.
• Prepare for and hold sharp, productive discussions with opposing parties.

Who Should Attend

• Members of project teams, managers and supervisors.
• Leaders of consultation and engagement teams responsible for stakeholder involvement.
• Staff responsible for the efficiency and consistency of consultative programmes.
• Graduates and anyone interested in public-private sector relations.

Module 1: The Legal and Structural Backdrop of PPP

• Laws and legal frameworks governing public-private partnerships.
• Structural weaknesses that make partnerships vulnerable to conflict.

Module 2: Why Conflict Happens

• Defining conflict between the two sectors and what "overcoming it" really means.
• Common causes of tension from the public-sector side, and how to address them.
• Obstacles that stand in the way of efficient, aligned partnerships.

Module 3: Managing the Discussion

• Techniques and processes for managing heated, high-stakes discussions.
• Preparing for and steering productive debate rather than escalation.

Module 4: Engagement and Consultation in Practice

• Designing a broad, structured stakeholder-engagement programme.
• Strategies and processes that support interest-based consultation.
• Practising engagement through role-play and simulated scenarios.

Module 5: Tracking, Evaluating and Learning from Conflict

• Following up, documenting and monitoring contract obstacles and reports.
• Why proper planning and preparation matter for effective engagement.
• Evaluating a conflict situation and the damage it has caused.
• Real case studies of crises between the public and private sectors.