Du, Y; Yuan, J; Wang, S; Liu, Y and Zeng, N (2025) Leveraging blockchain to anchor information for supervision in PPP projects: A conceptual framework. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 32(4), pp. 2745-2770. ISSN 0969-9988
Abstract
Purpose: The information used for supervision by regulatory departments in public-private partnership (PPP) projects is primarily transmitted and processed by the PPP implementation department, which negatively impacts the information quality, leading to information asymmetry and undermining the overall effectiveness of supervision. This study aims to explore how to use blockchain to anchor the information used for supervision in PPP projects to the original information, to strengthen the oversight. Design/methodology/approach: This paper adopts the principles of design science research (DSR) to design a conceptual framework that systematically organizes information along the information dissemination chain, ensuring the reliable anchoring of original information. Two-stage interviews involving experts from academia and industry are conducted, serving as formative and summative evaluations to guide the design. Findings: The framework establishes a weak-centralized information organizing mode, including the design of governance community and on-chain and off-chain governance mechanisms. Feedback from experts is collected via interviews and the designed framework is thought to improve information used for supervision. Constructive suggestions are also collected and analyzed for further development. Originality/value: This paper provides a novel example exploring the inspirations blockchain can bring to project governance, like exercising caution regarding the disorderly expansion of public sector authority in addressing information disadvantages and how to leverage blockchain to achieve this. Technical details conveyed by the framework deepen understanding of how blockchain benefits and the challenges faced in successful implementation for practitioners and policymakers. The targeted evaluation serves as rigorous validation, guiding experts to provide reliable feedback and richer insights by offering them a more cognitively convenient scenario.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | blockchain; information asymmetry; public-private partnerships; supervision |
| Index terms: | interview, information asymmetry, design science research, methodology, practitioner, validation, conceptual framework, governance, anchor, information dissemination, partnership, public sector, academia, effectiveness, implementation, blockchain, supervision |
| Subjects: | theoretical framing, research methods, contractual arrangements, practitioner, research dissemination and communication, transaction economics, administrative law, partnership management, educational institutions, geotechnical engineering, professional development, design practice, performance management, control systems, computing systems, data collection methods, business |
| Topics: | Digital Applications, Design Practice, Information Management, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Governance, Stakeholder Management, Roles and Professions, Quality Management, Legal Issues, Education, Engineering Principles, Project Management, Procurement |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here