SUMMARY This research investigates the approaches, strategies and challenges facing the management of the implementation phase of public–private partnership (PPP) projects in Jordan. Jordan is a newer but common user of PPPs in the Middle Eastern region, where PPPs not only are of economic strategic importance but also entail significant investment risk given resource scarcity. This research involves semi‐structured interviews with senior managers representing different partnering organisations in two case study organisations in Jordan. The research finds that, despite the management difficulties confronting PPP managers, strategies adopted by them limit the impact of these challenges. The research makes an important theoretical contribution in providing a detailed analysis of effective PPP management approaches in response to difficulties at the implementation phase, which had not been systematically explored in extant PPP research, and broadens PPP research to the Jordanian context. Moreover, the research contributes greater understanding of how partnerships should be effectively managed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Managing public-private partnership (PPP), particularly in the implementation phase, is both theoretically and practically complex with success largely determined by how well partnerships are managed. Yet, several PPP scholars have noted that little is known about the management competency requirements to effectively manage in a PPP settings; that is described as different from traditional hierarchical 'command-and-control' management forms, and have called for further research to understand this 'black box'. This research has provided a wide-ranging account of the most significant 'soft-management' competency requirements to effectively mange in such a multi-organizational environment. It is suggested that PPP managers should be able to cope with, adapt to and be flexible to respond to changes that are frequent occurrences during the course of the partnership. Being patient and self-motivated were also qualities PPP managers should possess. Social and interpersonal skills, 'scoping in/out' ability, conceptual skills, project management skills, and, communication and coordination skills were also sets of skills important to effectively manage in a PPP settings. Further, PPP managers should also have sufficient technical and project management experience, as well as experience in negotiation and arbitration. PPP managers should be knowledgeable and qualified to manage the construction, operational and the financial aspects of the PPP project. They should also be familiar with, and use specialized programming and scheduling techniques. The findings of this research were based on data collected from in-depth interviews with 21 partner managers in two case study organizations in Jordan.

Leading in the age of more chaotic environments with newly emerging challenges and crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, demands special strategic leadership (SL) competencies. The main purpose of this study is to identify a specific SL set of competencies that should be available to strategic leaders and verify their availability to top-level public sector managers in the State of Qatar. An empirical analysis of 120 respondents revealed strategic leadership competency gaps among Qatari top-level managers. Further, top-level managers were not fully engaged in determining their organizations' strategic direction, did not exercise all SL behaviors, and only partially demonstrated strategic leadership characteristics, as they were more engaged in the operational activities of leadership. The study revealed that there are no statistically significant differences among respondents toward strategic leadership behaviors and characteristics attributed to their personal and occupational variables. The findings of this study will significantly contribute to enhancing and building strategic leadership competencies for top-level managers in the public sector organizations. A list of strategic leadership competencies that this research identified can serve as a frame of reference for designing strategic leadership training and development programs to enhance strategic leaders' capacities to manage their organizations more effectively.

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