# Systems Engineering Methodology for Designing Digital Public-Private Partnership Platforms
## 4 Discussion  
The issues raised in Section 2.1[2] can be addressed thanks to the close interaction between stakeholders through the digital platform we offer. In particular:  
* Conflicts between the project goals can be avoided by identifying the needs of stakeholders and meeting them in the course of the implementation and operation of PPP projects;
* Problems of overvalued capital and the emergence of corruption schemes are solved through the involvement of regulatory and supervisory bodies in the platform;
* Complexity of tenders and PPP contract negotiation is simplified by the transparency of processes in digital platforms and their built-in mechanisms improving interactions between the parties.  
The distribution of risks and benefits among the PPP platform participants is a topic of further research.  
Earlier studies have examined the role of stakeholders in PPP infrastructure projects [36; 37; 38]. In them, the interested parties were evaluated from the point of view of project management in the context of the life cycle of PPP project realization. This work uses the systems engineering methodology, the tools of which facilitate the successful implementation of complex engineering solutions [39; 40]. One of the criteria for the success of the implemented project according to the SE methodology is the satisfaction of the needs of stakeholders, and not only their participation and role in the project. At the same time, stakeholders are understood as users of the future infrastructure facility, as well as those who will be involved in the deconstruction of the facility at the end of its service life.  
The interests of stakeholders interacting in the PPP format can vary from one project to another. However, their core needs will be within the line of business of the interested party. We propose to take these needs into account in the initial stages of the design of the digital platform (Figure 1) in which PPP projects will be carried out. It is important to note that stakeholders' needs may not always be realized in the form of functions and processes in the DP in the absence of technological capabilities. But by finding a compromise of interests between the parties at the initial stage of conceptual design, it will be possible to avoid additional complex research and development and expensive technological scouting with further detailed development of the DP.  
Our proposed framework for PPP development is not limited to potential stakeholders (Table 2). Depending on the tasks of the designed PPP facility, the list of major stakeholders may change, as well as their lines of business, based on which their primary needs are revealed.  
What may become a problem is the addition of a new key PPP participant to the current DP, which is unable to meet its needs. In this case, it is necessary to transform the digital platform with the introduction of new functions and processes or to look for new solutions to expand the DP ecosystem. The second problem is that the DP participants are not always able to disclose their true needs and objectives in PPP projects because of their concealment or lack of purpose. These problems need to be addressed in future studies.