Third Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Bootcamp begins today in Jamaica

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – From today until Friday, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)/Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), and the World Bank (WB)/Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF), will host the final of three Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Bootcamps at the Spanish Court Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica.

The Bootcamps are intensive training courses for Caribbean government staff on key aspects of PPP development and implementation.

The Bootcamps are part of a US$1.2M Regional PPP Support Programme, which was launched in May 2015, to build the capacity of government agencies to develop and implement PPP projects. The first of the Bootcamps was held in September 2015, in Barbados, and the second was held in November 2015, in Trinidad.

Brian Samuel, PPP Coordinator at CDB, said the ultimate aim of the Bootcamps is to equip countries to capitalise on the Caribbean’s multibillion dollar PPP pipeline.

PPPs are more complex to implement than traditional public projects, and if governments are not routinely exposed to PPPs, it is unlikely they will have the required expertise on hand. Most Caribbean countries don’t have PPP policies, nor units dedicated and trained in the implementation of projects. There is a potential PPP pipeline of up to US$5-6 Billion in current projects alone; and this will only increase. If we are to begin to realize the value that PPPs can offer, we must start at square one: building the capacity to implement PPPs that deliver value for money to our governments – and people.”[su_box title=”Caribbean Development Bank” style=”soft” box_color=”#54c0f0″]The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), is a regional financial institution which was established by an Agreement signed on October 18, 1969, in Kingston, Jamaica, and entered into force on January 26, 1970. The Bank came into existence for the purpose of contributing to the harmonious economic growth and development of the member countries in the Caribbean and promoting economic cooperation and integration among them, having special and urgent regard to the needs of the less developed members of the region (Article 1 of the Agreement establishing CDB). In the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, the CDB is recognised as and Associate Institution of CARICOM[/su_box]

Forty-two participants from government agencies across the region are participating in the Bootcamps, plus four from the CDB. These training courses are intended to be practical sessions that cover all the different phases of the PPP project cycle. Topics covered range from developing the necessary government policies, conducting feasibility studies, to structuring transactions.

During this Bootcamp, which focuses on transaction implementation procedures, participants will be introduced to the basics of procurement strategies for PPP projects, as well as hear from experts in the field about their experience in managing PPP projects. The Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority will present on their Contract Management Experience with the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, and participants will also visit PPP projects in Jamaica, including the Kingston Container Terminal (KCT) & Highway 2000.

Participants are from Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

CDB is the primary implementing agency for the Regional PPP Support Programme. The Bootcamp series is the first component of this programme, and will be followed by other initiatives, including a Caribbean web-based PPP Toolkit, a help desk for government officials to seek assistance on project-level issues and the creation of a permanent “Regional PPP Unit”, designed to offer practical advice to Caribbean governments on PPP policies and projects. (Caribbean Development Bank Press Release)