Michel Démarre and Monique Aubry held a session on October 3rd, 2023, focusing on the findings of two taskforces within the PIARC strategic cycle 2019-2023, specifically addressing the preparation of transportation projects. The session covered well-prepared projects globally, with a special emphasis on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

The technical findings revealed common practices in project preparation across ten countries, emphasizing sustainability, social value, stakeholder, and public engagement. However, challenges unique to LMICs were identified, such as financing preliminary studies, retaining qualified staff, and ensuring the availability of technical resources and reliable data.

Recommendations for decision-makers in well-prepared projects included stakeholder and risk management, communication, clarity of ownership, procurement, human resources, and time dimensions. Additionally, the use of tools like BIM and SOURCE was highlighted. For LMICs, the task force recommended wider use of the Project Preparation Platform SOURCE.

Concerns were raised about the study’s limitations, particularly the lack of representation from low-income countries and limited inclusion of lower-middle-income nations. Access to developing banks during the COVID-19 pandemic and the exclusion of regional and local contributions to project preparation were also highlighted as concerns.

To address these issues, decision-makers were urged to facilitate webinars and hybrid meetings for better LMIC participation. Improved communication between international organizations, especially on project preparation, was recommended. Overall, the session underscored the importance of well-prepared projects and identified areas for improvement in both global and LMIC contexts.

For more information: Technical Session TF 1.1 and TF 1.3 Well-Prepared Projects including LMIC (piarc.org).