In forging structured Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) projects that foster cross-sectoral collaboration, the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center presented the different methods in developing and implementing critical infrastructure and development projects through PPPs in a webinar series last August 17 and 19, 2021. This series is part of the Bridging Leaders’ Initiative for the Climate Resilience Fellowship of the Asian Institute of Management TeaM Energy Center for Bridging Leadership (AIM TEC-BL), which began in October 2020.
The BLICR fellowship aims to develop and implement EbA programs in the Philippines that will provide effective and sustainable solutions geared towards environmental conservation and the protection of vulnerable communities. Fellows of the BLICR program are from both private and local government sectors, committed to forming partnerships to address the effects of climate change in coastal cities and municipalities.
Aside from the Local Chief Executive fellows, key officials of the Local Government Units also attended the webinar series. These LGU technical and administrative teams participated in the forums eager to contribute to the development of successful PPP projects using EbA approaches.
“PPPs are key arrangements in successfully developing and sustaining EbA programs. Knowing the processes that are needed in these types of collaboration will definitely help the BLICR fellows and their teams design and implement their projects with a co-creation mindset, which is important for the path towards a green economic recovery,” said Prof Manuel De Vera, Executive Director of AIM TEC-BL.
Director Feroisa Francisca “Rois” T. Concordia of the Capacity Building and Knowledge Management Service of the PPP Center introduced the participants to opportunities that may be utilized by stakeholders in the cities and municipalities in crafting and executing collaborative programs. Those who engage with the PPP may develop programs in the fields of water supply and sanitation, solid waste management, infrastructure and development, transportation, IT system, and tourism.
Continuing the discussion on how the PPP Center can help the fellows in their projects, Project Development Service Director Maria Lerma L. Advincula shared how the agency can support the development of various projects of the BLICR fellows. She stressed the importance of maximizing the autonomy of the LGUs through the enactment of their own PPP code to make project development processes easier and adaptive to the conditions of their respective localities.
The webinar series and the discussions that followed allowed participants to learn more about the lifecycle of a PPP project, including the timelines, financing, the prescribed roles of the private and government sectors as well as the new modes of partnerships under the 2019 Supplemental Guidelines of the PPP Center, which include joint ventures and other contractual arrangements specific to LGU PPP projects.
The webinar series were organized to support the BLICR fellows’ design and implementation of their EbA programs using PPPs as their operating framework.
For more information on the Bridging Leaders’ Initiative for Climate Resilience fellowship program, contact the AIM TeaM Energy Center for Bridging Leadership at teamenergycenter@aim.edu.