The issue of good preparation of road projects was already dealt with by PIARC Taskforce 1.1 in 2020 and 2021. However, contacts with major organizations concerned, such as Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), were made difficult during the pandemic. Also, the number of representatives from Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) in the Taskforce was very limited. These circumstances did not allow the Taskforce to consider the specific case of road projects prepared in LMICs.
PIARC therefore decided to launch a new Taskforce (Taskforce 1.3) specifically designed to deal with this issue in LMICs. This new TF began their work mid-2022. A better representation of LMICs in the Taskforce allowed to reach out to LMICs, mainly in West Africa; contacts established by TF 1.1 with SIF (Sustainable Infrastructure Foundation), the organization that promotes the project preparation platform SOURCE, were also renewed and updated. But above all, this period of time coincided with important changes being introduced by some MDBs, such as the production of guidelines to align their investment portfolio on the Paris Agreement, or the introduction of “rated criteria” in their procurement procedures. Such changes are likely to impact project preparation, procurement and financing.
The current report therefore analyzes the findings made on their own by the Taskforce, the potential impact on project preparation of changes introduced by MDBs, and also the influence of recently created organizations (Blue Dot Network, FAST-Infra) that have put a strong focus on Quality Infrastructure Investment.