IBN initiates PPP certification programme

KATHMANDU: A four-day ‘CP3P (Certified Public-private Partnerships Professional): The APMG PPP Certification Program’ kicked off today in Kathmandu with the support of the Asian Development Bank.

Officials from the nine different ministries, OIBN and embedded consultants are participating in the foundation level training programme designed by the APMG International for the PPP professionals.

OIBN expects that the training programme will enhance knowledge and capacity of its staffs in the areas of project ideation/preparation, structuring (allocation of responsibilities and risks to the parties to a PPP agreement and the determination of a finance structure to a PPP project), project procurement and management.

“This will be an imperative for taking PPP projects forward,” said Mr. Sushil Bhatta, Chief Executive Officer of the Investment Board Nepal (IBN), addressing the inauguration ceremony of the training programme, “Being a specialized agency for execution of the PPP projects, we must have efficient human resource to facilitate the investment projects during its entire life cycle from preparation to risk minimization, project procurement, implementation, and operation.”

Office of the Investment Board Nepal will absorb, utilize, and preserve the knowledge/expertise and gradually move ahead to achieve excellence through initiating innovative steps in the execution of PPP projects.

Stating that the PPP has various complexities to deal with, Mr. Bhatta appreciated the support extended by the ADB for capacity enhancement of professionals.

The entire course consists of three different stages from foundation to preparation and execution stage. The foundation stage assesses whether a candidate has sufficient knowledge and understanding of the PPP Guide to act as an informed team member of a PPP finance project. The foundation certification is pre-requisite for the practitioner certifications.

Likewise, the preparation stage is more comprehensive, and this stage enhance understanding of how to apply and tailor the PPP frameworks and PPP project identification, screening, appraisal, and preparation processes in a given governmental context.

In addition, the execution stage prepares the candidates for dealing with structuring and drafting process of PPP tender documents and the PPP contracts, and the management of PPP contracts during construction and operation phases. Moreover, the candidate who sits in examination of aforementioned stages and completes them successfully can be awarded the CP3P credentials.

The inaugural programme was also addressed by Mr. Arnaud Cauchois, Country Director, ADB Nepal Resident Mission and lead trainer, Mr. Amandeep Singh Virk. Mr. Cauchois laid emphasis on standardization of knowledge on PPP will pave way for effective PPP practices in the regional and national/local context.

He remarked that the comprehensive trainings on PPP shall be initiated in the future which will develop capacity of the PPP professionals in the areas of identification screening, appraisal, and preparation processes, project procurement under viable modalities through availing transaction advisory services based on requirement in the national context.