By Eleazar Ricote
Image courtesy of Queensland University of Technology, Australia | Impact Stories
In 2010, I was enjoined to participate in the public-private partnership (PPP) project to develop and implement a capacity building program for national and local agencies. Given constraints, we had to be creative in securing external support, and thankfully the Australian Government generously helped. We mounted training programs, policy and process reforms and developed a pipeline of projects while learning from Australia’s solid PPP experience and lessons. In 2014, the Philippine PPP Center was named Best PPP Promoter by Partnerships Bulletin. Additionally, The Economist’s Infrascope study named the Philippines, most PPP ready in the Asia-Pacific.
To strengthen the PPP Center’s role as lead PPP agency, I reached out to Australia Awards and Alumni Engagement Program (AAEP) and had the Center go through detailed training-needs assessment. This resulted in a solid learning and development (L&D) program now enabled by AAEP support which gives the Center access to the best universities in Australia. To date, we have concluded more than PPP related courses for the PPP Center and key infrastructure agencies. Majority of the officers and staff have completed executive courses and some with full graduate degrees. The Contract Management Course delivered by the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in 2021, which I also attended, graduated a group of officers now heavily involved in actual contract management work, thereby strengthening the Center’s program and project monitoring mandate.
Public service through the PPP Center is a continuing L&D program, with the Australian PPP experience as a major reference material.
