Training “The UNECE PPP and Infrastructure Evaluation and Rating System (PIERS)”
Date
Time
LocationThis training is part of the broader United Nations (UN) project, “Green, circular and resilient Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for transformational change in Africa, Central Asia, Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean.” This project is being implemented across Africa, Central Asia, Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).
The primary objective of this project is to enhance the capacity of public officials in various UN Member States, including Ukraine, to effectively identify, develop, and implement PPPs and infrastructure projects that align with the SDGs, and which prioritize social impact and environmental sustainability while ensuring economic viability.
“PPPs for the SDGs” are an enhanced approach to PPPs designed to implement the SDGs effectively. These projects leverage the private sector’s efficiencies, expertise, and innovation while ensuring public interests are safeguarded through balanced risk-sharing, transparency, and accountability. To align with the SDGs, PPPs must achieve five key outcomes prioritized by the UNECE: Access and Equity, Economic Effectiveness and Fiscal Sustainability, Environmental Sustainability and Resilience, Replicability, and Stakeholder Engagement.
A human rights-based approach is central in this model, particularly for addressing the needs of marginalized communities, ensuring that PPP benefits are inclusive and accessible to all. The UNECE’s PPP and Infrastructure Evaluation and Rating System (PIERS) supports this by offering a robust methodology to evaluate projects against SDG outcomes, aiding in transparent and swift decision-making. PIERS is increasingly used by lenders to assess PPP projects’ alignment with SDGs, making these projects more attractive to international investors.
Objectives
The UNECE aims to assist national authorities in Ukraine in identifying, developing, and implementing infrastructure projects that align with the PPPs for the SDGs approach, in particular post-war recovery and reconstruction projects.
The training is designed to familiarize PPP practitioners in Ukraine with the practical application of the UNECE’s PPP for the SDGs approach and the PIERS methodology, including its self-assessment tool. This will be a ‘learning by doing’ event, where participants will directly engage with the UNECE’s practical tools to assess and align PPP projects with the SDGs. They will have the opportunity to apply these tools to evaluate the extent to which selected PPP projects meet the SDG criteria.
Throughout the training, international PPP experts and members of the UNECE secretariat will guide participants, helping them acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively implement the PIERS methodology and its self-assessment tool.
Expected Outcomes
This training aims to significantly enhance participants’ capacity and understanding of PPPs for the SDGs, providing public officials and policymakers with hands-on experience and actionable feedback on utilizing the PIERS methodology to optimize project outcomes.
By the end of the training, participants will have acquired the knowledge and practical skills necessary to independently apply the PIERS methodology, including its self-assessment tool, to ensure that PPP and infrastructure projects in Ukraine align with the SDGs.
Next Steps
Following the training workshop, UNECE PPP experts will score and evaluate several PPP projects in Ukraine using the PIERS methodology. This assessment will offer valuable, practical insights to PPP decision-makers in Ukraine and support the alignment of these and future PPP and infrastructure projects with the SDGs.
Format and VenueThe training will be conducted as an online event. It will be conducted in English and Ukrainian, with simultaneous interpretation.