WAPPP Annual Congress

Next Level PPP is the theme of our Congress this year. We will focus on where PPP goes from here and how it can be successfully implemented for the benefit of all of society’s stakeholders.

The classic approach to PPP, based solely on the idea that PPP is an appropriate public procurement alternative if it delivers greater Value for Money to the public treasury, has proven to be unsatisfactory. That the valuation of project risks, necessary to make the case for not using lower-cost public funding, can be often subjective, has further created much controversy around PPP and caused many parts of society in many countries to view it as an instrument of corrupt elites. Clearly, this detracts from the noble aspiration of most PPP practitioners, both public and private, who believe that PPP can be an engine of socio-economic development.

At WAPPP, we do not regard PPP as a tool for public procurement, but rather as a tool for development. We consider it to be an integral part of SDG 17 and a principal component of the “Partnership” pillar of the “People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, and Partnership” SDG quintet. Applying PPP in this way requires a shift of paradigm. In going beyond financing infrastructure projects, PPP becomes also a means of delivering social services, protecting the environment, and improving the standard of living and peace of mind of people everywhere.

How is this to be achieved? What is the shape of the Next Level PPP? What are the best international practices to be followed? How can fairness and transparency be assured? How can technology best be used to improve the impact of PPP projects? How can all stakeholders participate effectively in project validation? What role can non-profit NGOs play? How should governments apply the principles of ESG to reach larger investor pools? How can the criteria of Value for People and Value for Future Generations be fulfilled? These and other questions are essential for the future of the PPP field… and they are the questions, which this year’s WAPPP Annual Congress attempts to answer.

The event will be held over three days from Monday 14 June to Wednesday 16 June in virtual format and there will be ample opportunities for networking among PPP practitioners.