Engineers Against Poverty & CoST’s work on urban development is supporting sustainable cities and resilient infrastructure

The UK Government Centre of Expertise in Green Cities, Infrastructure and Energy delivers support to low- and middle-income countries to catalyse investment in sustainable infrastructure, boost sustainable policy and regulation, and improve municipal finance and public services, creating jobs and increasing productivity. The Centre of Expertise is implemented primarily through the Green Cities, Infrastructure and Energy Programme (GCIEP), which is managed by a PwC-led consortium including Mott MacDonald, Engineers Against Poverty, Adam Smith International and MDY Legal.

GCIEP works in over 30 countries supporting government partners with short-term targeted (Targeted Offer) or long-term systemic (Deep Offer) interventions, including buy-in opportunities. CoST is supporting Deep-Offer interventions in the Philippines, Vietnam and Zambia. This support is conveyed by Engineers Against Poverty, and aims to provide technical assistance and capacity-strengthening opportunities around infrastructure transparency, participation and accountability, including assessments of infrastructure performance and operational risks. 

The countries that CoST works in as part of GCIEP overlaps with its past and present membership. CoST interventions focus on, Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), climate-resilient water management, energy markets and the associated enabling environment, including the use of CoST tools and standards.

This work has involved:

  • mapping and assessing performance risks in the Energy infrastructure project cycle in Zambia, and developing data points that enhance data availability and use to address those risks;
  • strengthening the urban water management framework in the Philippines to improve water provision and security;
  • supporting the Government of Baguio City to assess their anti-bribery procedures in the Philippines;
  • supporting digital platforms for transport management systems in Vietnam.

CoST tools and standards are also part of the UK Expertise Offer (UKEO). The UKEO responds to government partners’ demand for operational tools and solutions that enhance the quality of urban planning and resilient infrastructure delivery. It aims to improve the reach of critical expertise and offer practical solutions to the unmet needs of GCIEP partner governments.