Partnering the Inter-Governmental Organisations

Over the years, Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE) has received numerous requests from Inter-Governmental Organisations (IGOs) and their developing member countries to adapt practical and modular solutions adapted from Singapore’s repository of expertise within both the public and private sectors.

Recognising this growing interest, SCE established a dedicated International Partnerships team to spearhead partnerships with IGOs and provide a convenient single window to Singapore expertise. The team has since built partnerships with a wide range of IGOs such as the Asian Development Bank, Commonwealth Secretariat, the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank Group. We work closely with these IGOs to provide customised solutions in various areas of interest such as governance, public administration, urban planning, water and environmental management, education and trade promotion.

We see many synergies in partnering with IGOs as we share a common interest in promoting development. SCE can provide complementary expertise, content and financing solutions to support knowledge sharing, capacity development and private infrastructure finance in the IGOs’ countries of operation. Our partnership with the IGOs enables both parties to enrich the content and delivery of the joint programmes for developing countries, scale them up and continue to support these countries beyond what would have been possible working alone. More significantly, these partnerships enable our public and private sectors to expand their market outreach and deepen the impact of their work in these countries.

Working with Us

SCE cooperates with IGOs through three broad types of partnerships:

1. Knowledge Sharing and Capacity Development

SCE works closely with IGOs to jointly identify needs of developing countries and provide relevant advisory services and customised training programmes to support knowledge transfer and capacity development. Based on the needs assessment, we will aggregate and integrate the right experts from Singapore’s public and private sectors to share their expertise and adapt relevant best practices to the local context.

Through SCE, IGOs can leverage our network of existing and retired civil servants to tap their wealth of experience, knowledge and contacts. More importantly, our network of advisors with excellent track record and experience offer a practitioners approach to actively support the implementation and delivery of joint projects.

2. Resource Partnerships

Where necessary, SCE can bring together possible funding partners, agencies and private foundations with a similar focus on development work to partner the IGOs in providing technical assistance for their developing member countries. We can assist IGOs and developing countries to seek co-financing solutions and develop cost-effective programmes.

3. Public-Private Partnership (PPP)

In line with IGOs’ mandate to catalyse private infrastructure finance in developing countries, SCE has been working with the IGOs to provide a range of technical advisory services to share Singapore’s experiences in PPPs and bring in potential Singapore-based investors to support private sector development in developing countries.

To assist developing countries in preparing bankable infrastructure projects for private finance, IGOs can tap Singapore’s public and private sector expertise to offer technical support and advice in areas such as establishment of regulatory and financing frameworks for PPPs, project planning, design, structuring and financing for infrastructure projects.

In partnership with IGOs, SCE also invites Singapore-based companies, private sector infrastructure developers and financiers to undertake and invest in infrastructure projects. Like the IGOs, we play the role of an honest broker between Singapore investors, IGOs and Governments of developing countries in a wide range of infrastructure projects such as port development, power water and environmental management, and transport.

Key Partnership Initiatives with IGOs

1. World Bank–Singapore Urban Hub

The World Bank–Singapore Urban Hub is a partnership initiative launched by World Bank and the Government of Singapore in June 2009 to expand cooperation in urban management. Its mandate is to help urban practitioners in developing countries with state-of-the-art advice and technical assistance on practical solutions to major urban challenges. Located in Singapore, the hub will build on Singapore and the World Bank’s urban expertise to develop workable solutions to city problems.

SCE works closely with the World Bank-Singapore Urban Hub to develop knowledge products featuring best practices in areas such as urban planning, city management, housing, PPPs, water and environmental management, transport management, etc. We also partner the Hub to deliver advisory services and training programmes in urban management and PPPs to World Bank’s client countries.

Through this partnership, SCE hopes to create opportunities for Singapore’s public sector agencies, Singapore-based companies and investors to partner Governments of developing countries in infrastructure development.

2. Asia Infrastructure Project Development Private Limited (AIPD)

The Asia Infrastructure Project Development Private Limited (AIPD) was formed in April 2008 to assist developing countries in Asia to develop commercially viable PPP projects in water supply, sanitation and wastewater treatment. AIPD is a joint venture company incorporated in Singapore by Asian Development Bank (ADB) and a consortium of Singapore-based companies, namely, Crest Spring Private Limited, The Konzen Group and United Engineers (Singapore) Private Limited.

SCE played a key role in bringing ADB and the three Singapore-based companies together to conceptualise and initiate the formation of AIPD. This initiative is part of SCE’s larger efforts to export Singapore’s public sector expertise to encourage PPP and foster long term collaboration with ADB.

In the process of developing PPP projects, AIPD partners SCE to bring in Singapore’s public and private sector expertise in integrated water resource management, and operation and management of water and wastewater treatment plants.