In its latest session, the wider SOURCE Community met on the 25th of October 2024 in Washington D.C. during the World Bank Group (WBG) and IMF Annual Meetings, to unite global leaders, industry experts, development banks, and government representatives in a dialogue aimed at advancing sustainable infrastructure. The meeting underscored SOURCE’s pivotal role in streamlining infrastructure projects through digitalisation, serving as a collaborative forum for sharing insights, aligning standards, and tackling pressing infrastructure financing challenges.
Key Discussions and Highlights
The session began with an emphasis on the importance of listening to the countries that utilise the SOURCE platform. This approach has proven essential for tailoring solutions that meet the unique needs of each nation.
A critical focus of the discussions was the upcoming re-platforming of SOURCE, set for early 2025, which will introduce new technologies and enhanced functionalities. This upgrade is crucial for improving the platform’s responsiveness, interoperability, and overall user experience.
Ecuador’s Success Story
Ecuador’s notable progress was a highlight of the meeting, with the country rising from 15th to 9th place in the Infrascope rankings within just two years. This achievement is also attributed to the increased transparency and collaborative capabilities provided by SOURCE, positioning Ecuador as a regional leader in infrastructure development.
“Ecuador’s climb from 15th to 9th in IADB Infrascope rankings shows the impact of SOURCE in elevating transparency and collaboration, making us a leader in regional infrastructure development.”
Pablo Cevallos
Secretary of Public-Private Investments, Ecuador
Strategic Priorities and Collaborations
Key leaders emphasised the evolving partnerships between SOURCE and various stakeholders, including private sector firms, multilateral development banks, and initiatives like the Blue Dot Network, FAST-Infra Label and MCDF. These collaborations aim to align infrastructure projects with international quality standards, ensuring both financial viability and sustainability.
The feedback from the SOURCE Private Sector Community stressed the importance of the private sector’s involvement. It was highlighted that private sector participants are not only crucial for preparing and financing sustainable infrastructure but are also actively seeking to increase transparency and enhance project investability.
The Donor Community echoed the need to avoid duplicating efforts in responding to changing needs, emphasising the importance of cohesive action to support infrastructure development.
Open Floor Insights
Discussions during the open floor session delved deeper into procurement processes and the integration of SOURCE with existing platforms. Insights included:
- Cross-agency collaboration: Brazil is customising SOURCE based on its national framework for PPPs, concessions and public investment, with multiple agencies and ministries involved. The platform will support national priorities, including climate change and poverty reduction.
- Feedback on project transparency: Participants noted that the mandatory use of SOURCE for registering PPP projects enhances transparency and helps navigate the complexities of public procurement.
- Positive experiences with SOURCE: Various stakeholders shared their positive experiences, highlighting that SOURCE supports improved tendering processes, leading to more competitive bidding pools and better project outcomes. One of the attendees mentioned that SOURCE has been instrumental in capacity development within its procurement cycles.
- Sustainable platform growth: The complexity and costs associated with IT solutions was highlighted as being one of the challenges facing MDBs and countries. One of the attendees called for a sustainable business model to ensure long-term viability. In addition, it was noted that while SOURCE has made significant progress, continued focus on funding and resource allocation is necessary to maintain its growth trajectory.
- Private sector feedback: An expanded pipeline of projects is one of the key outcomes from the use of SOURCE. In addition, attendees congratulated SOURCE on its development and impact over the years.
Key Action Items
- Community Growth: SOURCE Community will be expanded to two additional countries by the end of 2024, bringing its members to 14 in total.
- Platform Upgrade: Accelerate the re-platforming process to enhance user experience, data interoperability, and country-specific customisations.
- Project Visibility: User countries to publish more projects from SOURCE to public pipeline of projects to attract private sector interest and mobilise investment.
Looking Ahead
“As the SOURCE platform approaches its major re-platforming upgrade in early 2025, participants expressed strong support for our vision of greater responsiveness and scalability. With many successes already accumulating, there is still much work to be done to build on this momentum. By enhancing SOURCE’s capabilities, we’re poised to make SOURCE a pivotal tool in driving global infrastructure development and achieving sustainable outcomes.”
Christophe Dossarps, CEO, SOURCE
