The SOURCE Community convened for its latest meeting, with Pedro Nicolau welcoming participants and introducing Pablo José Cevallos Palomeque, representing the Government of Ecuador, the new chair. In his opening remarks, Mr. Cevallos Palomeque emphasised the importance of enhancing project standards, fostering collaboration among members, and facilitating the exchange of valuable insights to keep the community updated and aligned with international practices. The meeting also welcomed a new member, the PPP Central Unit of the Ministry of Finance of Egypt, represented by Mr. Tamer Wagih and Mrs. Deena Nasser.
SOURCE User Experience: Government of Sindh Case Study
A key highlight of the meeting was a presentation by Mr. Abeer Jumani, Director of Contract Management at the PPP Unit of the Government of Sindh, Pakistan. Mr. Jumani provided an in-depth overview of Sindh’s successful integration of the SOURCE platform in Sindh.
Sindh’s adoption of SOURCE, supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), has led to the digitalisation of over 1,000 tasks from its processes into the SOURCE platform, customised for the needs of the government. This transformation will allow the province to enhance collaboration, streamline project management, and reduce the reliance on paperwork. Mr. Jumani underscored the significance of SOURCE in aligning Sindh’s projects with international standards, particularly given Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to meet its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He further noted that the integration of SOURCE will provide the Government of Sindh with a competitive edge, granting access to global markets by benchmarking its projects against international standards. With an investment portfolio exceeding 800 billion rupees, advanced project management tools like SOURCE have become indispensable in fostering efficiency and transparency across government agencies. Ongoing training sessions, supported by the Sustainable Infrastructure Foundation (SIF), have ensured that relevant agencies are well-equipped to leverage the platform’s capabilities.
Scaling and Customisation of SOURCE in Pakistan
During the subsequent Q&A session, Mr. Jumani fielded questions regarding the challenges of institutionalising SOURCE across Sindh and scaling the system to the federal level. He emphasised that while obtaining regulatory approvals and aligning various governmental frameworks posed significant challenges, progress was being made. Customisation of SOURCE for Sindh has been extensive, with over 1,000 tasks digitised and various assessment methodologies implemented to suit local needs.
Mr. Nicolau provided further insights, noting that the federal government of Pakistan has already begun implementing SOURCE. The discussions also highlighted the importance of using dashboards to track progress.
Updates on SOURCE Expansion and Re-platforming
Pedro Nicolau shared important updates on the ongoing development and deployment of the SOURCE platform. Since June, SIF started the implementation of the platform in Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan (Phase 2), with support from the Swiss government (State Secretariat for Economic Affairs – SECO). Mr. Nicolau also provided a quick overview of countries finalising the integration process, including Sindh, Egypt, and Tanzania.
The community was informed about the forthcoming enhancements to SOURCE, including new templates and functionalities set to be fully deployed by the end of September. The platform’s re-platforming is scheduled for completion by Q2 2025, which will involve migration support for each country on a case-by-case basis. Two additional languages, Arabic and Swahili, are also slated to be added to the platform soon, further expanding SOURCE’s reach and usability.
Closing Remarks
In his closing remarks, Mr. Cevallos Palomeque expressed appreciation for the active participation of the community members, noting that the detailed presentation from Mr. Jumani on Sindh’s experience provided valuable insights into the regional implementation of SOURCE. He emphasised the importance of sharing lessons learned as the platform continues to grow. Mr. Cevallos Palomeque also acknowledged the PPP Central Unit of the Ministry of Finance of Egypt as a new member and reiterated his commitment to strengthening collaboration within the community.