Organized
jointly by CODATU and CMI, the First Webinar of the Community of Practice for Sustainable Urban Transport in the Mediterranean Region was held Monday, 18^th July 2016, in parallel to MEDCOP22 in Tangier (Morocco).

Conceived as an initiative with the purpose of promoting collaborative learning and capacity building, the webinar allowed presenting the operational procedures for mass transport projects’ implementation through the example of the Rabat-Salé tramway.

Participants were able to connect via internet and attend from everywhere the interventions of Loubna Boutaleb (STRS) and Thomas de Véricourt (AFD). During the first session, L. Boutaleb shared a testimony on the Rabat-Salé tramway and T. de Véricourt * focused on the criteria considered during the evaluation for projects’ funding. The second half was dedicated to the questions and answers exchange with the audience.

The Rabat-Salé’s tramway: a Mediterranean good practice

The Rabat-Salé’s tramway project is part of a global strategic plan of requalification and development of the conurbation that aims to satisfy the city dwellers travel needs and to preserve the area from the uncontrolled increase of traffic.

In 2006, in coordination with the public institutions in charge of urban transport in the agglomeration, the Agency for the Development of the Bouregreg Valley was entrusted with the mandate of implementing the Tramway project in the Agglomeration of Rabat-Salé. Since its successful implementation experience, the Agency was able to set the following strategic areas:

• Prepare the institutional and regulatory framework that organizes short-term and long-term operations;
• Mobilize funding to implement the commitments respecting the deadlines;
• Develop the necessary synergies between the tram and other urban transport systems to ensure sustainability and attractiveness.

Despite the socio-economic and planning difficulties associated with the rapid urban growth, the peri-urbanisation of the city and the population boom, the Rabat-Salé tramway was able to offer a sustainable transport facility to the community.

For more details, check the presentation of Ms. Loubna Boutaleb: L.Boutaleb_STRS_LeTramwayRabatSalé_1Webinar18072016

How do a donor evaluate an application for funding?

Transport has a strong political and symbolic dimension because of its “daily” and “close to the people” nature and sometimes policymakers are tempted to favour solutions “rewarding” in terms of image with the risk of investing in oversize projects. To be functional, a project must adapt perfectly to the current and the future demand and the choice of route and type of system have to be done on tangible and binding elements.

Thomas de Véricourt* presented the AFD approach to approve funding in the transportation field as a funder involved in the Mediterranean region:

• Identifying or understanding the context and the local dialogue on the legal and institutional framework. Sometimes the identification process requires hiring consultants, studies, surveys, specific expertise, verifications and/or validations.
• Evaluating the technical, economic and financial feasibility and environmental and social impacts that allows the choice of mounting, key project stakeholders, funders and conditions (loan, grant, FEXTE, MRI, parallel financing or delegate).
• Negotiation or identifying funding arrangements in relation to financial conditions (commission rates and margin) and to define modalities and disbursement schedule (in advance, refinancing, direct payment) as well as the suspensive conditions.
• Implementation and monitoring of the procurement with no objection, the technical and financial progress, the environmental and social aspects, the suspensive conditions, the contract amendments (Amendment, DLVF, DLJF) and the technical cooperation.
• Conclusion and ex-post evaluation of the project characteristics (cost, delay, MOA), impacts and feedbacks.

* Due to technical problems, T. de Véricourt could not continue the webinar but he wants to share his presentation rich in details:

T.deVéricourt_AFD_eval projet TCSP_1Webinar18072016

Watch the webinar

The Webinar How to implement a mass transit project? recording is now available.