Improving transport and rural infrastructure services in developing countries

The World Bank and DFID are joining forces in a collaborative programme for knowledge management and dissemination that focuses on issues affecting transport and rural infrastructure services in developing countries. The aim of the Transport Research Support (TRS) programme is to fully utilise transport research initiatives that promote sustainable infrastructure. The principles include appropriate, value-for-money investments that use fundamental engineering concepts, local know-how, local materials, labour and ownership, and are targeted particularly at meeting the needs of the poor.

Peter O'Neill and Mark Juhel of the World Bank will be managing the Washington side of the transatlantic partnership.

In the new, jointly operated programme, these approaches will be linked to training and capacity building, and are supported by the World Bank’s Transport Sector Strategy that advocates economic, financial, environmental and social sustainability in transport policies and systems.

The Programme will assemble and disseminate the lessons of research and experience in high priority areas of transport and development to decision-makers in developing countries and to a range of administrators, advisers, civil society and others involved in the development process, including World Bank and DFID-funded programmes.

The TRS Programme has started recently and will run for 5 years with a budget of £5.375 million. The Programme will be managed by the World Bank, and has five primary work streams.

• Development of discrete knowledge products based on lesson learning from within World Bank operational and advisory programmes – an example of these projects would be the development of a sustainability audit for transport programmes.
• Development of flagship knowledge products focusing on high priority issues of a more complex nature than the discrete knowledge products in the first work stream – initial projects have been identified as facilitating freight transport, transport and climate change, and transport and social responsibility, especially in light of the economic downturn.
• Support for a Lead Infrastructure Specialist seconded by DFID to the Bank
• Improving World Bank advice to deal with transport planning in a time of uncertainty
• Maximising the contribution of transport investment to long-term sustainable growth.

For further information please contact Gareth Aicken (E-mail: g-aicken@dfid.gov.uk).