UNDP Seoul hosts knowledge exchange on innovation for public construction transparency

January 9, 2020

On 11-12 December 2019, UNDP Seoul Policy Centre hosted a two-day workshop, inviting government officials from eight countries - Ukraine, Uganda, Viet Nam, Thailand, Philippines, Myanmar, Malaysia and China - who introduced innovative policy tools for improving the transparency and effectiveness or their public construction project management, some based on the example of Seoul’s Clean Construction System (CCS).  

CCS, which won the prestigious UN Public Service Award in 2013, is a system developed by the Seoul Metropolitan Government for the effective management of public infrastructure projects and promotion of transparency within the sector. CCS consists of the One-Project Management Information System (One-PMIS) for the standardization of construction business and reporting processes, and the Construction Information Disclosure System (or “Allimi” in Korean) for real-time disclosure of public construction project information to citizens, which increases transparency and reduces corruption risks in the public construction sector.

UNDP Seoul and the Seoul Metropolitan Government have been working together since 2015 to share the city’s tested-and-proven policy solution with partner countries. UNDP Seoul Policy Centre’s unique implementation modality for systematic and cost-effective triangular development cooperation combine’s UNDP’s policy advisory and implementation support with peer-to-peer knowledge exchange between public officials and policymakers in Korea and developing countries.

During the two-day event, country participants, together with Korean partners and international practitioners, had the opportunity to share their experiences and lessons learned, based on which experts of development cooperation drew policy insights on effective ways of undertaking triangular development cooperation for knowledge sharing and country-level collaboration—as embodied in Sustainable Development Goal 17 of the Agenda 2030.

“This workshop is a meaningful platform where interesting ideas and opinions are shared, and some concrete outcomes and key success factors are introduced,” stated Mr. Stephan Klingebiel, Director of USPC. “USPC will continue to support disseminating Korea’s best practices in increasing transparency in the public construction sector via knowledge exchange through triangular development.”

The objectives of the workshop were to showcase how UNDP’s partner countries were able to apply and contextualize Seoul’s CCS over the years, disseminate innovative approaches of increasing transparency in infrastructure project management around the world, and to demonstrate the practical value of triangular and south-south development cooperation through peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and long-term collaboration on local adaptation and application of Korea’s best practices.

The results of this partnership programme have been particularly positive in the ASEAN region. For example, Viet Nam’s Da Nang City government pilot-tested the “Da Nang Allimi”. In the Philippines, UNDP and the Department of the Interior and Local Government is developing its own infrastructure management system for local government units called “LGU-IPMS”. Thailand also partnered with its Comptroller General’s Department to design a CCS-like open data system.

“Many developing countries are interested in applying Seoul’s CCS to their own context as a tool for public reforms and corruption prevention,” said Mr. Jei-hyun Han, Assistant Mayor of Seoul Metropolitan Infrastructure Headquarters. “Seoul is committed to supporting partner countries increase transparency and accountability in their construction management.”

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