Arlington, VA – Today, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency initiated a multi-year training initiative to support quality infrastructure planning in Jamaica. Under its Global Procurement Initiative: Understanding Best Value (GPI), USTDA is partnering with Jamaica’s Ministry of Finance and Public Service to train procurement officials on best value methodologies that will lead to more sustainable infrastructure, cost savings over time and greater economic growth.
“USTDA is changing how emerging markets procure their infrastructure. Our partnership with the Government of Jamaica is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate across the Americas how the use of life-cycle cost analysis and best value procurement methodologies can support quality infrastructure,” said Enoh T. Ebong, USTDA’s Acting Director. “USTDA truly believes in our partnership with Jamaica, and we share a common vision and shared priorities toward effective use of public funds.”
Under the partnership, USTDA will lead trainings in both the United States and Jamaica on international best practices and the integration of best value methodologies in public procurement. The training will be carried out in coordination with the George Washington University Law School’s Procurement Law program and U.S. expert practitioners with extensive procurement experience in government, the private sector and higher education.
John McIntyre, Charge d’Affaires at U.S. Embassy Kingston, said: “The United States is committed to building stronger ties with Jamaica through initiatives like USTDA’s Global Procurement Initiative, which will lead to stronger and more sustainable results for the Jamaican people. We commend the Government of Jamaica’s commitment to building better infrastructure and strengthening their procurement practices. By utilizing open, fair, and transparent procurement standards, Jamaica will also attract more companies to bid on its infrastructure projects.”
Launched in 2013, USTDA’s Global Procurement Initiative: Understanding Best Value is dedicated to assisting public officials in emerging economies to better understand the total cost of ownership of goods and services for infrastructure projects. The initiative now includes 12 partner countries, and USTDA continues to review requests from additional countries to participate in the GPI.
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The U.S. Trade and Development Agency helps companies create U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services for priority development projects in emerging economies. USTDA links U.S. businesses to export opportunities by funding project preparation and partnership building activities that develop sustainable infrastructure and foster economic growth in partner countries.
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