The Infrascope, an interactive index and learning tool developed by the MIF and the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), evaluates the readiness and capacity of 19 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to implement  public-private partnership (PPP)  projects in the transport, water and sanitation and electricity sectors.

The information it contains can be used by a wide range of actors. For example, one could imagine government officials from a country in the Caribbean holding a healthy discussion on the effectiveness of their countries’ laws, regulations and institutions for developing PPP projects. Or a department head from a Central American public works ministry asserting that the evaluation of his country’s institutional environment does not reflect recent efforts to form a PPP unit in government. Or, in the southern cone, a PPP expert presenting his findings to public officials planning to develop a program.
 
The process to develop the Infrascope began in late 2008 when the MIF and EIU organized a workshop to brainstorm development of the tool. Since then, two editions of the Infrascope have been released and the tool has informed discussions, involving multiple sectors in various countries, concerning the enabling environment for developing PPP projects. For the MIF, the Infrascope serves as a useful reference when discussing and developing PPP support. 

From the outset, our hope has been that the Infrascope would become a globalized product and frame of reference for public and private sector PPP practitioners, not only in our region, but also elsewhere in the world. Hence, we were thrilled by the decision of the Asian Development Bank to commission an Infrascope for the Asia-Pacific region, which was released May 31.

The Asia-Pacific Infrascope assesses PPP readiness and capacity in 11 developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region, four benchmark countries (Australia, Japan, Republic of Korea (South Korea), UK) and one state (Gujarat, India), and the methodology is closely based on that of the original Infrascope. More importantly the Asia-Pacific Infrascope affirms the core beliefs underlying the Infrascope: A favorable regulatory environment, effective institutions and a competent public sector are crucial for developing sustainable and efficient PPP projects.
 
The announcement on the release of the Infrascope for Asia and the Pacific is available here.