Bridges To Prosperity
Government Partners
A systems change approach to transportation infrastructure
Investing in the Future
Government partnerships are critical to our Systems Theory of Change, and the scalability and long-term viability of our work. Transportation infrastructure planning, implementation, and maintenance is a key government function that requires participation and inputs from all levels of administration, from national to community. Our strategy is built on the evidence that investment in transportation infrastructure that serves rural communities is not only incredibly cost-effective, but that it requires very little to change within existing systems of infrastructure planning and delivery. And because trail infrastructure (or the lack of it) influences so many different dimensions of poverty at once, there is nearly always alignment with government priorities over the near- and long-term.
Partnership Case Study
Initiative: Sustainable Rural Transport Connectivity in Uganda
Partner: Uganda Ministry of Works and Transport (MOWT)
Approach: B2P has worked with the Government of Uganda since 2017, partnering with key agencies to pilot and work toward scaling a national rural transport program inclusive of trail infrastructure to connect rural communities that move almost entirely by foot or motorcycle. We are currently in our second phase of partnership with the MOWT, jointly focusing on the foundations of sustainability: with the development and establishment of locally-led training programs at the Mount Elgon Labour Based Training Centre, the adoption of rural bridge standards, and contracting out bridge construction to support the local private sector. MOWT funds local materials and local labor, while B2P provides assessment, design, construction management, procurement, training design, and support, and repurposed or donated materials such as cables and clamps.
Results and Impact: To date, B2P has worked with the Government of Uganda to complete more than 30 trail bridges that create safe access for over 100,000 people, in addition to identifying an additional 500 sites that would connect at least a million more. The success of this partnership has created opportunities for a strong coalition-based approach that will transition rural bridge design and implementation to the private sector through projects overseen by relevant government agencies.
