The World Bank has tapped ICMA to develop a training certification program in municipal financial management for municipal and finance officials from Southeast Asian nations. Many of these nations are experiencing economic growth, urbanization, and decentralization that have created an increased demand for infrastructure and infrastructure financing. While this demand presents investment opportunities for private-sector lenders, governments often lack the knowledge of innovative financial policies and models that can help them attract private capital.

To address this gap, the World Bank, in partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), has established an Infrastructure Finance Network that provides a regional platform for government and private-sector leaders to explore innovative approaches to infrastructure financing that can facilitate the flow of private capital into infrastructure development.

The ICMA training will be tailored to help the IFN meet its strategic objectives:

• Facilitate knowledge sharing between developing countries (e.g., Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia) and developed countries (e.g., Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia) in the ASEAN region
• Strengthen the dialogue between the public and private sectors on infrastructure finance issues
• Create a regional knowledge platform for disseminating knowledge about global best practices in infrastructure finance to central and sub-national governments in the region.

ICMA will lead five four-hour courses delivered by subject-matter experts. Participants who complete all five courses and pass an examination at the end of the series will receive a Certification of Achievement in Municipal Financial Management. The program will be delivered using the Bank’s Global Development Learning Network facility, which can connect up to five locations for interactive video training.

The courses will be delivered by trainers with extensive experience in municipal and financial management, coordinated by Sandra Tripp-Jones, Senior Governance Advisor with ICMA International and former city administrator in Santa Barbara, California. Other trainers are ICMA member Richard Robinson, former city manager and currently an international consultant; Jesus Nava, Finance Director, Burlingame, California; Mark Glover, former city manager and now an international consultant; Robert Samario, Finance Director, Santa Barbara, California, and member of GFOA; and Robert Peirson, Chief Financial Officer, Santa Barbara Housing Authority.

Courses will provide practical, “how-to” guidance on the following:

• Budget policies and their link to performance
• Revenue generation, including establishing fees for service and increasing collections
• Accounting and reporting the sources and uses of financial resources
• Internal auditing and accountability
• Creditworthiness and debt financing.

The expected outcome is that local finance managers who successfully complete the program will be able to

• Identify key issues that need to be addressed in order to modernize their budgetary policies and implement procedures and institutional reforms
• Develop new financial management skills based on current best practices
• Understand and commit to instilling a culture of creditworthiness into their financial operations.

To learn more, visit the ICMA International section of the ICMA website and the International Development topic area of the Knowledge Network, or e-mail international@icma.org.