In an era of increasing resource scarcity, environmental degradation, and the urgent need for sustainable development, strategically integrating Circular Economy Principles in PPP Project Development has become a transformative imperative for governments and private sector partners, enabling the creation of infrastructure and services that minimize waste, maximize resource value, and regenerate natural systems throughout their entire lifecycle. Moving beyond traditional linear "take-make-dispose" models, these specialized Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) embed principles of design for longevity, reuse, repair, and recycling, demanding innovative approaches to procurement, financing, and operational management to ensure long-term environmental, social, and economic benefits. This comprehensive training course is meticulously designed to equip public sector officials, project developers, financial institutions, environmental specialists, and legal professionals with the advanced knowledge and practical strategies required to identify opportunities, overcome challenges, and successfully implement circular economy principles across diverse PPP projects, from waste management and water systems to buildings and energy infrastructure. Without robust expertise in Circular Economy Principles in PPP Project Development, stakeholders risk failing to meet sustainability targets, incurring higher long-term costs, and missing out on significant innovation and value creation opportunities, underscoring the vital need for specialized expertise in this critical domain.

Duration: 10 Days

Target Audience

• Public Sector Officials from Ministries of Environment, Finance, Infrastructure, and PPP Units
• Project Developers and Investors in sustainable infrastructure
• Waste Management and Resource Recovery Companies
• Water and Wastewater Utilities and Operators
• Construction and Real Estate Developers
• Financial Institutions and Green Finance Specialists
• Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) Professionals
• Legal Professionals specializing in environmental law, procurement, and project finance
• Urban Planners and Sustainable Development Specialists
• Consultants advising on circular economy and PPPs
• Anyone involved in the planning, financing, or management of infrastructure projects with sustainability objectives.

Objectives

• Understand the core principles and benefits of the circular economy in the context of infrastructure.
• Learn about the strategic opportunities for integrating circular economy principles into PPPs.
• Acquire skills in identifying and assessing circularity potential across various project lifecycles.
• Comprehend techniques for designing for longevity, reuse, and recyclability in infrastructure assets.
• Explore strategies for innovative procurement and contractual mechanisms for circularity.
• Understand the importance of lifecycle assessment (LCA) and material flow analysis (MFA) in circular PPPs.
• Gain insights into financing mechanisms for circular economy projects and value retention.
• Develop a practical understanding of regulatory and policy frameworks supporting the circular transition.
• Master the role of digital technologies in enabling circularity and resource tracking.
• Acquire skills in fostering cross-sector collaboration and industrial symbiosis.
• Learn to apply international best practices and case studies in circular economy PPPs.
• Comprehend techniques for measuring and reporting on circularity performance.
• Explore strategies for managing waste as a resource and creating new value streams.
• Understand the importance of stakeholder engagement and behavior change for circularity.
• Develop the ability to lead and implement impactful PPPs aligned with circular economy principles.

Course Content

Module 1: Introduction to the Circular Economy and Its Relevance to PPPs

• Defining the linear vs. circular economy: principles of reduce, reuse, recycle, regenerate.
• The imperative for a circular transition: resource scarcity, waste crisis, climate change.
• How infrastructure and public services fit into the circular economy.
• The strategic role of PPPs in driving circularity at scale.
• Benefits of circular PPPs: economic, environmental, social.

Module 2: Circular Economy Principles in Infrastructure Design and Planning

• Design for longevity and durability of assets.
• Design for disassembly, adaptability, and future reuse of components.
• Use of recycled, renewable, and low-impact materials.
• Minimizing waste generation during construction and operation.
• Integrating circularity from the early stages of project conception.

Module 3: Circular Economy Business Models for PPPs

• Product-as-a-Service (PaaS) models for infrastructure components (e.g., lighting, heating).
• Servitization and performance-based contracts that incentivize resource efficiency.
• Resource recovery and waste-to-value models (e.g., waste-to-energy, nutrient recovery).
• Industrial symbiosis and co-location strategies.
• Repair, refurbishment, and remanufacturing models for assets.

Module 4: Circular Procurement and Contractual Mechanisms

• Integrating circularity criteria into tender documents and evaluation.
• Output-based specifications that encourage circular solutions.
• Contractual clauses for material recovery, waste diversion targets, and lifecycle responsibilities.
• Incentives for private partners to innovate in circularity.
• Legal considerations for ownership of recovered materials.

Module 5: Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) and Material Flow Analysis (MFA)

• Introduction to LCA as a tool for assessing environmental impacts across a product/project lifecycle.
• Conducting MFA to track material flows and identify waste hotspots.
• Using LCA/MFA to inform design decisions and evaluate circular solutions.
• Data requirements and challenges for comprehensive assessments.
• Linking LCA/MFA results to project performance and reporting.

Module 6: Waste Management and Resource Recovery PPPs

• PPP models for integrated solid waste management (ISWM) systems.
• Waste-to-energy (WtE) projects and their role in energy recovery.
• Recycling and composting facilities: technologies and business models.
• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes and their integration with PPPs.
• Case studies of circular waste management PPPs.

Module 7: Circularity in Water and Wastewater PPPs

• Water reuse and recycling technologies in urban and industrial contexts.
• Nutrient recovery from wastewater (e.g., phosphorus, nitrogen).
• Energy recovery from sludge (e.g., biogas production).
• PPP models for circular water infrastructure.
• Reducing non-revenue water (NRW) as a circularity principle.

Module 8: Circularity in Building and Urban Development PPPs

• Designing buildings for deconstruction and material recovery.
• Use of recycled concrete, steel, and timber in construction.
• Urban mining and repurposing existing infrastructure.
• Green infrastructure and nature-based solutions for urban resilience.
• PPPs for circular urban districts and eco-industrial parks.

Module 9: Financing Circular Economy Projects

• Attracting green finance and impact investment for circular PPPs.
• Valuation of circular benefits (e.g., reduced material costs, new revenue streams).
• Risk assessment for innovative circular business models.
• Role of public subsidies, guarantees, and blended finance.
• Developing bankable circular project pipelines.

Module 10: Regulatory and Policy Frameworks for the Circular Economy

• National circular economy strategies and action plans.
• Waste legislation, extended producer responsibility, and resource efficiency targets.
• Green public procurement policies and guidelines.
• Incentives for circular innovation and investment.
• Challenges of fragmented regulations across sectors.

Module 11: Digital Technologies for Circularity

• Digital platforms for material passports and resource tracking.
• Blockchain for supply chain transparency and traceability of recycled content.
• IoT sensors for monitoring asset performance and predicting maintenance needs.
• AI and data analytics for optimizing resource flows and waste sorting.
• Digital twins for lifecycle management and design optimization.

Module 12: Stakeholder Collaboration and Industrial Symbiosis

• Fostering collaboration across the value chain: designers, manufacturers, users, recyclers.
• Developing industrial symbiosis networks and eco-industrial parks.
• Role of intermediaries and facilitators in circular ecosystems.
• Engaging communities in circular consumption and waste reduction.
• Building a shared vision for circularity among diverse stakeholders.

Module 13: Measuring and Reporting Circularity Performance

• Developing KPIs for circularity (e.g., material circularity index, waste diversion rates, recycled content).
• Reporting frameworks for circular economy performance (e.g., GRI, Ellen MacArthur Foundation).
• Auditing circularity claims and ensuring transparency.
• Communicating circular benefits to investors, policymakers, and the public.
• Benchmarking circular performance against industry best practices.

Module 14: Challenges and Opportunities in Circular Economy PPPs

• Overcoming market barriers: lack of demand for secondary materials, high upfront costs.
• Addressing technical challenges: quality control of recycled materials, new processing technologies.
• Navigating regulatory complexities and policy uncertainties.
• Building capacity and expertise for circular project development.
• Identifying new value creation opportunities from waste and resource efficiency.

Module 15: Practical Workshop: Developing a Circular PPP Project Concept

• In-depth analysis of a hypothetical infrastructure project with circularity potential (e.g., a new public building, a waste treatment facility).
• Hands-on exercise: Brainstorming circular economy principles applicable to the project.
• Workshop: Developing preliminary circularity targets, key performance indicators, and a high-level material flow strategy.
• Identifying potential circular business models and financing approaches.
• Group discussions on the challenges and opportunities in implementing the circular concept.

Training Approach

This course will be delivered by our skilled trainers who have vast knowledge and experience as expert professionals in the fields. The course is taught in English and through a mix of theory, practical activities, group discussion and case studies. Course manuals and additional training materials will be provided to the participants upon completion of the training.

Tailor-Made Course

This course can also be tailor-made to meet organization requirement. For further inquiries, please contact us on: Email: info@skillsforafrica.org, training@skillsforafrica.org Tel: +254 702 249 449

Training Venue

The training will be held at our Skills for Africa Training Institute Training Centre. We also offer training for a group at requested location all over the world. The course fee covers the course tuition, training materials, two break refreshments, and buffet lunch.

Visa application, travel expenses, airport transfers, dinners, accommodation, insurance, and other personal expenses are catered by the participant

Certification

Participants will be issued with Skills for Africa Training Institute certificate upon completion of this course.

Airport Pickup and Accommodation

Airport pickup and accommodation is arranged upon request. For booking contact our Training Coordinator through Email: info@skillsforafrica.org, training@skillsforafrica.org Tel: +254 702 249 449

Terms of Payment: Unless otherwise agreed between the two parties’ payment of the course fee should be done 7 working days before commencement of the training.