ent investment environment for private-sector
partners, he says.
“In order to implement successful PPP programs,
many Caribbean countries still need to develop
a road map that sets development objectives and
goals with concrete milestones.”
SHORING UP TALENT
The Dominican Republic (DR) has seen significant advances in infrastructure projects in recent
years, spurred by private investment. Training and
development offered by foreign companies has
helped the country’s construction industry mature,
says Bryan Henriquez, PMP, business development
specialist for AES Dominicana, the DR subsidiary
of energy developer AES Corp. in Santo Domingo,
Dominican Republic.
“Ten years ago, we had a lot of issues finding
project management talent, but now people are a
lot more interested in learning project manage-
ment practices and obtaining certifications,” he
says. “They understand the importance of having
processes and knowledge in place to manage these
projects in the best possible way.”
Haiti, on the other hand, is still behind the curve.
Although Haiti shares an island with DR, its culture,
investment history, and approach to planning and
managing infrastructure development is a world
apart. Haiti is the poorest nation in the region and
has the least-developed infrastructure. It suffers
from a sagging economy, ineffective government
In the Caribbean region,
where the fiscal limitations
are extremely high and the
infrastructure gap is great,
the PPP model can help
governments reduce the gap
and provide quality service
to their populations.”
—Daniel Melo
The St. Maarten Power Generating
Plant in Philipsburg, St. Maarten
Haiti is vulnerable to natural disasters. Here,
earthmovers remove huge pieces of concrete
that blocked the roads in Port-au-Prince,
after a massive earthquake in 2010.
