Who We Are

CDIA is guided by its Strategy 2018-2022. While its remit to help cities prepare infrastructure projects and link them with funders remains valid, the current CDIA focuses more on improving its responsiveness to cities and funders, and stimulating innovations to maximize the benefits of its interventions.

Strategy 2018-2022 identifies the objectives and strategies for CDIA as it continues to work with cities in Asia and the Pacific since its establishment in 2007.

According to the Strategy, its main purpose to assist cities in developing sustainable and bankable infrastructure projects and liaising with funders remains valid. Its overall model is deemed successful based on the feedback from cities it has worked with, and the Midterm Review CDIA has conducted in 2015.

Between 2018-2022, the program will focus on improving its responsiveness to the needs of cities as well as financing agencies, and stimulating innovation so that the prepared projects can serve as best practices for other cities in the region.

Towards this, CDIA has implemented key innovative measures, such as:

• Systematic linking between infrastructure project preparation and capacity development initiatives to increase the impact and sustainability of its proposed interventions.
• Broadening the depth and scope of CDIA’s project development support to improve its responsiveness to cities’ and funders’ needs and enhance the quality and innovative capacity of the prepared projects.
• Engaging with selected cities over a prolonged period of time to be able to address the needs of cities as complex socio-economic systems.
• Assessing the potential for financing projects at an early stage and working with a wide range of funders to improve the chances of successful project implementation.
• Collaborating with selected national project development facilities based on transparent criteria to mutually reinforce the capabilities and accelerate project preparation.

The strategy fosters partnership with cities, funders, and national and regional partner organizations; and endeavors to broaden donor base particularly those from Asia.

CDIA has recently developed its Strategy for 2023-2027. It sets out how the program will align itself with the new global agenda for resilient and sustainable development, with a view to tapping into the emerging “plumbing” for combined public and private capital mobilization, yet without losing sight of basic urban services that will require continued public investment attention.