Editorial

Public-private: Isted's commitment

Isted has decided to readjust its orientations, in line with recommendations from the evaluation made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Works, Transportation and Housing at the end of 1997. Our institute is now giving public-private partnerships a firm place in its activities and strengthening the involvement of the private sector in its organization.
For big companies, SMEs, engineering firms and all the professionals concerned, this will mainly consist in establishing a partnership with the State and public organizations. Thanks to this type of partnership, private companies can hope to build up their presence and increase their efficiency on the international front. This presence and this efficiency is conditional on immediate, low-cost access to information.
The action plan set up by Isted prioritizes this access to information - operational information like that provided by the data bank on the organization of local authorities in the world. This new tool provides contractor companies with the first approach to many infrastructure and service projects. It has been designed as an aid for all their local authority projects. To build up this data bank, three entities of a very different nature have combined their areas of competence: Isted, Dexia Project and Public Finance International Bank, and the French Foreign Trade Centre (CFCE).
To inform and communicate, Isted uses many different media including periodicals, papers, events and the Internet site. It takes particular interest in the new technologies. They are the vehicles for disseminating knowledge and enabling members of the association to gain greater recognition.
Through this teamwork, all partners of the Institute in the world will find an answer tailored to the new challenges and to their expectations for international cooperation and development.

Jean-Marie Aoust,
Director of the International Department - Vivendi,
Vice-President "Communication" - Isted

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