GCIP training course shares world-class business case management with Egyptian government officials

• In October 2024, GCIP led a four-day training course in Cairo on the Five Case Model (5CM) approach.
• The first session was attended by the Assistant Minister of Housing at the Egyptian Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities, Dr Abdelkhalek Ibrahim.
• 5CM experts will now work with ministry officials to apply their learning to a real business case.

More than two-fifths of Egypt’s 114 million inhabitants live in urban areas, a figure that increases each year. If Egypt’s cities – especially its capital Cairo, Africa’s third-largest city – are to remain accessible and affordable for all their citizens, it is essential that they make sound investments in urban infrastructure.

To support Egypt in this decision making, in October 2024 the Green Cities and Infrastructure Programme (GCIP) led a four-day training course on the Five Case Model (5CM) approach for the Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities (MHUUC). The training was part of the ongoing UK–Egypt Sustainable Cities and Infrastructure partnership, an initiative to share technical expertise, experience and best practice for sustainable infrastructure and urban development between the two countries.

Developed primarily by HM Treasury, 5CM provides a standardised structure for preparing any business case, so that programmes and projects achieve their intended aims and benefits. It does this by exploring the eponymous five cases, ensuing that there is a sound strategic, socioeconomic, commercial, financial and management case for every investment. With this approach, 5CM explores how governments can deliver sustainable, resilient cities in a way that maximises benefits to all society.

The training course, which was held in Cairo, was attended by 16 members of MHUUC. The first session was attended by the Assistant Minister of Housing at MHUUC, Dr Abdelkhalek Ibrahim, who expressed support for the ongoing partnership between Egypt and the UK. Led by 5CM experts from Mott MacDonald and the Infrastructure and Projects Authority – both Alliance Partners in the Green Cities and Infrastructure Centre of Expertise – the course was designed to help MHUUC develop improved, more sustainable projects through better-informed decisions at the national level.

Reflecting 5CM’s emphasis on a broader, more holistic understanding of value, participants were particularly interested in understanding how the strategic business case can plan not just for financial outcomes, but socioeconomic benefits. Through in-depth discussion, they learned how the 5CM approach will allow them to develop business cases that highlight opportunities for gender equality, disability and social inclusion, ensuring that Cairo becomes a more accessible city for all its citizens.

Next steps

The course, which was well-received by participants, was followed by an online foundation-level exam. 5CM experts provided by GCIP will next work with the key MHUUC officials who participated in the training to identify a live project that requires business case development. The 5CM experts will then support MHUUC to apply their training to the development of this business case, ensuring that their learning finds real-world applications.

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The UK’s Green Cities and Infrastructure Programme is tackling climate change and extreme poverty by accelerating the delivery of sustainable green cities and climate-resilient infrastructure.