This course aims to provide a clear conceptual
understanding of the financial services and products that are required
to address the complexities of urban settlement development and to
provide a set of practical tools for use by practitioners who have the
responsibility for financially packaging and implementing home
improvement programmes and settlement upgrading projects. There will
also be a chance to become familiar with some of the new institutional
developments that are taking place including focussed capacity building
and systems development.
Improving the lives of slum dwellers is a major objective
of the Millennium Development Goals, and a critical component of
ensuring a sustainable and equitable future for us all. Policies to
address urban poverty and to enable the upgrading of informal, slum and
low-income settlements, and, where necessary, resettlement, are an
important step in addressing these important challenges. However,
little can be achieved if practical mechanisms to finance the
development needed are not identified, understood and applied by the
key stakeholders involved.
Financing mechanisms need to be able to address not just
small-scale one-off projects but the longer term scaling up of
solutions that are both acceptable and affordable within the context of
developing country realities. Micro Finance is beginning to fill some
of the existing gaps, especially with regard to loans for individual
home improvement. However the range of financing required to address
major settlement upgrading and resettlement is far more diverse and
there is a major financing gap that needs to be addressed. This short
course has been designed to help practitioners to bridge that gap.
The programme has been developed by the Development Planning Unit, in close collaboration with Homeless International and Happold Consulting. Both of these agencies have extensive experience of slum and settlement upgrading initiatives.Participants will therefore have a rare opportunity to learn with a resource group of experts and peers, and to build an effective network for future support and exchange.
The training programme will be anchored in a number of
case studies and exercises that will be used to explore the continuum
of financing for slum and settlement upgrading, and to apply a
comprehensive range of financial analysis, planning and monitoring
tools. The sessions will cover forms of finance, the application of
financial management tools, presentations by visiting speakers,
assignment work, Excel “clinics”, and opportunities for peer to peer
learning. The first week will focus on planning and preparation. The
second week will focus on implementation, including the production of a
detailed project and/or programme financing proposal.
The course has been designed for practitioners working on
housing, settlement & slum upgrading programmes & projects in
local authorities, NGOs, donor agencies, Micro Finance Institutions,
banks and other financial institutions. Practitioners should have a
background in housing, slum upgrading, urban development or other
relevant field. Participants will need to have good basic Excel skills
and be fluent in English. English language qualifications such as an
IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 6 in each subtest or a paper TOEFL
score of 580 plus 4 in written English (TWE) are acceptable. Details of
other relevant English language qualifications can be obtained from the
Development Planning Unit administration office. Participants are
advised to bring their own working laptop.
By the end of the course each participant will have
developed a comprehensive financial proposal in response to a specific
slum or settlement upgrading scenario, and will have had the
opportunity to have this proposal assessed and responded to by an
experienced and competent jury. In addition participants will:
- Understand the continuum of forms of finance required for slum and settlement upgrading
- Have the capacity to assemble the legal architecture required for financing project and programme loans
- Be able to use the following tools competently:
- Project and programme costing and budgets
- Project & programme cash flow projection
- Loan repayment calculation & affordability analysis
- Project viability & sensitivity analysis
- Project Implementation Plan (PIP)
- Loan Guarantee Agreements
- Build Operate Transfer (BOT) agreements
- Clear outline of legal architecture for loan extension
- Arrangement for contractor’s bond
- Risk analysis and risk mitigation & management plan.
- Have developed the necessary communication & documentation skills to facilitate financing arrangements including bank loan and guarantee agreements.
is an urban planner with experience of working on
community-led housing, as well as a long standing Board member of
Homeless International and Chair of their Financial Services Group.
is a senior teaching fellow at DPU and has worked in
urban finance for more than 25 years, including development of the
Community-Led Infrastructure Finance Facility and UN HABITAT’s Slum
Upgrading Facility.
Larry English
is the Chief Executive of Homeless International. An architect and urban designer, he was previously Director for Programme Development at Habitat for Humanity International, and has taught at the universities of Natal, Witwatersrand, Pretoria and is at Eastern University, Pennsylvania.
Raja Shankar
is the Head of Economics and Business Consulting at Happold Consulting International, with experience both in international development and management consulting.
Course fees
The Course fee is £2300. The fee covers the cost of all
tuition and basic course costs, including a field visit. Participants
should allow approximately £900 for 2 weeks to cover the cost of living
and local travel in London.
Application process
In order to apply for the training programme you must send us all of the following documentation:
1. One application form fully completed.
The application form can either be downloaded clicking here or be requested from the DPU administration office
2. One copy of your latest Curriculum Vitae (CV)
3. One confidential work reference letter
4. Payment: If paying by electronic transfer then please contact the DPU for details.
If paying by cheque then please make it out to University College London.
Please send the completed application and the relevant documents to:
The Programme Administrator
The Development Planning Unit
University College London
34 Tavistock Square
London WC1H 9EZ
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7679 1111
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7679 1112
Email: dpu@ucl.ac.uk