The Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP), together with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP), and the Asia Pacific Road Safety Observatory (APRSO), has won the 2023 Prince Michael International Road Safety Award, for their joint Road Safety Capacity Building Programme (RSCBP).

This innovative capacity-building programme focused on building road safety capacity and technical knowledge among professionals in LMICs. In particular, the RSCBP concentrated on embedding evidence-based road safety interventions into transport projects, and on the development of ‘system-based’ road safety projects.

The RSCBP was purposefully designed to engage participants in a series of linked capacity-building engagements to develop technical knowledge relating to the key road safety areas of focus and to translate this technical know-how into practical approaches that can be implemented to address road crash death and serious injury. The programme design aligned directly to the key pillars of action outlined in the Decade of Action 2011 – 2020 and the recommended actions of the Decade of Action 2021 – 2030. The topics of road safety management, safer road users and safer roads and roadside infrastructure are represented in both global plans and this training programme is structured to address the requirement to build capacity in these areas.

The RSCBP engaged participants through a combined learning approach involving online webinars and a dedicated online practical activity. The first approach provided key knowledge-sharing opportunities, whilst the second allowed participants to complete a relevant task, submit it for review, and then engage in specific sessions with expert facilitators to discuss common challenges and opportunities.

The RSCBP engaged more than 1,500 participants from over 50 countries drawn from government, non-governmental organizations, development banks and academic institutions, thus achieving a significant level of impact in building knowledge and capacity to directly address the Global Plan of Action for Road Safety and to build a strong community of practice across Asia and the Pacific.

“This is a fantastic recognition not only of the importance of sharing applicable best practice knowledge to practitioners but also of the power of partnerships”, said Blaise Murphet, GRSP Programme Manager upon receiving the 2023 Prince Michael International Road Safety Award. And added, “The collaboration between GRSP, ADB, and iRAP was integral to the success of this important ongoing initiative. I would also like to recognize the key involvement, expertise, and local knowledge of the APRSO in shaping and delivering the programme.”