İLBANK, a Turkish state-owned development and investment bank, has awarded to EPTISA a new contract to carry out diagnostic and needs assessment studies for the selected metropolitan municipalities and their affiliated utilities as the main assignment of “Baseline Diagnostic Studies for the Selected MMs” project.
This project, financed by World Bank, constitutively identifies spatial, environmental, and financial planning instruments which are part of a comprehensive and integrated planning process that would move cities along a sustainable spectrum from planned to healthy, and finally to smart cities. Accordingly, the main objective of this project is to support the sustainability of some provinces in Turkey.
Eptisa will complete and deliver six tasks, which include a Sustainability Framework, Diagnostic Assessment, Needs Assessment, Diagnostic Assessment of Utilities, Activity Design Study and Preparation of Template for Terms of Reference.

The assigned tasks are expected to be finalized in 6 months and with the completion of these assignments, the following outcomes are expected to be achieved:

• Structured framework and sustainability indicators to assess and monitor sustainability level of metropolitan municipalities;
• Defined pathway for the selected metropolitan municipalities to a more sustainable and integrated city planning and management;
• Identification of priority areas and key entry points that consider the unique status of each participating municipality and can serve as a catalyst to respond to emerging growth pressures for sustainable development practices;
• A clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of current utility operation, and identification of priority areas for improvements;
• Activity Design recommending an integrated approach and related specific studies and activities to improve the planning and technical capacity of each Metropolitan Municipality.