Since 2020, Gleeds, alongside delivery partners Mace, Arup, AECOM and Currie & Brown, has supported three major government-to-government (G2G) programmes in Peru: Peru Reconstruction, Bicentennial Schools and Complex Hospitals. This model, increasingly referred to as UK Infrastructure Partnership, involves the UK Government formally partnering with another government to provide technical, commercial and project expertise, enabling enhanced delivery of public infrastructure.

Recently Gleeds welcomed the opportunity to share insights from these programmes with countries from across Latin America and the Caribbean (LATAC) at the inaugural LATAC–UK Infrastructure Forum. The aim? To help build a broader understanding of this delivery model, and crucially, what lessons other LATAC countries can learn from Peru’s journey.

The challenge

Quality infrastructure is the backbone of a thriving economy. When built with resilience, sustainability and inclusivity in mind, it brings lasting social and economic value for everyone, produces long-term prosperity and creates the conditions to transition towards a resource-efficient, sustainable economy. Yet across many markets, including LATAC, delivery remains constrained. Investment gaps, outdated procurement frameworks and limited institutional capacity continue to hinder the pace, quality and long-term benefits of infrastructure outcomes.

Delivering tangible results

By delivering under a G2G model, Gleeds and our partners have helped Peru tackle these challenges and emerge as a leading case study in infrastructure transformation in LATAC. The G2G approach does this by introducing a fundamentally different delivery model; one that combines funding, international technical expertise, structured governance, and embedded knowledge transfer. This blend of UK assistance has produced more resilient and inclusive infrastructure, helping close the services gap, and contributing to sustainable economic growth.

The Peru Reconstruction Impact Evaluation Report, developed by the UK Delivery Team (comprising Mace, Arup and Gleeds), provides one of the most detailed and empirical assessments to date of the impact of the G2G model. Infrastructure has been delivered significantly faster, with schools and healthcare facilities built two to three times faster than traditional approaches. The international-standard infrastructure has also led to enhanced outcomes for users, with 81% reporting better access to healthcare and 95% noting increased pupil motivation. Beyond speed and quality, the broader economic and societal benefits are substantial; with the programme set to generate over US$1 billion in construction-related economic activity, while integrated flood solution projects are expected to prevent up to US$23 billion in damages by 2030.

Beyond replication to adaptation: applying the model in other markets

Despite Peru’s progress, it would be remiss to suggest that low and middle income countries simply ‘lift and shift’ this approach. Future success will depend on going beyond replication, and towards refinement and, crucially, adaptation to the unique conditions of the country or region in question.

Drawing on Gleeds’ experience, several key lessons emerge:

  • Align the wider ecosystem: the surrounding ecosystem must evolve in parallel. Legal frameworks, procurement regulations and approval processes need to be aligned to enable the pace and flexibility required to deliver effectively.

  • Foster a cultural shift: bringing in international expertise is as much about culture as it is technical capability. It requires openness to different ways of working, a willingness to collaborate across organisational and national boundaries, and the ability to adapt to new perspectives.

  • Tailor the delivery system to the client’s unique objectives: programme delivery is not a ‘one size fits all’ approach. No two clients have the same pressures, and no two projects share the same constraints. Invest time upfront to understand the unique context of the project; including the client’s priorities, constraints and operating environment.

  • Risk allocation is the heart of good procurement: use balanced, internationally recognised forms of contract, which are fair, familiar, and transparent to attract the best contractors and mitigate disputes.

  • Adopt the right behaviours throughout contract execution: success is not defined at contract award, but in how projects are delivered. Maintaining the principles of collaboration, transparency and risk management during execution is critical and often determines whether a project succeeds or fails.

  • Plan for long-term performance: equal emphasis must be placed on operation and maintenance. The success of infrastructure is defined not at the point of delivery, but by how effectively it performs over its lifecycle.

Ultimately, to achieve continued success, global markets must go beyond replicating Peru’s journey and further refine the G2G approach. This requires stronger bilateral collaboration to learn from insights gained so far, alongside tailoring the model to local contexts. Critically, success depends on markets being both willing and able: willing to embrace new ways of working and external expertise, and able to align the wider ecosystem to support effective delivery.

With these elements in place, the G2G approach can move from a successful case study to a scalable model for infrastructure transformation.