Every city – according to their history and level of decentralisation – varies in terms of urban development, management and institutional and regulatory frameworks.
To cater for the unique characteristics of different cities, Groupe Huit's approaches, methods and recommendations are always tailored to local conditions.
Planning and development can drive and support long-term urban and regional transformations in a sustainable way. It allows for a number of needs to be met, as per defined by local public authorities and other stakeholders.
Groupe Huit advises public bodies and donors on new strategies for urban organisation, management and development and provides support at every stage of the project, through realistic, local tailored solutions that are in line with the aspirations of the different actors involved.

The development and set-up of urban and regional projects is a process that requires both an analytical assessment of the local context and stakes, the identification of priority needs from a socio-economic, environmental and urban management perspectives, as well as the associated risks.
Groupe Huit brings its knowledge and its 50 years of worldwide experience into the development and set-up of regional and urban projects throughout their whole lifecycles. We work with public and private actors to identify levers for inclusive and sustainable development to improve quality of living for as many people as possible.

Groupe Huit intervenes in all design stages (from feasibility to procurement), assisting public authorities and donors in the preparation and implementation of urban projects. We conduct these assignments as close to our clients as possible, to ensure a sound understanding of the local challenges and the specifics of each project.
Supervision phases are also an important part of our missions as they help to ensure the quality of urban structures and compliance with budgetary and financial constraints. Groupe Huit can provide rigorous monitoring to reduce the project’s associated risks and ensure a successful implementation.

To ensure a smooth project execution, Groupe Huit provides technical assistance to its clients to help and support them in the day-to-day implementation of their projects. We provide permanent or part-time staff depending on the scope of the assignment. Our wide range of skills cover the entire project cycle:

• Strategic definition
  
• Project identification and preparation
• Implementation - design, procurement and supervision 
• Evaluation

Cities and regions are organised and managed by networks of operators who control and regulate people’s access to services. In emerging cities and regions, this management is often hindered by a lack of financial, human and technical means and resources.

By providing ad-hoc support and through the use of appropriate tools and approaches, we can guide local powers on the improvement of urban management and the capacity building of local institutions responsible for building city fabric, in a durable way.

Groupe Huit intervenes at every stage of the capacity building process, and in particular at two crucial moments:

• Dialogue and public consultation: developing specific tools and methods to actively engage all stakeholders
• Development and implementation of capacity building programs and specific actions to foster long-term solutions with impacts that last beyond the project implementation phase

With a solid experience in urban projects, Groupe Huit is often commissioned to evaluate projects and studies at their various stages of development and implementation: ex-ante, ex-post, and also midterm evaluations.

To deliver objective and high-quality work, Groupe Huit develops, for each evaluation assignment, an analysis grid that scan the different components of the project (institutional, social, technical, economic, etc.) based on the DAC/OECD criteria but also in regard to the specific objectives of the evaluation.