With generous funding (US$25m over 5 years), the project was designed to provide a substantial boost to the GDLN in the East Asia Pacific region. A cutting-edge facility in Tokyo together with a strong capacity building program in the region and content and partnership development in Japan were key components. A key outcome of the capacity building efforts was the emergence of a new regional organization, GDLN Asia Pacific.
Colin Lonergan facilitated the negotiation of the Knowledge Partnership between the World Bank and the Government of Japan which resulted in the creation of the Tokyo Development Learning Center (TDLC) and a set of activities designed to raise the performance of the GDLN in the East Asia and Pacific region. He prepared the design documentation, recruited staff and oversaw the establishment and running of the project for two years.
Ravi Corea oversaw the preparation of business plans for the TDLC project and developed the strategy now in place to ensure the TDLC as well as the regional GDLN becomes financially sustainable. He facilitated the design of a new network organization and business processes to ensure a truly cohesive regional network - GDLN Asia Pacific and guided its implementation.