The ICE-led Enabling Better Infrastructure (EBI) programme gathered international experts to peer-review New Zealand’s assessment framework for infrastructure projects.
The Enabling Better Infrastructure (EBI) programme works with governments worldwide to strengthen how they plan and prioritise infrastructure.
Earlier this year, the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission (NZIC) approached the EBI team to peer-review a new framework for prioritising infrastructure projects.
Designed to assess infrastructure proposals consistently and transparently, the framework will help deliver the infrastructure New Zealand needs.
The team put NZIC in touch with international EBI specialists to provide insight on an interim version of the framework.
Their recommendations helped NZIC refine the final framework, which they published on 28 August 2024.
About the framework
The framework has been produced as part of New Zealand's Infrastructure Priorities Programme.
It sets out all the conditions that projects need to meet to be added to the infrastructure priority list in New Zealand.
This will help the New Zealand government meet its infrastructure objectives according to its national infrastructure strategy.
EBI specialists’ input into the final framework marked yet another milestone for the ICE-led programme, demonstrating its value to national governments.
Setting up dialogue for insight sharing
The EBI programme promotes insight-sharing to help governments strengthen how they plan and prioritise infrastructure.
The EBI team sets up virtual sessions to put governments around the world in touch with our global network of specialists, setting up two-way insight exchange.
These conversations support governments in answering:
- What projects should we prioritise and when?
- How should we assess needs?
- How should we pay for infrastructure?
- How can we incorporate sustainability?
Refining and strengthening policy
On behalf of NZIC, the EBI team asked experts to address specific questions and help the commission refine the assessment framework.
Discussions focused on:
- Refining the framework to consider the outcomes and implications of projects.
- Encouraging the use of higher-quality data to ensure projects meet needs.
NZIC has released these insights as an evidence report on the NZIC website alongside the final framework.
Creating impact
Dialogue with NZIC supported two-way insight exchange, enabled the programme to learn more about the New Zealand context and its specific challenges when it comes to planning and delivering infrastructure.
The EBI programme added value by:
- Enabling the NZIC to ask specific questions relevant to their aims.
- Facilitating deep conversation on key topics and themes.
- Helping refine national policy in line with international best practice.
Due to the success of the dialogues, the EBI team and NZIC have run further sessions to strengthen long-term planning in New Zealand.
Find out more about the EBI programme, including the eight principles for driving purpose, certainty, and pace in strategic infrastructure planning.
