How Chile involves all levels of government when planning infrastructure

Setting up a national infrastructure plan is not an easy task.

National and regional governments have different priorities that can be challenging to coordinate.

This year, Chile is set to introduce the National Public Infrastructure Plan that includes all levels of government.

The plan aims to help shift control to regional governments, improve transparency between regions, and streamline the delivery of infrastructure projects.

At a recent EBI Live event, Ignacio Araya Areyuna joined us from Chile's Ministry of Public Works to discuss how Chile coordinates regional planning to deliver its long-term national aims.

This involves creating a clear vision that all levels of government and the public can get behind, which embodies principle 1 of the Enabling Better Infrastructure guidance.

Working across the government to strengthen planning

Chile uses a combined bottom-up and top-down approach to engage with all levels of government.

A bottom-up approach allows regional governments to suggest policies that reflect their area's geographic, economic, and social diversity.

A top-down approach identifies how much the national government should invest in infrastructure to promote economic growth across the country.

To support the top-down approach, Chile has identified 30 indicators related to infrastructure, such as water, transport, and health.

These help the government determine how much money should be given to a specific region, depending on its infrastructure needs.

A combination of the two approaches helps target investment to achieve the right social, environmental and economic outcomes.

Using past data to identify common interests

To strengthen the national plan, Chile began looking at past plans and what it could improve.

The government had access to an inventory of over 90 plans from past governments at the regional and national levels.

It analysed all plans and identified areas for further work.

Conversations at national and regional levels then ensured the government could consider and meet the most pressing needs.

This helped national and regional governments find topics of interest that they have in common.

From there, it was easier to speak to all levels of government to create a common vision for the country.

Resolving issues by thinking ahead

Establishing a clear vision for everyone to agree on can be challenging, especially when there are ongoing issues of trust between communities and governments.

One way to resolve this is by demonstrating that regional interests and views are being considered at the national scale.

Consulting locals

For example, Chile is planning to include topics relevant to regional governments and communities in its 30-year national plan.

A key topic is territorial development, where the national government works with local and regional governments to improve infrastructure across the country.

To ensure all interests are considered, Chile holds many consultations with regional communities.

Distributing investment

Regions also face financial inequality, leading some to have more infrastructure systems in place than others.

To address this, Chile is changing the way that money is distributed across the country.

For example, long-term contracts between regional and national governments have helped promote investment in rural areas.

Leading the way for other countries

Chile has shown that even when facing challenges, it’s still possible to find solutions.

It has found a way to identify a clear vision that will help strengthen its national plan.

This will help Chile work towards the best economic, social, and environmental outcomes for the entire country.

As a leader in regional planning, Chile’s practices can also support other countries with multi-level governments that struggle to set a clear vision for infrastructure.