The tool helping Kuwait and Wales improve their infrastructure plans

Many countries around the world struggle to develop or update their national infrastructure plans.

Often, this is because governments are uncertain where to start or what to focus on.

To help with this, the Enabling Better Infrastructure Programme (EBI) has developed a strategic planning gap assessment tool.

It aids countries in assessing their strengths and identify areas for improvement.

The tool provides clarity on three areas:

1. How countries compare to one another when it comes to strategic infrastructure planning.
2. Where governments can start using EBI guidance and how they can benefit.
3. A country’s direction of travel and next steps towards setting up a strategic planning process.

To do this, the tool includes 11 questions for countries to consider when assessing their progress.

The EBI team recently used the tool to help Kuwaiti and Welsh stakeholders guide their infrastructure planning. This included ICE members, government officials, and academia.

Below are the key takeaways.

Using the tool to discuss infrastructure priorities

Kuwait

Kuwait has already set up a long-term national plan called Vision 2035.

The plan has even adopted the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), which the EBI programme use as an example of good practice and are part of EBI guidance.

Even though Kuwait’s plan is on the right track, the tool has helped Kuwaiti stakeholders identify areas for improvement.

Stakeholders highlighted that planning should be prioritised more to meet the needs of the people.

Financing for infrastructure maintenance should also be secured early on.

To achieve this, government departments need to work more closely and increase communication.

Looking ahead, Kuwait could use more support to develop plans across its ministries. This includes learning from other countries.

Wales

Wales has been a leader in strategic infrastructure planning.

In 2015, it became the first country in the world to include the UN SDGs into national legislation through the Well-being of Future Generations Act.

This act makes policymakers legally responsible for improving Wales's social, economic, environmental, and cultural wellbeing.

Welsh stakeholders highlighted the Five Case Model as another key success.

This model asks five questions to help public sector officials improve their decision-making when it comes to spending proposals and business decisions.

It covers five areas: strategy, economy, commerce, finance and management.

How the EBI tool helped Wales

Like Kuwait, Wales used the tool to find ways to improve its strategic infrastructure planning.

To start, the non-monetary benefits of infrastructure can be factored in more strongly.

For example, investing in infrastructure for active travel (e.g., cycling, public transport) could boost connectivity between places and support socioeconomic development.

The need for better communication and planning across sectors was also raised as an area for improvement.

Lastly, more focus should be given to collecting data and evidence to better influence infrastructure decision-makers.

The tool was also used to identify Wales’s next steps. This included:

• learning from other countries on how to bring sectors together; and
• developing one clear infrastructure pipeline to address needs.

Drawing on the EBI programme to address next steps

All countries are at different stages of infrastructure planning.

The tool helped both countries develop their strategic infrastructure plans and refine their approaches over time.

The EBI programme can further help them to take the next step in their strategic planning journey.

EBI events and case studies can help Kuwaiti officials learn from other countries who are able to share best practices in strategic planning.

In Wales, influential stakeholders can use the EBI guidance to help them create a clearer vision for infrastructure and encourage all sectors to buy-in.

In particular, they could use principle 1, on setting a national vision, and 7, on establishing relationships.