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Enabling Better Infrastructure

The Enabling Better Infrastructure (EBI) programme, convened by the ICE, brings together independent specialists with deep, wide-ranging experience to support governments in putting best practice principles for strengthening strategic infrastructure planning into practice.

Planning infrastructure strategically to meet people’s needs.

Enabling Better Infrastructure guidance is structured around:

  • The 2019 Enabling Better Infrastructure report which established a conceptual framework, grounded in global best practice, on how governments could enable better strategic infrastructure planning.
  • Eight principles which set out all the key inputs governments need to consider when creating a strategic planning process.
  • An easy-to-follow three-step process which helps governments develop an infrastructure strategy and shows how other countries have done it.
  • Strategic planning gap assessment tool – This gap assessment tool allows countries to benchmark themselves against best practice in the areas of strategic infrastructure governance, regulation, data acquisition and use.
  • Case studies and other examples that outline where countries have embodied the eight principles and the three-step process. The case studies also provide the supporting guidance countries can draw on when following the three-step process.

EBI 8 principles

These eight principles set out all the key inputs governments need to consider when creating a strategic planning process.

Click to see how other countries are using the EBI principles as part of their strategic infrastructure planning.

P1

Create a clear vision

P2

Use the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to identify outcomes

P3

Draw on a range of infrastructure options

P4

Scope ahead to drive success

P5

Refine cost-benefit analyses

P6

Use affordability to ruthlessly prioritise projects

P7

Establish relationships for long-term change

P8

Create structures for the meaningful use of data

3-step process

The three-step process helps governments develop an infrastructure strategy.

Define national needs (public, stakeholders, infrastructure, other)
  • South Africa developed its National Development Plan (NDP) to define its national needs (infrastructure, social and economic). The NDP formed South Africa’s first step in creating an infrastructure strategy.
  • Curaçao used the National Infrastructure Systems Model (NISMOD) to define the country’s national infrastructure needs including key requirements for energy, water and solid waste. NISMOD not only identified what Curaçao’s needs were, but also how they could be delivered on.
  • Malaysia’s national development plan outlines its long-term infrastructure needs. Malaysia produces a development plan every four years to ensure it is delivering on its most pressing needs.
Establish country-specific factors
  • South Africa acknowledged its country-specific infrastructure considerations in its National Development Plan (NDP). The NDP outlined the country’s infrastructure challenges and the steps needed to address them.
  • The Netherlands used a Multi-Year Programme for Infrastructure, Spatial Planning and Transport (MIRT) to set out key recommendations for overcoming its constrained supply of land, which was identified as a key risk to infrastructure planning and implementation.
  • Hong Kong re-defined its long-term infrastructure objectives, shifting from poverty reduction and improving basic services to enhancing environmental sustainability.
Map interdependencies between infrastructure networks
  • New Zealand used its National Vulnerability Assessment to map the country’s infrastructure independencies. All critical infrastructure networks and linkages were identified, and clear steps were set out to boost resilience across all infrastructure networks.
  • Turkana County, Kenya, mapped interdependencies between infrastructure networks using Capacity Assessment Tool for Infrastructure (CAT-I), creating a starting point for breaking down sectoral silos in the infrastructure planning process.
Factor in outcomes and what other supporting measures are needed
  • Nepal identified the need to boost human capacity to rebuild infrastructure after the country’s 2015 earthquake.
Review the relevance of existing objectives
Incorporate country-specific considerations (politics, geography, economy)
  • Malaysia recognises its evolving country-specific considerations as part of its national development programme. Regularly reviewing country-specific factors ensures long-term social, economic and environmental needs are met.
Use the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals as a supporting framework
  • Curaçao used the UN SDGs as a framework to develop its national infrastructure strategy. Curaçao set out a package of investments to help address its infrastructure needs.
  • Hong Kong used the UN SDGs to maximise the social value of its infrastructure. This involved aligning infrastructure priorities with the UN SDGs to enhance the sustainability of cities and communities.
  • Singapore conduced a voluntary review on its progress to achieving the UN SDGs. The review helped the country understand what further actions were required to meet the 2030 UN SDG target.
Identify a measure of affordability
  • The UK uses a fiscal remit to prioritise major infrastructure projects. Using a fiscal remit ensures infrastructure is funded with financial sustainability in mind.
Use affordability measures to consider fiscal and budgetary concerns
  • Taiwan's National Development Council calculated the affordability of infrastructure to help decide which large infrastructure projects were funded.
Identify revised strategic objectives
  • The UK’s National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) assessed the needs of the economy, infrastructure and society in the UK’s national infrastructure assessment. The needs outlined in the assessment were reviewed and refined in its second iteration.

Assess the needs of stakeholders, infrastructure, and the economy
  • New Zealand assessed its infrastructure needs to boost social outcomes, including understanding what was needed to strengthen its circular economy and disaster risk management.
  • The UK’s National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) assessed the needs of the economy, infrastructure and society in the UK’s national infrastructure assessment. The assessment included multi-factor and cross-sectoral review.
  • Saint Lucia used its National Infrastructure Assessment to identify pressing social needs, including what is needed to enhance resilience to natural hazards.
Assess the performance of current infrastructure to identify gaps
  • Egypt conducted a gap analysis to understand where investment was needed in its transport network.
  • The UK assessed the condition of its infrastructure assets. The outcome, which identified key gaps, allowed the country to maximise the social, environmental, and economic value of infrastructure services.
  • Australia assessed the performance of its current infrastructure assets by carrying out an Infrastructure Audit. Conducted every 5 years, the audit boosts the effectiveness of infrastructure services provided across its sectors.
Take account of local of regional strategies
Take account of options for addressing gaps
  • Australia assessed its infrastructure service needs, which unlocked a wide range of options addressing infrastructure gaps. Wherever possible, the country follows a ‘do minimum’ best case.
Consider no-build, retrofit and repurposing options
  • France repurposed part of its road network during the Covid-19 pandemic to meet its evolving infrastructure needs allowing the country to make its roads more accessible to cyclists and pedestrians.
Consider co-ordination with subnational or sectoral plans
Complete a final assessment and set a baseline
  • The UK’s needs assessment, led by its National Infrastructure Commission (NIC), set a baseline for the country's national infrastructure strategy.

Define a national approach to developing a strategy
  • New Zealand set up a systematic framework for developing its infrastructure strategy. The framework outlined key responsibilities for the government and New Zealand Infrastructure Commission to boost accountability.
Assess costs and benefits
  • UK developed a green book to assess the costs and benefits of infrastructure projects, providing an objective basis to support decision making. Valuation includes land use, infrastructure assets, natural capital and travel time.
  • Norway developed guidelines to assess the costs and benefits of all public measures, including infrastructure.
Consider funding or financing options
  • Before the war, the Ukrainian government worked with an external finance organisation to understand its financing options to build and modernise its seaports. The methodology used was earmarked for forty other critical infrastructure projects.
  • Guinea-Bissau used its needs assessment to attract external financing for infrastructure.
  • Taiwan used its Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Programme to assess the country's funding and financing options for infrastructure. The programme took into account eight key infrastructure sectors.
Consider capacity, skills, and training needs
  • The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) helps governments to develop infrastructure strategies using its Capacity Assessment Tool for Infrastructure (CAT-I). CAT-I helps governments plan, deliver and manage their infrastructure systems.
Outline milestones and data needed for evaluating success, with clear feedback loops to inform future planning
  • Wales used the UN SDG-led wellness goals as a key milestone for measuring progress made on infrastructure objectives. The country has six wellness goals, with a focus on resilience, social wellbeing, inclusion and prosperity.
Identify risks to implementation, including any financing, technical and delivery bottlenecks
Develop the strategy
  • South Africa used its National Development Plan (NDP) to develop a long-term infrastructure strategy to deliver on its socio-economic needs.
  • New Zealand developed an infrastructure strategy to provide long-term direction on how to overcome periods of infrastructure disinvestment and cost pressures.
  • The UK developed a National Infrastructure Strategy (NIS) to provide clarity on the steps required to deliver on its infrastructure needs. The NIS outlined key investment targets to ensure the UK delivers on its infrastructure targets.
Consult on the strategy
  • Norway created opportunities for gathering insights from a range of external stakeholders on the selection and appraisal of transport projects.
Embed use of strategy across departments, agencies and bodies
  • St Lucia set up the National Integrated Planning and Programme Unit (NIPP) to embed the country’s infrastructure strategy across departments, agencies and bodies, where it helped to co-ordinate the delivery of infrastructure.
  • Australia used a regional and international Infrastructure Bodies (I-Bodies) forum to embed strategic planning across its various departments and agencies supporting a long-term approach to infrastructure planning.

EBI in action

Our bank of examples outline where countries have embodied the EBI 8 principles and the three-step process. The examples also provide the supporting guidance countries can draw on when following the three-step process.

Identify funding and financing opportunities
  • Austria set up environmental standards to attract private investment in its renewable energy.
  • Ecuador considered the range of funding and financing opportunities available for addressing its rising demand for water.
Identify sustainability measures
  • Curaçao identified the UN SDGs as a baseline for the country’s infrastructure strategy, allowing the country to maximise the social value of its infrastructure services.
Assess all socio-economic costs and benefits of investments, including negative implications and costs
  • The UK’s wider economic appraisal for transport helps to identify the costs and benefits of investments as part of the wider economy. The appraisal includes productivity gains, business connectivity, employee and structural shifts.
Consider short and long-term affordability, including taxation and user charges
  • Singapore uses a fare adjustment formula to calculate transport user charges to inform the long-term affordability of its infrastructure.

Create opportunities for gathering insights
  • France incorporated public participation in the development of major infrastructure projects by setting up an independent body responsible for overseeing public involvement.
  • Norway created opportunities for gathering insights from a range of external stakeholders on the selection and appraisal of transport projects.
  • The Queensland Government, Australia, developed the Community Engagement Toolkit to establish opportunities for communities to input into infrastructure decision making. Using the toolkit helped to ensure community voices were heard in the strategic planning process.
Engage outside stakeholder groups
  • Canada used the Building the Canada We Want in 2050 initiative to engage a wide range of stakeholders in the development of its first independent National Infrastructure Assessment.
  • The UK’s National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) engaged external stakeholders to discuss its second National Infrastructure Assessment (NIA2). Experts from the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) were invited to share their insights on the NIA2 prior to its release.
  • Chile set up the National Corporation for Indigenous Development (CONAD) to encourage indigenous communities to engage in policy and legislative processes that shape future plans for infrastructure.
Gain clarity on which outside stakeholders to include
  • Canada identified all stakeholders have something to offer when strategically planning infrastructure. To inform the development of its first infrastructure assessment, Canada used the Building the Canada We Want in 2050 initiative to gather insights.
Develop private-sector guidance
  • Cambodia strengthened private sector investment in infrastructure by setting up a public-private partnership unit and supporting legal and regulatory policy.
  • Peru set up ProInversion (Agencia de Promoción de la Inversión Privada) for structuring public-private partnerships for financing infrastructure. Taking a more streamlined approach helped the country to deliver on its national needs.
  • The UAE established new laws, codes, and standards to mobilise private sector support for infrastructure projects. This formed a key goal part of the country’s Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MOID) Strategic Plan.

Identify where new laws or other forms of regulation need to be put in place
  • Cambodia identified where new regulation was needed to streamline investment from the private sector, resulting in laws to help set up public-private partnerships.
  • The Netherlands uses the Multi-Year Programme for Infrastructure, Spatial Planning and Transport (MIRT) to bring together national and regional government departments to find common solutions to specific problems which involves setting up new regulations or laws to streamline implementation.
  • Brazil identified where new regulation was needed to improve its infrastructure planning process. Using the United Nations Office for Project Services’ (UNOPS) Capacity Assessment Tool for Infrastructure (CAT-I), it recognised the need to create legislation to limit the impact of politics on infrastructure development plans.
Consider which contract forms to use
  • Hong Kong has approved New Engineering Contract (NEC) as the preferred contract for implementing major infrastructure projects where the use of the contract supports the consistent management and delivery of infrastructure.

Enhance data-quality for decision making and informing subsequent interactions
  • Hong Kong draws on data from different assets, stakeholders and networks as part of its collaborative approach to strategic infrastructure planning, aiding decision making.
  • Afghanistan’s integrated digital infrastructure into its long-term planning process to enhance connectivity. As part of its Digital Silk Road initiative, it prioritised investment into digital infrastructure to improve regional knowledge sharing and collaboration.
  • Singapore set up a Smart National Group to improve its digital infrastructure services. The group is responsible for guiding the development of its digital resources to boost national empowerment and inclusion.
Consider less resource-intensive options where needed
  • Malawi set up an information platform outlining publicly relevant information on infrastructure. To boost awareness, the platform was advertised by radio to help spread the word to all Malawians.
Consider data protection and cyber security
  • Singapore set up a Smart National Group to improve its digital infrastructure services, including setting up structures to improve its cyber security.

Decide on measures of success
  • Wales developed wellness goals as a baseline for measuring progress made on infrastructure. The country has six wellness goals, with a focus on resilience, social wellbeing, inclusion and prosperity.
Identify opportunities for incorporating independent review
  • New Zealand used independent review to boost the transparency of public infrastructure projects encouraging the country to make infrastructure documents more accessible to the public.
  • Infrastructure Australia was set up as an independent body to review infrastructure proposals to ensure they meet the national vison for infrastructure in Australia and include social and environmental outcomes.
Use benchmarking or other assessments to track progress
  • Global Infrastructure Hub’s (GIH) InfraCompass provides a benchmarking tool for G20 countries to assess the strength of their enabling environments for strategically planning infrastructure.
  • Global Infrastructure Hub’s (GIH) InfraTracker allows G20 countries to compare their public investment in infrastructure across transport, water, non-renewable, among others.
Consult stakeholders on outcomes/progress
  • Canada consulted infrastructure professionals on its infrastructure planning process using the Building the Canada We Want in 2050 initiative. Inputs part of the initiative helped to shape Canada’s first National Infrastructure Assessment (NIA).
  • The UK’s National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) incorporated inputs from the Institution of Civil Engineers and on the development of the country’s second National Infrastructure Assessment (NIA2).
Review outcomes against measures put in place
  • The UK’s National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) reviewed the outcomes of its first National Infrastructure Assessment (NIA1) to inform the development of the second iteration, which included a renewed focus on net zero, climate and environmental resilience and levelling up.
  • India used the UN SDGs to measure its progress on meeting infrastructure needs. By publishing an index and dashboard, actions taken by each state to achieve the UN SDGs was outlined.
Build feedback loops into programmes for gathering and using data
  • The UK’s National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) uses data on infrastructure to feed into its ongoing national needs assessment process.

Strategic planning gap assessment tool

This gap assessment tool allows countries to benchmark themselves against best practice in the areas of strategic infrastructure governance, regulation, data acquisition and use.

Download and use the tool to assess your country’s performance and identify what areas need to be strengthened.

Download the tool

Support for policy and decision makers

The EBI programme provides ongoing support to senior government representatives and non-government stakeholders around the world to help them upgrade how they strategically plan their infrastructure.

This includes:

  • Collaborative network for insight sharing
    A learning and sharing network for senior government officials who want to put the EBI 8 principles into practice to strengthen their strategic infrastructure.
  • Events on upgrading strategic planning
    Insights from government and non-government stakeholders on how they developed their country-level strategic infrastructure plans.
  • Policy workshops to support the use of all the tools part of the EBI guidance
    Information sessions on how to use the EBI 8 Principles, three-step process, and strategic gap assessment tool.

Get in touch

Our policy team works to help inform strategic decision-making on national infrastructure.

Get in touch to find out more about the programme, or be part of the programme.