Dolan, T; (2017) A Systemic, Purposeful, Performance-led and Outcome Oriented Approach to Infrastructure Need Assessment. In: Proceedings of the International Symposium for Next Generation Infrastructure 2017. ISNGI

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Abstract

In the absence of a clearly articulated, shared, collaboratively developed and mutually understood PURPOSE (a vision comprising the desired outcomes that we expect infrastructure to enable), it is not possible to fully evaluate system performance and therefore, not possible to undertake a complete assessment of underlying infrastructure system NEED (i.e. identify system performance gaps where actual infrastructure system performance is not sufficiently aligned to expected infrastructure system performance.) The ability to undertake such need assessment is significant for any country/region that aims to cost effectively improve the quality of its infrastructure systems and make fit for purpose infrastructure investments to enable the outcomes society expects from infrastructure systems. Achieving long-term value for money from infrastructure systems is a question of ‘doing the systemically right thing right not the wrong thing better’. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that need assessment is underpinned by a set of transparent, systemic, structured, interconnected and flexible methodologies that enable a complete assessment of infrastructure need and prioritisation of those investments best aligned to enabling desired outcomes. The need for such a methodology is particularly significant in the UK, where a pipeline of future infrastructure projects is regularly published, the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has a mandate to undertake a National Infrastructure Assessment (NIA) once per parliament and infrastructure was prioritised in a recent Industrial Strategy consultation, because the proposed methodology for NIA does not allow a complete assessment of infrastructure need. It is also significant to any country or region already grappling with these challenges or considering creating their own National Infrastructure Commission. It is also relevant to society groups, infrastructure practitioners, and infrastructure financiers who want to influence decision making, ensure that the infrastructure investments available to them are closely aligned with actual expectations, demonstrably enable a mutual understood vision and are less likely to experience less problems in the planning phase and deliver stable returns for the investments lifecycle. This paper introduces, briefly explains and justifies the importance of a set of principles any methodology to assess future infrastructure needs assessment should seek to embody. These principles build on earlier research undertaken on behalf of Infrastructure UK and the Infrastructure Projects Authority (IPA) on outcome oriented performance indicators to evaluate the alignment between actual and expected system. performance, and research developed in direct response to the launch the National Infrastructure Commission and consultation regarding NIA methodology.

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