Developing Strategic Approaches to Infrastructure Planning

This report explores the actual and potential use of strategic planning by governments in ITF member countries as a means of improving the quality of major infrastructure policy-making and investment decisions. This includes the scope and content of strategic plans, and the extent to which decision-making on individual infrastructure projects takes account of the priorities and directions established in the plans.

Secondly, the report investigates the emerging role of independent infrastructure advisory bodies as a tool to help governments adopt a long-term, cross-sectoral approach to infrastructure planning and decision-making. Thirdly, it explores current practices and trends about project identification, appraisal, and selection, and the role of ex-post evaluation.

There is an apparent correlation between the adoption of strategic plans and the establishment of independent infrastructure advisory bodies. The relatively recent establishment of these bodies in most countries means firm conclusions as to their effectiveness in improving decision-making cannot yet be drawn. The widely differing range of responsibilities given to these bodies also complicates such judgments.

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