Indicators
The OECD Indicators on the Governance of Infrastructure (IGIs) provide a framework to map the state of infrastructure governance across OECD countries. They serve as a diagnostic tool to help countries assess their current stage of implementation and identify the dimensions that may require more attention.
Across OECD countries, substantive efforts are needed to promote better alignment with the OECD Recommendation on the Governance of Infrastructure. While many countries have shown good practices in guarding fiscal sustainability, affordability, and value for money of infrastructure projects, there is a need to adopt better practices in developing long-term strategic vision for infrastructure and ensuring efficient and effective procurement of infrastructure projects.
Why is this important?
The OECD IGIs resonate with a general call for evidence in the infrastructure governance field. More data is needed to inform capacity building, policy and decision-making in infrastructure. The IGIs aim to provide a synthesized overview of countries’ performance in infrastructure governance, which in turn enables the identification of trends across countries and draws attention to particular issues that require intervention.
How are the indicators built?
The IGIs were developed based on the Handbook on Constructing Composite Indicators: Methodology and User Guide (OECD/European Union/JRC, 2008). The methodology and results were shared and discussed with experts and public officials from the OECD Network of Senior Infrastructure and PPP Officials (SIP Network) and the OECD Working Party of Leading Practitioners on Public Procurement (LPP). Additional information can be found in the OECD Infrastructure Governance Indicators: Conceptual framework, design and methodology paper.
The 2021 IGIs were built using data from the 2020 OECD Survey on the Governance of Infrastructure.
Why is it important to have consistent scores under each pillar?
Good infrastructure governance requires progress in multiple dimensions that are related and interconnected. Sub-pillars interact with one another to support strong infrastructure governance. For example, competitive procurement processes will require strengthening the public procurement workforce. Likewise, having an open, neutral, and transparent procurement process will support competition. While high indicator values are signs of robust governance structures, significant variations in the scoring of sub-pillars signal areas for improvements. The nested structure of the IGIs helps countries understand the driving forces behind each of the indicators.
