Infrastructure
Without significant progress in the provision of infrastructure services it will be impossible for many countries to significantly achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Globally, more than 1 billion people have no access to roads, 900 million do not have safe drinking water, 2.3 billion lack reliable sources of energy, 2.5 billion have no sanitation facilities and 4 billion are without modern communication services.
Improved infrastructure helps reduce poverty directly by improving the access of poor people to services such as clean water and sanitation, health and education and by protecting them against humanitarian disasters. Infrastructure also enhances the opportunities for the poor to participate in economic activity through supporting macroeconomic development, providing employment and removing bottlenecks in the economy which hurt poor people by impeding asset accumulation, lowering asset values, imposing high transaction costs and creating market failures.
However the many environmental, social and institutional challenges of delivering infrastructure need to be recognised. Existing models of infrastructure provision are resource and energy intensive – the built environment currently accounts for up to half of global raw materials consumption and typically 50 percent of a country’s energy usage. Infrastructure development also has a poor record of producing unacceptable environmental and social impacts on local communities and for fuelling corruption. It is critical from both a local and global perspective that future infrastructure provision is much more effective at meeting the needs of poor communities, is much less resource and energy intensive and with significantly less negative impacts on ecosystems and societies.
EAP’s Programme
EAP is supporting the development of tools and approaches that facilitate the design, procurement and delivery of pro-poor sustainable infrastructure.
ASPIRE is a software-based tool EAP is developing in partnership with Arup International Development to support the integrated appraisal of poverty reduction and sustainability performance of infrastructure developments. EAP’s procurement research in partnership with the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has identified how procurement strategies can be modified or improved to enhance the social and developmental outcomes of infrastructure projects. EAP is also a partner in the Construction Sector Transparency Initiative (CoST) International Secretariat, a major international initiative to promote improved transparency in infrastructure procurement.
Publications
Briefing Note: Increasing local content in the procurement of infrastructure projects in low income countries
Much of the funding invested in infrastructure construction in low income countries does not benefit contractors, suppliers and workers from those countries. Increasing the input of local labour, goods and services (local content) could make a major contribution to economic growth and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. This briefing note has two aims: (1) to show policy-makers that expanding the local content of infrastructure projects is an achievable objective with real long-term benefits and (2) to provide practical guidance on how to do this.
The note is divided into two parts. In part I the authors show that the procurement process can serve as a powerful tool to promote local content in infrastructure construction. However a number of challenges are identified, notably the preference of clients donors, engineers and the business community for expensive, high tech and large scale projects which are not within the capability of the local industry, as well as the failure of international agencies to balance objectives. In part II some suggestions are put forward for overcoming the challenges and promoting local content through minor changes to procurement at each stage of the project cycle.
Promoting Construction Health and Safety through Procurement
There are at least 60,000 fatal accidents a year on construction sites around the world. Many more workers suffer from work related injuries and ill-health. The report points out that the main causes of death and injury are both well understood and entirely preventable. A number of international agencies have been working to improve health and safety in the workplace, but until now the use of procurement procedures has received very little attention. This briefing note explains how health and safety should be addressed at each stage of the procurement cycle.
Report: Modifying Infrastructure Procurement to Enhance Social Development
The report was developed by Jill Wells (EAP) and John Hawkins (ICE). It draws on a detailed analysis of documentation followed by focus group discussions in four case study countries, India, Indonesia, Kenya and Nigeria. The key recommendation emerging from the research is that the greatest social benefit will be derived if construction projects are identified, planned and designed in alignment with national development plans and taking into consideration operation and maintenance requirements. Project budgets should make adequate provisions for “social objectives” which need clearer definitions in contract documents. The report also advised using alternatives to the predominant “lowest bidder” approach to procurement advocated by most international development banks. Particular effort is needed to strengthen the enforcement of contract conditions.
Report: Learning from Lot 3 of the Java-Bali 500kv Transmission Line Construction Project, Indonesia.
This research report documents the outcomes of action research undertaken by EAP, in association with ODI and Balfour Beatty, in August 2003. It examines the experience of Balfour Beatty in constructing a 300km overhead power transmission line for PLN, the Indonesian state owned energy utility company. It makes a series of recommendations for reforming infrastructure policy and leveraging social performance through the contracting process.
Briefing Note: Maximising the Social Development Outcomes of Roads and Transport Projects
Transportation plays a critical role in development. Effective transport systems enable people to access vital services, such as healthcare and education, to travel for employment, to transport and sell goods, to access social networks, and to make their voices heard in the political arena. Many of the ‘technical’ decisions made in the design and implementation of transportation projects have social impacts – both positive and negative – which have an important bearing on the success of the project. This guidance note seeks to provide an overview of these issues and to make recommendations on how best to address them. It considers the developmental aspects of transport projects, and also demonstrates that there is a strong business case for industry professionals to consider social issues in detail in project design and implementation.
This note was part-funded by the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) and EAP received expert guidance from the CIHT Transport Policy Board.
Date Published: June 17, 2011