Welcome to the OECD dataset on the Governance of Infrastructure which contains the results of the 2020 OECD Survey on the Governance of Infrastructure. The database provides users with a unique resource on the governance of infrastructure in OECD countries. More specifically, it provides data on a set of governance dimensions, including strategic planning, fiscal sustainability, affordability and value for money, and public procurement.
This database is made available free of charge. However, data is protected by copyright and we kindly request that you cite the OECD as the source when using this data (OECD Survey on the Governance of Infrastructure, 2020). To help us better track use of this database, we would appreciate receiving electronic copies of any papers that cite the database (govinfoipp@oecd.org).
The content of the database was collected using an online questionnaire and a glossary was also provided. The 2020 OECD Survey on the Governance of Infrastructure was conducted by the Infrastructure and Public Procurement Division of the OECD Directorate for Public Governance. It maps out how governments plan, select, prioritise, procure, budget and deliver infrastructure investments, covering the entire life cycle of infrastructure projects. The first survey on the Governance of Infrastructure was issued in 2016 and the second in 2018. The results of the past surveys are contained in the respective Government at a Glance Database and corresponding publications (OECD, 2017; OECD, 2019). The 2020 Survey encompasses some elements that were covered in previous surveys while including a broader set of practices reflecting developments in the field brought by the OECD Recommendation on the Governance of Infrastructure adopted by the OECD Executive Council in 2020.
The goal of the survey was to gather data and provide an improved understanding of current practices and procedures in infrastructure governance in OECD countries. The data collected allows for international comparative analysis, benchmarking of best practices, and monitoring of change in infrastructure governance practices over time in the following dimensions:
Part I: Develop a long-term strategic vision for infrastructure
Part II. Guard Fiscal Sustainability, Affordability and Value for Money
Part III: Ensure Efficient and Effective Public Procurement
The 2020 database comprises 30 OECD countries1 and Costa Rica2. The content of the database draws heavily upon self-reporting from governments representing the country’s own assessment of current practices and procedures. Respondents are predominantly senior officials in the central/federal ministries of infrastructure, public works and finance, as well as in infrastructure agencies and other line ministries. The data refers mostly to central/federal governments and excludes the subnational level.
The 2020 survey was conducted in January 2021. Various steps were included in the process to ensure the highest standards in data quality and accuracy. Before the survey was launched, the questionnaire and the glossary of key terms were discussed with the delegates of the OECD Network of Senior Infrastructure and PPP Officials (SIP Network) at the 2020 Annual Meeting. The text was then circulated for comments by written procedure. After the data were collected, a data cleaning process took place from January to April 2021. The process checked for internal and external consistency in the survey responses, comparing the answers to those provided in previous surveys, and verifying that supporting evidence was systematically provided before validating responses. In case of remarks or questions related to the answers in the database, please contact: Ana Maria Ruiz Rivadeneira (Network Leader).
The data from the 2020 Survey on the Governance of Infrastructure were used to develop the first phase of the OECD Infrastructure Governance Indicators (IGIs), covering three of the ten pillars of the Recommendation, as follows: development of a long-term vision for infrastructure; fiscal sustainability, affordability, and value for money; and efficient and effective public procurement. Data are curently under the validation process for finalisation. In the second phase, a new survey will be implemented in the course of 2022 for data collection on the remaining pillars of the Recommendation. In 2023, the third phase will provide data on all the pillars and a full set of indicators on the governance of infrastructure. The main objective of the IGIs is to help countries better assess and monitor infrastructure governance frameworks, allowing them to identify and measure governments’ capabilities, strengths and key areas for improvement. More information on the IGIs will be available in the Infrastructure Governance Toolkit currently under development.
• 2020 OECD Survey on the Governance of Infrastructure
• 2020 OECD Governance of Infrastructure Glossary
• Governance of Capital Budgeting and Infrastructure dataset, 2018
• Infrastructure Governance dataset, 2016
• OECD (2017) Getting Infrastructure Right: A framework for better governance
• OECD (2020) Recommendation on the Governance of Infrastructure
• OECD (2020) Public procurement and infrastructure governance: initial policy responses to the coronavirus (covid-19) crisis
• OECD (2019), Budgeting and Public Expenditures in OECD Countries 2019
• OECD (2019), Reforming Public Procurement: Progress in Implementing the 2015 OECD Recommendation