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Multiple institutions are responsible for and contribute to ensuring that infrastructure investments meet policy objectives. The responsibilities of these institutions have evolved over time and vary from country to country, depending on tradition, constitutional arrangements, and government capacities. While they are often complementary, sometimes these responsibilities overlap, creating an additional level of complexity. Understanding the impact of the institutions involved with infrastructure will allow policymakers to make informed decisions. This paper explores both the ‘why’ and the ‘what’ of institutional arrangements. It provides a snapshot of the various institutions involved in the planning, financing, and delivery of infrastructure across OECD Member countries and identifies three broad types of institutional arrangements. The paper contributes to a better understanding of current trends in institutional change, the strengths and challenges of these institutional arrangements, and the potential for sharing experience and expertise among institutions and countries.

Infrastructure plays a pivotal role in achieving climate neutrality and resilience. However, infrastructure is also vulnerable to certain risks, and poor management of infrastructure assets can lead to increased dependency on fossil fuels and lock in climate-related risks. For this reason, an infrastructure governance framework is needed that can direct public investments towards sustainability objectives. To this end, the OECD has provided technical support to the Government of Ireland to strengthen climate-related and environmental considerations in public infrastructure decision making (i.e. strategic planning, project appraisal, budgeting). Building on Irish Public Spending Code and on standardised criteria based on international good practices, this working paper develops a new methodological approach to assessing the climate-related impacts of infrastructure and integrate climate-related risk and uncertainty in the appraisal of infrastructure projects.

Infrastructure is an essential consideration when it comes to both climate change mitigation and adaptation. It plays a pivotal role in achieving climate neutrality and resilience but is also susceptible to certain risks. As infrastructure has a long lifespan, it is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change over time. Poor planning and management of infrastructure assets can also increase dependency on fossil fuels and lock in climate risks. It is thus important that infrastructure is implemented in a way that helps address environmental and climate challenges. Developing effective strategies to meet environmental and climate objectives is one of the main priorities of the Irish Government. Project Ireland 2040 offers a unique opportunity to ensure that infrastructure investments support climate mitigation and adaptation efforts. Building on this impetus, the OECD has provided technical support to the Irish Government to strengthen climate and environmental considerations in its public infrastructure decision making process. This policy paper sets out a detailed overview of infrastructure planning, project appraisal and budgeting practice in Ireland, and identifies challenges and opportunities for environmental and climate considerations.

This report outlines the findings of a review of public investment processes in Bulgaria and provides recommendations for improving its effectiveness and efficiency. It focuses on infrastructure planning, investment and delivery at the national and municipal levels. The report identifies what Bulgaria should retain and improve upon to ensure that investments made at the European, State and municipal levels achieve value for money and contribute to people’s well-being and living standards.

Representing approximately 12% of GDP across OECD countries, public procurement is an important pillar of public service delivery. However, successful public procurement is threatened by risks in areas as diverse as compliance, sustainability, and operations. Governments can address these challenges by identifying, assessing, treating, and monitoring risks throughout the procurement process. To do so, they use general tools such as risk registers and risk matrices, as well as more targeted measures aimed at specific challenges, such as supply chain risks. The procurement of complex goods, services and infrastructure involves different and often more consequential risks linked to market structures, the size and length of contracts, and the interconnected nature of decision making. In addressing this broad array of risks, the development of a national risk management strategy is a crucial step to ensure a co-ordinated and consistent approach.

The governance of infrastructure can affect how and whether infrastructure projects achieve desired outcomes and contribute to wider policy goals. This paper presents the conceptual framework, design and methodology of the OECD Infrastructure Governance Indicators (IGIs). The IGIs support the implementation and monitoring of the OECD Recommendation on the Governance of Infrastructure. This paper also describes the key findings from the first set of IGIs, which cover three areas: long-term strategic vision for infrastructure; fiscal sustainability, affordability and value for money; and efficient and effective public procurement. It identifies the governance dimensions that are well developed across OECD countries and those that require improvements under each of the three areas.

This report provides an overview of green infrastructure planning and the use of nature-based solutions in Italy. It identifies key challenges and trade-offs and provides recommendations to promote their uptake across the different levels of government. The report also analyses four case studies that have been identified in agreement with the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport: the Green Node in Bari, the metro line M4 in Milan, the Ridracoli Dam in Emilia-Romagna, and the railway line Bicocca-Catenanuova.

This report examines how to promote sustainable infrastructure investment. It discusses data needs for infrastructure investment and the current environment, social and governance (ESG) approaches before offering policy recommendations to help ensure that investors are better equipped to make investment decisions related to infrastructure assets. The report explores legal and regulatory barriers to quality infrastructure investment, and considers how governments can help infrastructure actors promote quality infrastructure projects, ensure project objectives and reporting correspond with investor expectations, and how to mobilise funding and financing for inclusive and quality infrastructure investment in both regions and cities.

Following the COVID-19 shock to economies and societies, many countries are renewing infrastructure investment as a stimulus measure. Such investments present an opportunity for governments to address short-term infrastructure challenges through maintenance spending while building resilient and sustainable infrastructure for the future. Infrastructure resilience and maintenance requires a multidimensional approach, considering a range of factors and stakeholders at the local, regional, national and global levels to identify trade-offs among objectives and enable more robust policy choices. Drawing on examples and case studies, this report provides a framework for optimising existing infrastructure assets and building new resilient infrastructure. It also includes strategies for ensuring quality and performance over an asset’s lifecycle.