A Review of Highway Agencies in the South Asia Region

A Review of Highway Agencies in the South Asia Region
C3.5 Financing Road Infrastructure
university based on e-learning on the internet was created. All managers were assessed
based on their performance and future potential. Strategic focus areas for long-term
improvement included efficiency of resources, attractiveness as an employer, training
programs and professionalism.
Regular follow-ups were conducted to check effectiveness of these activities. Improvement
has been observed in lower sickness absence levels and in employment satisfaction. In the
annual Staff Satisfaction Index , employees rated all areas of the SRA above 60 units since
2006. Also worth noting is that the response rate of the survey continued to rise from an
already high level.
Research
SRA funded several Research, Development and Demonstration (RD&D) activities at the
cost of SEK 279 million (some US$40 million). Many of its research activities were conducted
within cooperative partnerships with other research institutions. All research activities
were aligned with the overall objectives of the road transport sector as set in the national
transport plan.
SRA developed a joint strategy for transport-related RD&D in cooperation with Banverket,
the Swedish energy agency, and Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems in
2004. The aim was to secure access to important RD&D environments and to prepare for a
joint European RD&D implementation and procurement market. In this strategy, roles and
responsibility were divided amongst the authorities to generate stable and long-term planning
conditions for important RD&D environments in Sweden. The SRA established six centers:
Virtual RD&D Center for Bridges and Tunnels;
Center for a Sustainable Transport System;
Transport Telematics R&D Group Sweden;
Swedish Intermodal Transport Research Center;
Road Technology; and
Road Planning and Design.
The aim of establishing these virtual RD&D centers was to strengthen international
competitiveness.
Road network development is financed by a combination of budget allocations and loans
taken by the National Debt Office on the capital market. SRA did not operate independently
on the capital market. Operational expenses were financed from annual budget allocations.
After the election in 2006, the new government opened up the possibility for PPP projects.
Performance Indicators
The STA ensures that transport policy goals of planning and construction, and operation and
maintenance are translated into practice at lower levels of the transport industry. Figure C15
shows the framework for assessing the overall performance of STA towards achieving the
national policy objectives.
SRA demonstrates a robust performance management system that cascades national
transportation performance goals throughout the agency. SRA expressed six broad goals
to enable the transportation department to achieve the overall national objectives for
transportation:
An accessible transportation system;
High transportation quality;
Safe traffic;
Good environment;
Gender equality; and
Efficient operations.
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