A Review of Highway Agencies in the South Asia Region

A Review of Highway Agencies in the South Asia Region
3.2 Institutional Setting - Autonomy from the Ministry
All highway agencies are public bodies government departments, agencies or state
enterprises acting as independent highway agencies to implement the road sector
policy on behalf of the Ministry of Transport (or the Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and
Communications in the case of Sweden).
All have a considerable role and responsibility for long-term planning of the road transport
system. The authorities are responsible for the construction (network development),
operation and maintenance of national/state roads as well as part of the provincial/regional
roads. They are usually involved in drafting the technical standards for the network, but
operate within policy objectives with reference to network quality (congestion, speed,
safety, and so on) set by a policy department.
In addition, the agencies in New Zealand and Sweden have adopted an integrated approach
towards the implementation of transport policies, giving respective agencies the mandate
to manage implementation of policies for the entire land transport sector in a holistic
manner.
All agencies enjoy a certain degree of autonomy from the government, which reduces
political involvement in the day-to-day business of providing road infrastructure to the
public. Although the agencies are predominantly executive agencies, without a formal policy
development task, they all have substantial influence on the policy objectives regarding the
road network.
In all cases, the road networks are owned by the state.
3.3 Policy Framework - Clear Strategic Guidance Focused on Outcomes
Framework for Performance Management
The four agencies have similar policy frameworks that are considered examples of good
practice, and that provide strategic guidance. Based on a general vision statement from the
concerned ministry, the agency develops its own vision and supporting plans. Different plans
often exist and have different time horizons.
The national governments have expressed the broad goals and outcomes desired from the
transportation agencies. This is often a statutory process that results in the formulation of a
long-term policy or vision document with a 20- to 30-year horizon. These can be supported
by a rolling policy document (two to four year updates) with a 10-year horizon of which the
first four to six years are substantially detailed out. These plans form the basis for the midterm
and annual budgeting in conjunction with budget requests made by the agencies.
The agencies have clearly adopted the outcomes-articulated central government goals in
their policy, strategy and planning documents and translated these outcomes into coherent
goals, measures, and targets for their organizations. They have also adopted a 10-year
policy or vision in line with the national policy. Based on this, most agencies have issued a
statement of intent or corporate/business plan; a forward-looking three-year plan updated
annually that spells out how the agency will link its efforts with the state’s policy aspirations.
It sets the agency’s budgets and priorities, and demonstrates how it intends to make
progress on the policy priorities over the 10 years.
The three-year plans are rolling plans that are updated annually and are the basis of funding
allocations/budget requests, listing projects to be executed in the coming year and projects
planned in the next two years.
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