A Review of Highway Agencies in the South Asia Region

A Review of Highway Agencies in the South Asia Region
The concern for user interest is also expressed in the monitoring and performance
framework. Apart from the fact that all agencies have adopted a similar framework for
monitoring public views, they have also included key performance indicators related to a
customers’ rating service in their monitoring framework, and carry out surveys to obtain
information on user satisfaction.
Clearly Established Audit and Review Procedures
From the abundance of documentation and indicators on the agencies’ performance across
a wide range of activities, it is evident that sufficient information is available to evaluate
their performance.
For all agencies, performance audits are usually carried out and are required by law.
Treasury officials or (private) auditors are responsible for carrying out performance audits.
The auditors publish reports and recommendations which are incorporated into the
management priorities for subsequent years.
Also, internal and external reviews of the agencies’ performance are widespread. These
reviews are often required by statutes or regulation. For example, the RTA in New South
Wales (NSW), Australia, and New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) in New Zealand prepare
regular progress reports to central officials on the implementation of their results and
service plans and the statements of intent, respectively. This can help to promote mutual
trust and a common understanding of the issues at hand between the ministry and the
agency.
Benefits of Benchmarking
The four agencies have recently started international benchmarking initiatives which, it
is hoped, will enable them to review their own performance, identify best practices and
set targets. NTZA and RTA and seven other state transportation agencies participate
in Austroads, the association of Australian and New Zealand road transport and traffic
authorities, aimed at promoting improved road transport outcomes, whilst STA in Sweden
started a benchmarking initiative with Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and the Nordic Association.
Cooperative Target Setting with a Long-term Focus
There are no mandated performance targets or penalties if agencies fail to realize their
targets; the agencies have negotiated their targets or service agreements with the ministry.
The long-term focus on process improvement, performance reporting, and accountability
in all the agencies has led to continual improvement in performance 17 . It has helped to focus
on the best long-term investment that is particularly important to managing infrastructure
assets over their entire life as well as to minimize nonrational behavior led by short-term
targets that are suspect because data are often unreliable.
3.7 Increasing Need for Asset and Risk Management Systems
17 FHWA (2010). Linking Transportation Performance and Accountability.
In order to measure accomplishments, track trends, and become accountable, agencies
increasingly rely on a variety of management (information) systems as tools to satisfy the
need for information.
Asset Management
Maintaining the existing network is an important activity of the agencies. A well-maintained
network is generally a cost-effective way of keeping the performance of the network at a
desired level. Roads have to be maintained throughout their design life to ensure that they
deliver the performance envisaged, and the timing of maintenance is crucial. For example,
SANRAL has calculated that repairing a road with a five-year maintenance backlog will be 18
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