Designing & developing performance metrics for the National Infrastructure Assessment

Steer Economic Development was appointed by the UK National Infrastructure Commission to identify performance measures for use in the National Infrastructure Assessment (NIA).  

The National Infrastructure Commission, an Executive Agency of HM Treasury, was established in 2015 to provide independent advice to HM Treasury on the pressing challenges facing the UK’s national infrastructure.

The Commission’s high-level objectives, set by the UK Government, are to:

• support sustainable economic growth across all regions of the UK;

• improve competitiveness; and

• improve quality of life.

As part of meeting these objectives, the Commission is responsible for preparing the NIA, which serves to inform Parliament of the national infrastructure requirements to be addressed. Providing an assessment of the current performance and constraints of the UK’s existing infrastructure and planning for future performance required the establishment of relevant, accurate and informative performance measures that could be used to report on how national infrastructures were meeting their objectives the time.  

Working with JBA Consulting, the Temple Group and GreySky Consulting, Steer Economic Development developed performance measures for the Digital Communications, Energy, Flood Risk Management, Solid Waste, Transport, Water and Wastewater sectors. The study also took account of interdependencies between these key infrastructure sectors and their interactions with the built environment (for example, in enabling housing and wider economic development). 

The project involved a review of the current sector, and national/international best-practice in tracking the performance of infrastructures over time, and consulted with NIC’s own internal Infrastructure Sector Leads to develop performance measures that were practical and relevant.