The Governance Report 2016

Infrastructure is a fundamental driver of economic growth and social development. Yet, unmet investment needs coexist with 'white elephants' and 'bridges to nowhere'. Airports and other major projects whose construction drags on seemingly without end cause exorbitant cost overruns, not to mention citizen protest. The governance of infrastructure is already complex, involving various levels of government, multiple non-governmental actors and stakeholders, and a variety of planning, management, and monitoring expertise and tools. Ultimately, given the wide range of economic, social, regulatory, and legal factors, the ability of political and administrative systems to handle infrastructure effectively and efficiently depends on the creation of a reliable set of transparent, clearly defined governance structures.

The Governance Report 2016, the result of collaboration between the Hertie School of Governance and the OECD, traces changing infrastructure needs in OECD and other selected countries and belies myths that cloud the public policy debate. In addition, the Report examines the capacity of public administration for long-term planning, coordination, and regulation of infrastructure investments, the governance of infrastructure projects throughout the lifecycle, and the potential of selected governance innovations. It also provides policy guidance for public governance of infrastructure and recommendations for improving policy-making and implementation. The analysis draws on novel survey data, case studies, and a host of indicators from OECD and other sources. The Report offers information, analysis, and tools for policymakers, practitioners, and academics interested in infrastructure and the planning and management of other large-scale projects.

The Hertie School of Governance is an international teaching and research centre of excellence in Berlin, Germany that prepares students for leadership positions in government, business, and civil society. An internationally-recruited faculty, interdisciplinary in outlook, research, and teaching, offers analytically-challenging and practice-oriented courses on governance, policy analysis, management, and leadership and helps students grow intellectually in a professional, research-intensive environment, characterised by public debate and engagement. The School was founded in 2003 as a project of the Hertie Foundation, which remains its major partner.


The Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) is an international economic organization which seeks to promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.