Global experiences of road authorities to inform development of a road authority in Afghanistan
This report reviews some of the principles that underpin successful establishment of road authorities
Abstract
This report has been commissioned by DFID through the Evidence on Demand helpdesk facility to summarise the global experiences of Road Authorities (RA) in order to inform DFID’s support to the infrastructure and transport sectors in Afghanistan. The report describes:
- global experiences of countries that have set up RAs, looking at advantages, disadvantages and pitfalls to be avoided;
- issues related to the setting up of ring-fenced Road Funds (RF); options for institutional arrangements; and
- an indication of time needed to implement the changes.
This report reviews some of the principles that underpin successful establishment of RAs and some of the key issues that need to be addressed during the process. Experience from around the world, that has been gathered over nearly 20 years, indicates firstly, that no one size fits all; and that a combination of elements needs to be in place, at the right time, working in a coordinated, harmonised way, to create suitable conditions for success. The interplay and interdependence of the various factors is important: none will be effective in isolation. Providing additional finance, or creating a new RA, will not, alone, solve the underlying reasons for ineffective road maintenance. The introduction of new organisational structures needs to be coordinated with appropriate new regulations and procedures (applicable to all organisations involved in the process) and supported by appropriate capacity building measures (again, targeted at all entities involved). If a new, autonomous, RA or RF, for example, is established, there will be implications for the day to day activities of ministries of communications and transport, finance, revenue authority, private contractors, etc.
This report has been produced by IMC Worldwide for Evidence on Demand with the assistance of the UK Department for International Development (DFID) contracted through the Climate, Environment, Infrastructure and Livelihoods Professional Evidence and Applied Knowledge Services (CEIL PEAKS) programme, jointly managed by HTSPE Limited and IMC Worldwide Limited.
Citation
Smith, D. Global experiences of road authorities to inform development of a road authority in Afghanistan. Evidence on Demand, UK (2013) 25 pp. [DOI: 10.12774/eod_hd.oct2013.smith]
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