Pitch for ISNGI 2016University of Wollongong, Smart Infrastructure Facility, Australia.

1st-2nd September

Dr Tom Dolanthomas.dolan@ucl.ac.uk

Centre Co-ordinator and Research AssociateInternational Centre for Infrastructure (ICIF), UCL, UK

We need Research and Engineering Leadership to develop a Systemic* Toolkit

for Infrastructure Decision Making*(+ collaborative, transparent, structured and flexible)

Infrastructure Characteristics

• The purpose of infrastructure is to enable desired outcomes (including economic growth)

• Infrastructure is a complex interdependent network of networks

• The context (social, political, economic, financial, legal, environmental,

regulatory, local, global, spatial and temporal) directly influences infrastructure performance– Dolan, T. (In Press 2016) Purposeful and Systemic Infrastructure Governance – a pre-requisite for the creation of sustainable and

inclusive cities (societies)?

CST Warning 2009

• “We do not believe National Infrastructure can continue on its current trajectory [because] … delivery and governance are highly fragmented; … resilience against systemic failure is significantly weakening; … climate and socio-demographic change are significant challenges”

(paraphrased from: Council for Science and Technology, 2009: P4)

The Objective

“Do the systemically right thing right not the wrong thing better”

John Beckford

A toolkit for systemic infrastructure and engineering decision making

Engineering Leadership is needed to develop collaborative, transparent, systemic, structured and flexible methodologies for: (i) Systemic Infrastructure Vision, (ii) Performance and Needs Analysis, (iii) Option Identification, and (iv) Option Selection.

A Systemic* Toolkit for Infrastructure Decisions

(ii) Performance

and Needs Analysis

(iii) Identify Options

(iv) Evaluate Options

(i) Systemic Vision

*collaborative, transparent, structured and flexible

Add need to Infrastructure

‘Need’ Pipeline

Invite option proposalsFit for Purpose

REVIEW every 5 years

Add chosen option to

Infrastructure Pipeline

Commission 5 year Needs

Infrastructure TRUE/FALSE? (economic and social infrastructure)A

B

C

D

E

F

G

The distinction between Economic infrastructure (A,B, C, D) and social infrastructure (E, F, G ) is artificial and can lead to disjointed

planning?

Infrastructure TRUE/FALSE? (Engineer – Hybrid - Green)

Infrastructure is man-made. But Green infrastructure, governance and regulation, policy and legal frameworks and other ‘socio’

components can also support outcome delivery

How do we Tackle Congestion/insufficient Capacity? (Or the causes of congestion?)

A

B

C

D

????Other

Innovation

E

A. In SectorB. ICT enhanced SectorC. Multi-ModalD. Other Infrastructure

sectorE. New Infrastructure

System InnovationF. Regulation or

Governance

How we frame a problem directly influences how we solve the problem.Is Congestion merely a ‘symptom’ of a broader need for

connectivity/access to work? Cost effective solutions require a clear understanding of purpose

The Past or the Future?The Bicycle not the rider

Repurpose and Rethink

Outdated Innovation 21st Century Urban Connector?

Can Strategic National Assets be Repurposed?

How do we innovatively maximise the value of the Infrastructure Assets we have?

Infrastructure Enables….. (to be continued………)

Services Education, Healthcare, Security, Tourism,etc

Facilities Residences, Commercial Buildings, Office Buildings, Factories, Hospital, Schools, Recreation facilities etc

Infrastructure Energy, Water, Transportation, Waste, ICT etcEnab

les

…… and Society Emerges (to be continued…)

Services Education, Healthcare, Security, Tourism,etc

Facilities Residences, Commercial Buildings, Office Buildings, Factories, Hospital, Schools, Recreation facilities etc

Infrastructure Energy, Water, Transportation, Waste, ICT etcEnab

les

Emer

ges

….OR Societal Expectations Drive Demand? (to be continued……)En

able

s

SOCIETY

Dictates

……Desired Outcomes give Purpose? (to be continued……)

Enab

les

SOCIETY

Dictates

Give Purpose

……Purpose enables shared Strategic Vision (to be continued……)

Enab

les

SOCIETY

Dictates

Basis for Infrastructure

Decision making

Strategic and Vision (comprising Desired outcomes)

Societal expectations of what it is that infrastructure is expected to enable

Services Education, Healthcare, Security, Tourism,etc

Facilities Residences, Commercial Buildings, Office Buildings, Factories, Hospital, Schools, Recreation facilities etc

Infrastructure Energy, Water, Transportation, Waste, ICT etc

Inform Decisions

……Vision must be systemic (to be continued……)En

able

s

SOCIETY

Dictates

Basis for Infrastructure

Decision making

Strategic and Systemic Vision (comprising Desired outcomes)

Societal expectations of what it is that infrastructure is expected to enable

Services Education, Healthcare, Security, Tourism,etc

Facilities Residences, Commercial Buildings, Office Buildings, Factories, Hospital, Schools, Recreation facilities etc

Infrastructure Energy, Water, Transportation, Waste, ICT etc

Inform Decisions

……All is underpinned by the ‘socio’ and ‘environmental’ context?

Enab

les

SOCIETY

Dictates

Strategic and Systemic Vision (comprising Desired outcomes)

Societal expectations of what it is that infrastructure is expected to enable

Services Education, Healthcare, Security, Tourism,etc

Facilities Residences, Commercial Buildings, Office Buildings, Factories, Hospital, Schools, Recreation facilities etc

Infrastructure Energy, Water, Transportation, Waste, ICT etc

Enabling Context Socio (PESTLE) and Natural Processes

Inform Decisions

A Systemic* Toolkit for Infrastructure Decisions

(ii) Performance and Needs Analysis

(iii) Identify Options

(iv) Evaluate Options

(i) Systemic Vision

*collaborative, transparent, structured and flexible

Add need to Infrastructure

‘Need’ Pipeline

Invite option proposalsFit for Purpose

REVIEW every 5 years

Add chosen option to

Infrastructure Pipeline

Commission 5 year Needs

Purposeful Governance All governance structures are clearly aligned with enabling a strategic vision, with particular focus given to: • identifying and structuring the desired outcomes that

Government, Industry and Society expect infrastructure to play a role in enabling

• structuring and conceptually mapping these desired outcomes through cross-sectoral and citizen engagement,

• establishing a shared strategic infrastructure vision, that comprises these desired outcomes

• using the vision as a framework with which to align, and against which to justify all infrastructure decision making.

Systemic Governance• desired outcomes, and therefore the strategic vision, are framed at the

system level and in ‘option-neutral terms’ independent of specific infrastructure sectors, solutions or technologies.

• infrastructure need is assessed by evaluating the gap between expected system performance and actual system performance

• a clearly defined, transparent, collaborative, inclusive process to identify and evaluate possible options to address infrastructure need is established

• all major infrastructure decisions are made with reference to the impact they will have on the performance and resilience of the system in which they are embedded

• the extent to which infrastructure performance is interdependent with the ‘socio’ elements of the socio-technical system are explicitly considered