Citizen and stakeholder participation can improve the design and public acceptance of infrastructure projects. In an era of multiple crises, using citizen and stakeholder inputs in infrastructure decision making can help countries address long-term challenges such as climate change, and promote minority inclusion, gender equality and biodiversity protection. The OECD Recommendation on the Governance of Infrastructure highlights the need to inform, consult, and engage with stakeholders to ensure that infrastructure planning and investments are informed by citizens’ needs.
The OECD Infrastructure Governance Indicator (IGI) on stakeholder participation gives an overview of countries’ performance in developing national guidance, promoting effective participation, and ensuring stakeholder oversight over infrastructure projects. The OECD average score is 0.52 but country scores range widely from 0.23 to 0.83 (Figure 8.1). While countries have shown some good practices, there is room to improve in all three aspects covered by the index.
Most OECD countries have put in place some mechanisms for citizens and stakeholders to influence public decisions throughout the infrastructure life cycle. Twenty-seven out of 31 OECD countries (87%) have developed participatory mechanisms for spatial planning and its relation to infrastructure development. For example, in Colombia, public participation in land use planning is mandated by law and takes the form of public hearings, petitions, and discussions during the planning permit process. More than half of OECD countries (20 out of 33 or 61%) have a formal requirement to consider and respond to inputs from consultations as well as to publicly disclose the inputs and responses (Table 8.2).
However, more could be done in the area of monitoring and oversight. Just over half of OECD countries with data available (17 out of 32 or 53%) give stakeholders a role in oversight and monitoring such as through participation in procurement, assessing and mitigating the risks of corruption (Table 8.2). In 11 of these countries, however, this role is not formal (established in legislation or regulation or part of a formalised process).
To ensure that participation is systematic and effective, countries can provide central guidance on how to design, implement and evaluate such processes. Most OECD countries have adopted such type of guidance (27 out of 33, or 82%). Only 24% (8 out of 33) have guidance specific to infrastructure or sectors. Countries can get more relevant and actionable inputs by improving the way citizens and stakeholders are identified and targeted, i.e., ensuring their role reflects the extent to which they are affected by the project. Countries should also take steps to ensure that under-represented or traditionally marginalised groups are heard and their views considered in decision making. Currently, 27% of OECD countries (9 out of 33) mandate outreach to under-represented groups, such as minorities, indigenous communities, and people with disabilities (Table 8.2).
