Tools

The Global Infrastructure Hub (GI Hub), a G20 initiative, and its consultant, Atkins Acuity, have created this Reference Tool on Inclusive Infrastructure. It defines inclusivity in large scale infrastructure projects. It also provides guidance and shares leading practices to maximise the impact of projects on reducing inequality and promoting shared prosperity.

Infraclear meticulously collects and indexes thousands of project agreements, financing agreements, and financial models from around the world. Using it can become “the way of working” for every investor, developer, lender, lawyer, government ministry, regulator, insurer, technical adviser, and construction company who develops, invests in, or manages projects.

This tool assists representatives from civil society organisations, government and business, to identify, assess and communicate the corruption risks arising during the selection of infrastructure projects – when decisions are being made about what type of projects are needed. The assessment levels encompass the “initial” (broader political and governance context) and “detailed” phase (project-specific vulnerabilities).

ITF Gender Analysis Toolkit for Transport offers an easy-to-use method for incorporating a gender-inclusive perspective into transport projects, plans and policies and was informed by three underlying questions: How are travel behaviours and patterns of women and men affected by their social roles and the level of accessibility of transport services? How will transport policies, programmes and projects affect women and men differently? How will greater gender equality in the transport workforce enhance transport infrastructure, systems and modes to benefit women and other users? The tool was developed for governments, international organisations, contractors and all those who design, manage, implement or evaluate transport projects and provides three uncomplicated tools for carrying out their own gender analyses: A gender check-list, gender-relevant indicators and a questionnaire to collect data on gender in transport. The tool provides additional information on why a gender analysis is important and showcases some gender analyses best practices.

IUCN’s Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions aims to equip users with a robust framework for designing and verifying NbS that yield the outcomes desired, in solving one or several societal challenge(s). This tool includes a self-assessment that consists of eight criteria and associated indicators, which address the pillars of sustainable development (economy, environment and society) and resilient project management. In addition to the Standard, there is associated guidance, which instructs users how to perform a self-assessment to: Design new NbS project; Upscale pilots by identifying gaps; and Assess past projects and future proposals.

The International Good Practice Principles for Sustainable Infrastructure provide globally applicable guidance on the integration of sustainability throughout the entire infrastructure lifecycle, focussing on the “upstream” project level. They help high-level policy- and decision-makers in governments create the enabling environment for sustainable infrastructure that is needed to achieve the SDGs and the Paris Climate Agreement. The ten principles emphasize the importance of infrastructure approaches that respond to service needs and demands, address sustainability the earliest possible in the planning process, integrate all aspects of sustainability as well as relevant governance frameworks and different infrastructure systems and sectors across time and space.

The Infrastructure Transparency Index (ITI) can be used to measures the level of transparency of the infrastructure sector and the quality of related participation and accountability processes at national or sub-national level. Thereby, the tool aims to assess the state of infrastructure transparency and the capacity to improve transparency among procuring agencies, to track process and facilitate peer learning and to raise awareness of transparency. The ITI sets out the methodology for score calculation to evaluate procuring entities. Individual scores are then used to generate an index that allows for performance comparison.

The Integrated Valuation of Ecosystems Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) is a suite of open-source software models to map and value ecosystem services, including different models designed for terrestrial, freshwater, marine and coastal ecosystems. The tool helps explore how changes in ecosystems can lead to changes in the flows of many different benefits to people. Thereby, InVEST supports entities that deal with natural resources in their management and in balancing of environmental and economic goals, while avoiding degradation and depletion.

The Environmental and Social Performance Standards of the International Finance Coalition (IFC) define IFC clients’ responsibilities for managing the environmental and social risks of their projects. The Performance Standards provide guidance on how to identify risks and impacts and are designed to help avoid, mitigate and manage risks and impacts as a way of doing business in a more sustainable way. Since 2012, the Standards apply to all IFC clients whose projects go through IFC’s initial credit review process.

The IS Rating Scheme is Australia and New Zealand’s rating framework to assess the sustainability of the planning, design, construction and operation phases of infrastructure programs, projects, networks and assets. IS evaluates the sustainability performance of the quadruple bottom line (governance, economic, environmental and social) of infrastructure development. Several manuals and resources are available, covering different phases of the infrastructure cycle, being the main ones IS Design & As Built v2.0 and IS Planning v2.0. The total score is calculated based on the points achieved in the different credits. Verification of the assessment result is undertaken by an independent third-party verifier.