Chapter B4 Sub-regional strategies and plans

B4.8 Assessment of completed strategies and plans

Introduction

This section describes how the NZTA assesses transport strategies once they are almost completed before they are adopted.

Note that this assessment is different from the assessment of proposals for studies for the development of strategies and plans - for detail, see Chapter G6.

Assessment by the NZTA

The NZTA encourages regional transport committees (RTCs) to submit sub-regional strategies or plans for assessment.

Assessment will assist in ensuring that the sub-regional strategies or plans provide suitable supporting evidence to streamline funding applications for activities in the implementation plan.

Reference: For detail on information requirements for strategies and plans, see Chapter F2 Transport planning.

Which strategies

The NZTA will assess and, if appropriate, support strategies and plans that require significant funding for their implementation.

Level of implementation detail

The implementation plan of strategies and plans should be sufficiently detailed to allow assessment in accordance to the requirements set out below.

Content

The content of completed strategies and plans should be consistent with the relevant information requirements set out in section F2.3.

Three factors used

The NZTA will assess completed strategies and plans in terms of the three standard assessment factors for the purposes of deciding on NZTA support for the strategy.

The assessment of completed strategies focuses on:

• the strategic fit of the problem, issue or opportunity addressed
• the effectiveness of the proposed implementation activities
• the initial high-level economic efficiency of the proposed implementation activities.

Reference: For the three standard assessment factors, see section G1.3.

No assessment profile for whole strategy

The assessment of strategies and plans does not result in an assessment profile for the whole strategy.

Indicative assessment profile for packages and projects

The assessment of strategies and plans can, however, produce an assessment profile for the packages and projects that will implement the strategy, provided sufficient information is available. Such assessment profiles are indicative and will be updated when packages and projects come forward for investigation, design and construction funding.

Strategic fit

Strategic fit is about the issue, problem or opportunity that is addressed by the study, strategy or plan development. The strategic fit must be assessed without considering potential solutions.

Criteria to be considered on strategic fit for completed strategies and plans are set out in Chapter G2 Standard criteria and considerations for assessment.

The analysis must consider the current performance and trends of the land transport system at the regional or district level and not limit itself to one transport mode or one link. It must relate the current performance with the desired performance of the transport system as outlined in government policies such as the GPS and the NZTA's strategic investment direction.

If a strategy has been developed with funding assistance from the NZTA, the earlier assessment of strategic fit made for its funding application must be updated using the evidence gathered during development of the strategy.

If there is sufficient information, the assessment of the strategy or plan can provide an indicative strategic fit rating for each package and project that is part of the implementation plan of the strategy.

Effectiveness

The effectiveness of the strategy implementation package will be assessed taking into account the considerations for effectiveness in Chapter G2 Standard criteria and considerations.

Strategies and plans should contribute sufficiently to the purpose of the Land Transport Management Act 2003 (LTMA), the objectives of the New Zealand Transport Strategy (NZTS), and the GPS as operationalised by the NZTA's strategic investment direction.

Important elements of strategies to assess are:

• priorities and trade-offs
• identification of options for investigation
• selection of the preferred alternative
• timing and sequencing
• monitoring and adaptability.

If there is sufficient information, the assessment of the strategy or plan can provide an indicative effectiveness rating for each package and project that is part of the implementation plan of the strategy.

Economic efficiency

The assessment of the economic efficiency can be of a higher, more general level than applies to a package or project.

However, once packages and projects come forward for investigation funding, then an assessment of economic efficiency at project feasibility report level is required.

Monitoring

Strategic planning is a process of creating change by investing, reinvesting, organising, reorganising, inventing and reinventing. Monitoring is therefore an important part of any strategy development.

TThe NZTA expects approved organisations to monitor the implementation and performance of strategies. The monitoring provides evidence to inform future assessments of the strategy and subsequent revisions or renewals of the strategy.