Managing Infrastructure Through Stewardship

The paper advocates for a shift from public-private partnerships (PPPs) to an 'infrastructure business' model based on stewardship. It suggests that PPPs lack the flexibility needed for a changing world, citing the efficiency of PAYGO solar systems over traditional grids. To ensure these businesses align with community needs, the author proposes four management tools: requiring periodic master plans, using impact management frameworks like the Impact Management Project (IMP), ensuring independence in decision-making, and enhancing accountability through open data and transparency initiatives such as CoST and GRESB.

• Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are considered unsuitable for a changing global environment because they prioritize contract certainty over the flexibility required to adapt to new circumstances.
• The growth of Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) solar systems challenges the traditional assumption that power must be delivered from a central source via a grid; for example, MWEZI provided clean energy to 180,000 people in Kenya using this model.
• Governments can ensure privatized infrastructure aligns with future needs by requiring master plans every 3–5 years, a practice exemplified by Australia's Airports Act 1996.
• To embed sustainability into corporate strategy, the document suggests using the Impact Management Project (IMP) framework, which evaluates impact across five dimensions: What, Who, How Much, Contribution, and Risk.
• Open data sharing between cities and infrastructure operators is essential for disaster risk management and climate change adaptation, supporting the goals of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
• The Infrastructure Transparency Initiative (CoST) can reduce corruption and costs; in Afghanistan, independent engineering reviews of 101 projects led to cumulative savings of USD 8.3 million in 2018/19.
• The GRESB Infrastructure Asset Assessment allows governments to benchmark the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance of infrastructure assets against global standards.

APA

Noble,, P. C. H. (2020). Managing Infrastructure Through Stewardship. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/managing-infrastructure-through-stewardship

Chicago

Noble,, Paul Clements Hunt,Gordon. Managing Infrastructure Through Stewardship. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2020. https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/managing-infrastructure-through-stewardship.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Noble, |first1=Paul Clements Hunt,Gordon |title=Managing Infrastructure Through Stewardship |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=22 October 2020 |url=https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/managing-infrastructure-through-stewardship |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{noble2020managing, author = {Noble,, Paul Clements Hunt,Gordon}, title = {{Managing Infrastructure Through Stewardship}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2020}, month = oct, url = {https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/managing-infrastructure-through-stewardship}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }