Policy and Planning for Large Infrastructure Projects : Problems, Causes, Cures
This paper focuses on problems and their causes and cures in policy and planning for large infrastructure projects. First, it identifies as the main problem in major infrastructure development pervasive misinformation about the costs, benefits, and risks involved. A consequence of misinformation is...
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| Format: | Policy Research Working Paper |
| Language: | English |
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World Bank, Washington, DC
2012
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2005/12/6447545/policy-planning-large-infrastructure-projects-problems-causes-cures http://hdl.handle.net/10986/8579 |
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okr-10986-85792021-04-23T14:02:43Z Policy and Planning for Large Infrastructure Projects : Problems, Causes, Cures Flyvbjerg, Bent BASE YEAR CITIES COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE DATA COLLECTION DEBT DECISION MAKERS DECISION MAKING ECONOMIC FORECASTING ENGINEERS EXPECTED RETURNS FORECASTING MODELS FORECASTING TECHNIQUES FORECASTS INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS INTERVIEWS LEARNING METHODOLOGY MUSEUMS NATIONAL ECONOMIES REALISM REGRESSION ANALYSIS RESEARCH WORKING PAPERS RESEARCHERS SCENARIOS TEACHERS UNDERESTIMATES WEIGHTING This paper focuses on problems and their causes and cures in policy and planning for large infrastructure projects. First, it identifies as the main problem in major infrastructure development pervasive misinformation about the costs, benefits, and risks involved. A consequence of misinformation is massive cost overruns, benefit shortfalls, and waste. Second, the paper explores the causes of misinformation and finds that political-economic explanations best account for the available evidence: planners and promoters deliberately misrepresent costs, benefits, and risks in order to increase the likelihood that it is their projects, and not the competition's, that gain approval and funding. This results in the "survival of the unfittest," where often it is not the best projects that are built, but the most misrepresented ones. Finally, the paper presents measures for reforming policy and planning for large infrastructure projects, with a focus on better planning methods and changed governance structures, the latter being more important. 2012-06-20T20:23:14Z 2012-06-20T20:23:14Z 2005-12 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2005/12/6447545/policy-planning-large-infrastructure-projects-problems-causes-cures http://hdl.handle.net/10986/8579 English Policy Research Working Paper; No. 3781 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper Publications & Research |
| repository_type |
Digital Repository |
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Foreign Institution |
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Digital Repositories |
| building |
World Bank Open Knowledge Repository |
| collection |
World Bank |
| language |
English |
| topic |
BASE YEAR CITIES COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE DATA COLLECTION DEBT DECISION MAKERS DECISION MAKING ECONOMIC FORECASTING ENGINEERS EXPECTED RETURNS FORECASTING MODELS FORECASTING TECHNIQUES FORECASTS INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS INTERVIEWS LEARNING METHODOLOGY MUSEUMS NATIONAL ECONOMIES REALISM REGRESSION ANALYSIS RESEARCH WORKING PAPERS RESEARCHERS SCENARIOS TEACHERS UNDERESTIMATES WEIGHTING |
| spellingShingle |
BASE YEAR CITIES COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE DATA COLLECTION DEBT DECISION MAKERS DECISION MAKING ECONOMIC FORECASTING ENGINEERS EXPECTED RETURNS FORECASTING MODELS FORECASTING TECHNIQUES FORECASTS INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS INTERVIEWS LEARNING METHODOLOGY MUSEUMS NATIONAL ECONOMIES REALISM REGRESSION ANALYSIS RESEARCH WORKING PAPERS RESEARCHERS SCENARIOS TEACHERS UNDERESTIMATES WEIGHTING Flyvbjerg, Bent Policy and Planning for Large Infrastructure Projects : Problems, Causes, Cures |
| relation |
Policy Research Working Paper; No. 3781 |
| description |
This paper focuses on problems and their causes and cures in policy and planning for large infrastructure projects. First, it identifies as the main problem in major infrastructure development pervasive misinformation about the costs, benefits, and risks involved. A consequence of misinformation is massive cost overruns, benefit shortfalls, and waste. Second, the paper explores the causes of misinformation and finds that political-economic explanations best account for the available evidence: planners and promoters deliberately misrepresent costs, benefits, and risks in order to increase the likelihood that it is their projects, and not the competition's, that gain approval and funding. This results in the "survival of the unfittest," where often it is not the best projects that are built, but the most misrepresented ones. Finally, the paper presents measures for reforming policy and planning for large infrastructure projects, with a focus on better planning methods and changed governance structures, the latter being more important. |
| format |
Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper |
| author |
Flyvbjerg, Bent |
| author_facet |
Flyvbjerg, Bent |
| author_sort |
Flyvbjerg, Bent |
| title |
Policy and Planning for Large Infrastructure Projects : Problems, Causes, Cures |
| title_short |
Policy and Planning for Large Infrastructure Projects : Problems, Causes, Cures |
| title_full |
Policy and Planning for Large Infrastructure Projects : Problems, Causes, Cures |
| title_fullStr |
Policy and Planning for Large Infrastructure Projects : Problems, Causes, Cures |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Policy and Planning for Large Infrastructure Projects : Problems, Causes, Cures |
| title_sort |
policy and planning for large infrastructure projects : problems, causes, cures |
| publisher |
World Bank, Washington, DC |
| publishDate |
2012 |
| url |
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2005/12/6447545/policy-planning-large-infrastructure-projects-problems-causes-cures http://hdl.handle.net/10986/8579 |
| _version_ |
1764408035067822080 |