Activities requiring Performance Measures

Introduction

This section provides more detailed guidance about:

• which activities will be required to have performance measures
• what Approved Organisations and the NZ Transport Agency (State Highways) need to do
• how it works in detail step by step
• business rules and technical knowledge
• where to get further support.

Activity classes for which performance measures are required

Activities from the following activity classes require performance measures:

• local roads improvements;
• state highway improvements;
• regional improvements;
• walking and cycling improvements;
• public transport improvements.

Activities required to have performance measures

The following activities are required to have performance measures to receive funding approval: 

1. Road Improvement activities with a total cost of $10 million or more.
2. Public transport improvement activities with a total cost of $4m or more.
3. Walking & cycling improvement activities with a total cost of $4 million or more.
4. All activities with funding contribution from the Urban Cycleways Fund.
5. The Transport Agency may also nominate some activities below the $10 million threshold, if they are of particular interest. For example, where an activity is a strategic link or is innovative.

The above funding thresholds apply to activities, and:

• packages at the design and construction phases,
• programmes developed under the business case approach at the pre-implementation and/or implementation phases.

Maintenance programmes, resilience The ability of the network to withstand, or recover quickly after a disruption. The availability and restoration of each facility when there is a weather or emergency event, whether there is an alternative route available and the road user information provided.  This can be measured through the number of journeys impacted by unplanned events, or acceptable risk where there is no viable alternative access should it be closed by an unplanned event. improvements and minor improvements are excluded. 

In time, a further 10% of activities will be sampled by the Transport Agency. Approved Organisations and the NZ Transport Agency (State Highways) will complete monitoring and reporting requirements for the activities to be sampled.

What Approved Organisations and NZ Transport Agency (State Highways) need to do

Approved Organisations and the NZ Transport Agency (State Highways) are required to submit performance measures as part of their funding requests for activities where this is required as per the above funding thresholds. They must also be prepared to provide these measures for other, smaller projects if the Transport Agency selects them for monitoring.

Approved Organisations and the NZ Transport Agency (State Highways) will need to consider the following questions:

• What is/are the expected benefit(s) of the proposed activity?
• How will it be demonstrated that the expected benefits have been achieved?
• Are there any significant disbenefits to be expected, or any other important factors to be considered (e.g. roading project along a corridor that is also a strategic cycling network route)?
• What will be measured?
• When, where and how will it be measured?
• Which measures will be reported to the NZ Transport Agency?

How it will work

Approved Organisations and the NZ Transport Agency (State Highways) will provide investment performance information within the “Performance Measures” section of TIO The NZTA's web-based funding allocation system. (under “Activities”). This will be done by selecting measures from the list of performance measures or by creating an alternative measure where no suitable measure exists (See Business Rules below). Further details and a worked example is available here.

Please note: Updates to TIO The NZTA's web-based funding allocation system. are underway. The list of performance measures will be accessible through TIO once the updates have been completed. Approved Organisations and the NZ Transport Agency (State Highways) will be informed through a General Circular Formal notification of policy change to funding rules and procedures will be notified to approved organisations through the release of a General Circular.
http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/general-circulars/general-circulars.html .

Business rules and technical knowledge

Approved Organisations and the NZ Transport Agency (State Highways) can nominate alternative measures if no appropriate measure exists. However, such measures must align with the Transport Agency’s framework for investment performance measurement. Contact Transport Agency regional offices to discuss the suitability of alternative measures.

Where initiatives to be monitored are part of a package/programme for which all benefits may not be realised until all components are complete, the Transport Agency recommends that (where interim components deliver benefits) Approved Organisations and the NZ Transport Agency (State Highways) determine benefits both:

• by component AND
• once the package/programme is complete.

This ensures that progress is tracked throughout the project, including determining whether the components each deliver their respective benefits, and whether the package/programme as a whole delivers its overall benefits.

Further support

If you need any assistance with the new reporting requirements, please talk to your regional Transport Agency contact. Alternatively, you can direct specific questions to: