Guidance for development of packages

Strategy led

The development of packages should be strategy led, i.e. they should be identified within a strategy as the means of implementing the strategy. Preferably, the strategy should be supported by the NZTA.

However, it is possible to set up packages that are not identified as such in a strategy and this may be considered where there are synergies amongst projects in an area or corridor. In such cases, the NZTA’s (planning and investment) expectation is that one or more strategies will underlie the package.

Further information on the linkage of packages to strategies and integrated plans may be found at Studies, Strategies, Packages and Plans.

Development path

Ideally, the development pathway should be:

This pathway is seen as being effective in that it flows from identifying and understanding the transport issues and opportunities, to developing the strategic solutions, then to identifying and forming implementation packages and then to investigating, designing and implementing projects and programmes. It is also efficient in that the formulation and development flows from an aggregated to fine project detail level, rather than starting at the fine project detail and attempting to ‘retro-fit’ by clumping projects into packages.

However, it is possible to form packages from existing projects, where there are advantages in understanding the synergies that exist amongst activities and assessing the value-for-money from the package as a whole.

Optimisation of packages

Packages provide greater opportunity for successful optimisation than is provided from optimisation of individual projects in that the consideration of options more appropriately takes account of whole-of-network impacts, and the sequencing of projects can be tuned to achieve the best outcome from the whole package.

For further discussion on optimisation, refer to Endorsement of packages.

Assessment of packages

The assessment of packages is very similar to that of large projects with ratings of high, medium and low provided for:

• strategic fit (which should flow from the assessment of the strategy),
• effectiveness (which is best undertaken at a package level as the integration effects are better understood)
• economic efficiency (which may be indicative only if the package and its projects are not developed sufficiently or may be firm if the package is well developed).

The assessment profile for the package can be applied to its projects if there is sufficient confidence in the economic efficiency rating.

For further information on assessment, refer to Assessment of developed strategies and packages.

Endorsement of packages

The NZTA encourages Approved Organisations and the NZTA (state highways) to request that their packages be formally endorsed by the NZTA. This provides the applicant with greater confidence that the package is viewed by the NZTA as likely to achieve the outcomes identified in the strategy and that the component activities will be funded in the future.

For further information on endorsement refer to Endorsement of packages.