Skip to main content

Delivering Measurable Outcomes through Performance-based contracts

At this time of tight public budgets, performance-based maintenance contracts are gaining traction internationally, with a growing number of transport agencies recognising it as an effective instrument for making investment decisions that minimise risk and lower operating costs of existing and newly constructed highway infrastructure. However, a comprehensive survey conducted across 56 countries by IRF’s Asset Management Committee has revealed that progress is uneven. A majority of survey respondents indic
November 1, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Stay on top of a fast-evolving topic of strategic importance to the sector – join IRF in Orlando, Florida on October 28 - November 6, 2012.
At this time of tight public budgets, performance-based maintenance contracts are gaining traction internationally, with a growing number of transport agencies recognising it as an effective instrument for making investment decisions

that minimise risk and lower operating costs of existing and newly constructed highway infrastructure.
However, a comprehensive survey conducted across 56 countries by 3918 IRF Washington's Asset Management Committee has revealed that progress is uneven. A majority of survey respondents indicate that no centralised coordinating structure exists, few or no national knowledge resources are available, and asset management remains predominantly a manual task.  

To address these gaps, participants from 16 countries participated on August 14-16 in the 3rd IRF Workshop on Performance-based Contracts & Evaluating Asset Condition held in Washington DC. 

The workshop keynote address was provided by Kirk Steudle, director of 2630 Michigan Department of Transportation and president of the 3510 American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Other notable international attendees included Alfredo Tolentino, undersecretary of the 2569 Department of Public Works and Highways (Philippines); Kulwinder Rao, lead transport specialist at the 2332 World Bank; Moh Lali, executive director of 5811 Alberta Transportation (Canada); and Humberto Ibarolla, director of technical services, 2556 Ministry of Transport (Mexico).

Related Content

  • High-tech, high places: 3M in US and MetService in New Zealand
    August 1, 2017
    The US state of Michigan sets up a high-tech test road while New Zealand’s transport officials buy in some high-tech weather forecasting. The road safety division of 3M will provide the US state of Michigan with lane markings and retroreflective signs for a connected vehicle technologies trial along the I-75 highway. Around 5km of the Interstate 75 work zone in Oakland County will be transformed over the next four months to improve safety for drivers and test advanced vehicle-to-infrastructure technologie
  • UAE system: IRF Global Road Achievement Awards Laureate
    March 8, 2016
    UAE’s Pavement and Asset Management System. The Federal Road Network of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) comprises 670km of roads, mainly highways, with 3,100 lane-km. These roads connect the Northern Emirates (Ajman, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaima, Sharjah and Umm Al Quwaim) with the Emirate of Dubai and Oman. Knowing the importance of preserving these strategic road links, the UAE’s Ministry of Public Works started the implementation of an Asset and Pavement System in June 2012. The Road Department embarked on
  • Re-inventing Africa’s Transport Model - The 2nd IRF Africa Regional Congress
    September 13, 2017
    Lack of effective coordination among Africa’s transportation stakeholders is inhibiting the impacts of existing programs, but technology and innovation are increasingly understood as essential drivers to propel Africa forward in meeting its development goals. These were some of the main findings of the 2nd IRF Africa Regional Congress which was held July 11th-13th in Windhoek, Namibia.
  • Mainstreaming road safety in transportation projects: scaling up global commitment
    April 6, 2017
    In its latest policy statement, the International Road Federation affirmed the essential role of road safety audits and inspections It called on multilateral institutions to introduce qualitative benchmarks and capacity strengthening programs to ensure countries progress towards a safe and forgiving road system. Road safety audits and inspections are a formal safety performance examination of an existing or future road or intersection by an independent, multidisciplinary team. They qualitatively estim