Our Principles
ASI is a voluntary initiative which is relevant to any government department or agency with responsibility for public infrastructure projects. ASI’s principles reflect a shared stakeholder commitment to transparency, accountability and sustainability:
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Governments are responsible for providing reliable, safe and inclusive infrastructure
Public infrastructure should support sustainable economic growth and development and benefit all people. Mismanagement, inefficiency or corruption in the sector undermines the significant social and economic benefits that well-designed infrastructure can bring.
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Governments should be accountable
Citizens have a right to know that their money is being used wisely. Public infrastructure projects should be transparent so that government can be held accountable.
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Transparency improves governance
Disclosure of information across the infrastructure project cycle can provide an effective means to improve value for money by reducing opportunities for corruption and increasing scrutiny.
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Transparency promotes investor confidence
Transparency promotes better management of public infrastructure which is likely to increase domestic and foreign direct investment.
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Multi-stakeholder cooperation reflects shared interest and responsibility
Multi-stakeholder engagement between government, private sector and civil society improves transparency and builds trust as all opinions are taken into account.
Approach
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Multi-Stakeholder involvement – Enhancing transparency, accountability and sustainability in public infrastructure involves collaboration across stakeholder groups from government, private sector and civil society who have different perspectives and backgrounds. ASI brings these stakeholders together through multi-stakeholder groups in each national programme. The groups guide the delivery of ASI and provide a neutral forum for stakeholders to pursue infrastructure sustainability together.
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Social accountability - Social accountability stakeholders such as the media, civil society and academia play an important role in holding decision-makers to account. ASI works with these stakeholders to promote the findings from its assurance process so that they can put key issues in the public domain.
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Leverage the space of civil society: ASI believe in its transformative ability to facilitate change and reduce infrastructure inefficiency that has direct impacts over many socio-development facets. These include,
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Creating large-scale benefit and inclusion: Organising meaningful multi-stakeholder participation, which includes the voices of the marginalised, vulnerable and affected communities.
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Adopting social and environmental safeguards: The key to quality and sustainable infrastructure is its implementation via participatory processes to identify, mitigate and manage social, environmental impacts.
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Social movement: ASI provides a strong community-led movement. Local leadership (district and community level) with knowledge, information and skills. Strong community organizations networked at community level to the national level. Strong information base, media and advocacy capacities to influence policy making. Movement collectively able to influence positive reforms and to stop harmful policies and actions.
