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Cover of Innovation and Best Practice in Performance Measurement and Transport Outcomes
Innovation and Best Practice in Performance Measurement and Transport Outcomes
  • Publication no: AP-R638-20
  • ISBN: 978-1-922382-33-7
  • Published: 10 November 2020

Urban road performance metrics, indicators and benchmarks describe how our road assets (and transport systems) are functioning and operating. Indicators in particular are useful to understand how well our road assets are performing within the context of the road users’ (and societal) expectations. This enables agencies and authorities to manage investment and resources to address the areas of greatest need.

Austroads first developed National Performance Indicators (NPIs) to promote consistency in reporting of road performance across state transport agencies. Over time, however, the uptake of NPIs has diminished due to a misalignment with state agencies' own performance reporting needs, concurrently with the advent of new datasets and the increased value that these datasets provide. This report explores current national and international practices in urban road network performance reporting and investigates the NPIs current use and uptake.

This report documents consistent and commonly agreed practices in performance reporting, data management and performance indicators including a set of revised NPI’s. The recommendations and findings of the report are reflective of best practice, aligned to current and emerging state based needs, and considerate of the practicalities of data collation, management and processing.

Watch the webinar about the report.

  • Summary
  • 1. Introduction
    • 1.1 Preamble
      • 1.1.1 The road asset has a greater role to play in delivering broader societal outcomes
      • 1.1.2 Car is no longer king – A greater appreciation of broader road user needs is required
      • 1.1.3 Growing misalignment with state-based performance reporting interests
      • 1.1.4 Data capture technology and analysis methods have been disrupted
    • 1.2 Purpose
    • 1.3 Project Scope
    • 1.4 Methodology
      • 1.4.1 Guiding Principles
      • 1.4.2 Approach
      • 1.4.3 Engagement
      • 1.4.4 Key Project Milestones
      • 1.4.5 Report Structure
  • 2. Context
    • 2.1 Defining Performance
    • 2.2 Why Transport Agencies Report on Performance
    • 2.3 What Constitutes a Good Indicator
    • 2.4 When Performance is Reported
    • 2.5 Applications of Performance Reporting
      • 2.5.1 Types of Insights
      • 2.5.2 Strategic Application
      • 2.5.3 Tactical Application
      • 2.5.4 Operational Application
  • 3. Historical Development of Austroads National Performance Indicators
  • 4. Overview of Local Practice
    • 4.1 Summary of Reporting Practices
      • 4.1.1 Definition of Terms
    • 4.2 New South Wales
      • 4.2.1 Function
      • 4.2.2 Scope
      • 4.2.3 Performance Indicators and Metrics
      • 4.2.4 Data and Applications
      • 4.2.5 Role of Legacy National Performance Reporting
    • 4.3 Victoria
      • 4.3.1 Function
      • 4.3.2 Scope
      • 4.3.3 Performance Indicators and Metrics
      • 4.3.4 Data Capture and Use
      • 4.3.5 Role of Legacy National Performance Reporting
    • 4.4 Queensland
      • 4.4.1 Function
      • 4.4.2 Scope
      • 4.4.3 Performance Indicators and Metrics
      • 4.4.4 Data Capture and Use
      • 4.4.5 Role of Legacy National Performance Reporting
    • 4.5 Western Australia
      • 4.5.1 Function
      • 4.5.2 Scope
      • 4.5.3 Data Capture and Use
      • 4.5.4 Role of Legacy National Performance Reporting
    • 4.6 South Australia
      • 4.6.1 Function
      • 4.6.2 Scope
      • 4.6.3 Performance Indicators and Metrics
      • 4.6.4 Data Capture and Use
      • 4.6.5 Role of Legacy National Performance Reporting
    • 4.7 Tasmania
      • 4.7.1 Function
      • 4.7.2 Scope
      • 4.7.3 Performance Indicators and Metrics
      • 4.7.4 Data Capture and Use
      • 4.7.5 Role of Legacy National Performance Reporting
    • 4.8 Northern Territory
      • 4.8.1 Function
      • 4.8.2 Scope
      • 4.8.3 Data Capture and Use
      • 4.8.4 Performance Indicators and Metrics
      • 4.8.5 Role of Legacy National Performance Reporting
    • 4.9 Australian Capital Territory
      • 4.9.1 Function
      • 4.9.2 Scope
      • 4.9.3 Performance Indicators and Metrics
      • 4.9.4 Data Capture and Use
    • 4.10 New Zealand
      • 4.10.1 Function
      • 4.10.2 Scope
      • 4.10.3 Performance Indicators
      • 4.10.4 Data Capture and Use
      • 4.10.5 Role of Legacy National Performance Reporting
    • 4.11 The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development
      • 4.11.1 Performance Measurement for Departmental Reporting
      • 4.11.2 Performance Measurement for Federal Funding
      • 4.11.3 National Service Level Standards for Roads
      • 4.11.4 Australian Transport Assessment and Planning
    • 4.12 Summary of State Transport Agency Feedback on the National Performance Indicators
  • 5. International Best Practice
    • 5.1 Context
    • 5.2 The United States of America
    • 5.3 Canada
    • 5.4 The United Kingdom
    • 5.5 Japan
    • 5.6 International Comparisons
  • 6. Innovation in Performance Measurement
    • 6.1 Reliability
      • 6.1.1 Incorporating Reliability Performance Measures into the Transportation Planning and Programming Processes
      • 6.1.2 Developing a National Measure for Predictable Public Transport: Bus, Rail and Ferry
      • 6.1.3 Estimating the Value of Truck Travel Time Reliability
    • 6.2 Safety
      • 6.2.1 Risk Mapping
      • 6.2.2 Star Rating
      • 6.2.3 Swedish Road Safety Framework
    • 6.3 Accessibility and Connectivity
      • 6.3.1 Connectivity Indicators
    • 6.4 Congestion
    • 6.5 Place
  • 7. External Service Providers
    • 7.1 Overview of Data Needs and Challenges Facing State Agencies
    • 7.2 Data Sources
    • 7.3 Overview of Service Providers
    • 7.4 Overview of Challenges and Opportunities Facing Service Providers
      • 7.4.1 Challenges
      • 7.4.2 Opportunities
    • 7.5 Services Provided
      • 7.5.1 Data Sources
      • 7.5.2 Data Access
      • 7.5.3 Services
    • 7.6 Considerations for Transport Agencies – Data Management
  • 8. Recommended Performance Reporting Practices and Indicators
    • 8.1 Considerations for Transport Agencies - Establishing a Performance Reporting Framework
      • 8.1.1 Establish a Structure that Supports Outcome-Driven Performance Reporting
      • 8.1.2 Representing Different Customers’ Needs
      • 8.1.3 Developing Well Defined and Outcome Orientated Performance Indicators
      • 8.1.4 Defining Indicators and Metrics that are Translatable and Traceable Across Organisational Functions
      • 8.1.5 Making Benefit Realisation the Central Driver of Performance
      • 8.1.6 Communicating Why Performance Needs to be Observed
      • 8.1.7 Defining Clear, Targeted and Consistent Reporting
      • 8.1.8 Establishing Clear Governance and Investing in Capability
      • 8.1.9 Building in Flexibility to Embrace Innovation and Change
      • 8.1.10 Supporting Continual Improvement, Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing
    • 8.2 Indicators and Metrics
    • 8.3 Data Management and Communications
      • 8.3.1 Role of Austroads
    • 8.4 Addressing other State-based Performance Needs and Challenges
  • 9. Recommended National Performance Indicators
    • 9.1 National Performance Indicators
      • 9.1.1 Compliance with Specific National Performance Indicators
      • 9.1.2 Summary of Feedback
    • 9.2 Revising the NPIs
      • 9.2.1 Desired Function (‘Why’ NPIs)
      • 9.2.2 Objectives (‘What’ NPIs)
      • 9.2.3 Success Factors
      • 9.2.4 Definition of Revised NPIs
  • 10. Recommendations to Improve Uptake of NPIs
    • 10.1 Challenges
    • 10.2 Recommendations to Address Strategic Challenges
    • 10.3 National Performance Reporting Framework Sample
    • 10.4 Recommendations to Address Specific Challenges
      • 10.4.1 Strategic
      • 10.4.2 Technical
      • 10.4.3 Data
      • 10.4.4 Implementation and Cost
  • References
  • Appendix A Register of Performance Indicators
  • Appendix B SWOT NPIs
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