This paper builds on the earlier work of Dowall [2000], Dowall and Whittington [2003] and recent discussions concerning Governor Schwarzenegger’s proposed PBI California initiative that took place in late January 2008 at a California Foundation on the Environment and the Economy. The CFEE retreat included senior advisors and staff of the Governor’s Office, California Senate and Assembly members and stakeholders representing labor, civil engineering firms, environmental interests and others. The dialog was wide ranging and productive, but it indicated that there was no clear overarching agreement on what constitutes “performance based infrastructure” and how it might be implemented in California. The purpose of the paper is two-fold: first, to define an overarching policy framework on performance based infrastructure; and second, to outline how California might launch a series of integrated policy and program initiatives to establish new and innovative approaches for providing California’s citizens and businesses with high-quality infrastructure services. Our proposals are based on earlier research, policy dialog and experience drawn from other countries and states that have successfully increased infrastructure service delivery.

David Dowall, Robin Ried
March 2008  |  38 pages

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